Another Day #9: Good Friday

What's so good about it?

Don't answer that.

There is always some contention raised at Top Ten Towers about whether or not one should receive / start eating Easter Eggs on Good Friday... or wait until Sunday. Personally, I'm well past Easter Eggs - I'd rather have some nice nuts. But some people hate waiting till Sunday for their eggs. What does the hivemind think?

Cowboy Junkies - Good Friday

Elvis Perkins - Good Friday

Mental As Anything - Good Friday

Modern Romance - Good Friday

For Against - Dark Good Friday

WHY? - Good Friday

Then Comes Silence - Good Friday

The Black Crowes - Good Friday

If it's just an average Friday today, or you're having to wait till Sunday for your Easter Eggs, you may be interested to learn that Friday April 3rd 2026 is also...

Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day

"This light-hearted occasion encourages individuals to pause and assess how they actually feel about their work, not just how they think they’re supposed to feel. If the day’s agenda looks like nothing but stress, monotony, or one meeting too many, the message is simple: rethink the plan."

OK, are you going to pay my mortgage while I take time to rethink the plan?

There's a line in there which goes "You can burn it down as far as I’m concerned", which always reminds me of whenever we had a fire drill in my previous job... all those teachers (and students) stood out in the car park, praying it wasn't just a practice.

Walk to Work Day

Is it just me, or will a lot of people not be going to work today because it's a Bank Holiday? I don't think either of these days have been planned very well this year, have they?

Virginia Coalition - Walk To Work

Of course, if you are walking to work, you might be using Shanks's pony...

Pony Express Day

So if you're wondering who to blame...

Johnny Johnson & the Bandwagon - Blame It On The Pony Express

But possibly my favourite pointless suggestion for today is this one...

National Find A Rainbow Day

And I quote...

"Quite a few ways to celebrate Find a Rainbow Day can be imagined. It might be fun to grab some friends and try to find a rainbow, although this activity may be dependent on the weather."

D'oh!

Don't despair though, because there's one occasion I can absolutely get behind celebrating today...

World Party Day

"World Party Day is based on the idea that peace is not the opposite of war, merely its absence. The real opposite of war is party, and World Party Day aims to synchronise a massive, world-wide party to celebrate everything that’s good and optimistic!"

I'm not really sure I believe that the real opposite of war is party - for two reasons. Firstly, I've been to quite a few parties that ended up as wars. And secondly, I'd rather stay home and read a book.

However, this day wins because it allows us the opportunity to celebrate the work of the late, great Karl Wallinger...

I hope it's a Good Friday for you...

Snapshots #183: A Top Ten Easter Songs

Perhaps the link was too obvious yesterday... call it an early Easter presents, as I can't give you all chocolate.

Here are the answers...

10. Blimey, Cher - it's roomy!

"Cher - it's roomy" is an anagram.

Christy Moore - Easter Snow

9. A friend of the office manager.

The office manager, David Brent, was played by Ricky Gervais.

Ross Geller was a Friend.

Ricky Ross - Cold Easter

8. Chic fella, all alone.

The Chic fella would be Nile Rogers. If he was all alone, he might well be blue.

The Blue Nile - Easter Parade

7. Not so fishy anymore.

That's Marillion, after Fish had swum off to fresh waters.

Marillion - Easter

6. Police found with drugs on calendar.

The Julian Calendar.

Cop + E.

Julian Cope - Easter Everywhere

5. Founding father of flight.

Thomas Jefferson was a founding father.

I suppose White Rabbit would have been Easter-ish (it's certainly a better song), but the one I had in mind was...

Jefferson Airplane - Easter?

4. Psycho king.

Anthony Perkins was Norman Bates in Psycho.

Elvis was the king.

Elvis Perkins - Good Friday

3. Connections.

The Associates - Tell Me Easter's On Friday

2. One step wreath.

One step is a stair.

A wreath is a garland.

Fred Astaire & Judy Garland - Easter Parade

1. Baker's man becomes metalworker.

Patty cake, patti cake, baker's man.

A metalworker is a smith.

When all the Easter Eggs are eaten, Saturday Snapshots will still be here... next week.

Elvis Fridays #4: Let's Have A Party

Welcome to the end of the week. Time for a bit more Elvii.

Will Elvis Perkins make an appearance at some stage? asked Charity Chic.

Undoubtedly.



If you have room for "A Date With Elvis" by The Cramps give "What's Inside a Girl?" a listen, said Lynchie.



And there's the poet Elvis McGonagall & his band The Resurrectors, described as "an unholy marriage of radical stand-up poetry and Caledonian punkabilly rock ‘n roll"...

OK.

Here's his reaction to the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis...




Which brings us to the other two guys.

Last week, Brian commended my choice from Punch The Clock by revealing that it was the first Costello album he bought as a new release, after spending some time previous relishing the delights of his back catalogue.

Well, here's a track from the first Costello album I bought on release. It could have been Spike, but I know my copy of that has a little chip in the black plastic on the side of the CD case which represents that it was a promo copy or a reject. Probably I scrounged that out of the chuck outs box at work. But I remember buying the following album in a shop, and the lead single is still one of my favourite Costello tracks.

I know Mighty Like A Rose is the album where many fans became a little disillusioned with Elvis, but I love it still. It's an odd record (the "weirdy beardy" one) that pushes the boundaries musically and lyrically in places, but I played it to death at the time.

Here's that single, an anti-Beach Boys record in the very best sense... and it seems appropriate now that we're in July and the traditional British summer has finally arrived. All those beautiful sunny days at the start of lockdown seem but a distant memory now...

Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions"?

A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons"?

The rabid rebel dogs ransack the shampoo shop

The pop princess is downtown shooting up

And if that goddess is fit for burning

The sun will struggle up, the world will still keep turning

 


So finally then, to the King. And a story I've probably told before, but when has that ever stopped me?

In the first year of 6th Form, I appeared in the school panto. A comedic version of Robin Hood. My mate Simon, who always played the lead, was Robin. I was Little John. (I'm probably an inch taller than him, but always the sidekick...) He got the girl (Maid Marian), both on stage and off. I... got to "sing" the song that closed the first half. Well, not really sing, but mime and dance along to the track below, belting out of a backstage ghetto plaster. I did sing... you just couldn't hear me for the real deal. Which is probably for the best. Whenever I hear this track, I'm on that stage, gyrating my knees and hips, waiting for the curtain to fall one more time...