Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Compared to Thatcher's '80's, today—despite the economic climate—the country
is a very different place; just juxtapose some of the gloomy New Town Brutalist archi-
tecture—that seemed to resonate with Thatcher's government—to contemporary
architecture's refreshing new buildings: Eric Parry's extension to the Holburne
Museum in Bath, the new Hepworth Wakefield museum in West Yorkshire, and the
Turner Contemporary museum in Margate, Kent.
It also feels different, an invigorating environment where a cutting-edge cultural
environment exists happily alongside the ever-present pop culture of the past.
The 60s still rule, as shown by the 2010 movie Brighton Rock, Graham Greene's
1950s' gangster tale reset in the following decade. The music from that era (and from
the 1970s) is acquiring a new lease of life, as the stars are treated with the reverence
that used to be accorded old bluesmen; Paul McCartney has never been bigger and
younger generations are as keen to watch him at a festival as they are new-found idols
such as rapper Tinie Tempah. One of the biggest draws is Damon Albarn's post-Blur
electro-pop extravaganza Gorillaz, which features two ex-members of The Clash,
comic book artwork, and a host of stars from down the years. And Elvis Costello
even hosts his own U.S. chat show.
The first U.K. rock festival was on the Isle of Wight (p. 306) in 1968, and starred
Marc Bolan's band Tyrannosaurus Rex. Bob Dylan played in 1969 and Jimi Hendrix
(who'd made his home in Britain) in 1970, although that was the last Isle of Wight
Festival until it was revived in 2002. The Glastonbury Festival (p. 358) in Somer-
set took up the baton in 1970. Both are still going strong. There is no festival in 2012.
Yet there is still an irrepressible surge of new bands; some explode swiftly while
others stay the course. Of the latter, the Editors, Kasabian, White Lies, and Arc-
tic Monkeys are some of the best known.
Wales has long had its own music: The infectious rock 'n' roll of Andy Fairweather
Low (once the singer in '60s chart toppers Amen Corner, a long-time guitarist in Eric
Clapton's band, and now splendidly solo) and Dave Edmunds, and the experimental
angst of the Velvet Underground's John Cale (who played major shows in summer
2011), while more recent acts such as Duffy with her rich soul music, and art rockers
Super Furry Animals (and their solo frontman Gruff Rhys ) are major stars.
Comic topics used to be a particularly American thing, but a host of Brits have
crossed the Atlantic and many have their work made into big-budget films, not least
Neil Gaiman (the novels Coraline and Stardust ) and Alan Moore ( Watchmen, V For
Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, From Hell ).
Literature in Britain has never been stronger. Erudite fantasy has become big-
selling reality for Philip ( Golden Compass ) Pullman and J.K. (Harry Potter) Rowling,
but there are far more esoteric novels that have become bestsellers. Read almost
anything by A.S. Byatt, Hillary Mantel, Ian McEwan (whose Atonement was turned
into the movie starring Keira Knightley), Martin Amis, Jeanette Winterson, Zadie
Smith, and Will Self and it is possible
to see the anger, introspection, and
inventiveness of modern Britain, with
some, such as Byatt and Winterson,
spilling over into young people's fic-
tion. Meanwhile, author Niall
Griffiths' edgy novels have put Aberys-
twyth on the map as much as Irvine
Welsh and Ian Rankin's topics did for
Edinburgh.
2
What They Say
“Now that I own the BBC/What am I
supposed to make of this thing/All this
power/All this glory/All these DJs/And
all these lorries.”
—Sparks, Now That I Own
The BBC (1994)
 
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