Watched a wonderful film last night, a ‘slice-of-life’ Japanese film called Linda Linda Linda about an all-girl band rehearsing for a gig they will be performing during a school festival. The trailer is here. I highly recommend the film, so see it if you can (this includes borrow it from me if you can!)
The girls perform songs by The Blue Hearts (you can her the originals in the trailer), a famous Japanese punk band. The title song in particular was very familiar to me, as in very familiar, and after the movie ended I dug out the exact reason why. Yes – is was in Ouenden, the greatest game ever made! I immediately had a go at hard mode and set a new record, so it appears I haven’t lost it (or perhaps I was full of ganbare spirit after watching the film!)
The film made me remember school festivals, which we used to have annually. They were ‘same but different’ from the type they have in Japan, but the spirit of them was familiar, in that students would create stands and shops to (hopefully) make money for the school. In 12th grade we organized, as part of some sort of festival (the details of which I sadly forget) a talent contest, and it is here I humbly ask AW to fill in the details of my memory.
I was a judge. I vaguely recall being horrifically honest with some of the acts that were trying their hardest. I vaguely recall setting up a friend to embarrass himself. I don’t recall who won, but I know AW has a funny story about the event.
There’s nothing like those bittersweet memories of school days…
DQ and I performed a comedy routine entitled “Alas Chook And Willow”. While the name was a play on UK show “Alas Smith And Jones”, we didn’t attempt to imitate the skits of Mel and Griff. In fact, all we did was read, from palm cards, the nominees and winners at a fictitious Academy Awards ceremony. We made them (a) topical and (b) as offensive as we could get away with, and were rewarded with many cheap laughs.
You were indeed a tough judge and I was a bit miffed when we received high scores from the rest of the panel, only to finish second due to a ridiculously low mark from yourself (1/10? 0/10?). Little did I know…
The winning act, a guy and two girls who danced and mimed to an ABBA song or possibly a medley, were presented with a frozen chicken, while we runners-up walked away with armloads of candy bars. Unlike Chook and I, who’d written our throwaway gags over the phone the previous night, the musical trio had clearly rehearsed for hours and hours – they may have even had costumes – and were visibly disgusted with their joke prize.
One of your mates at the time was supposed to sing, unaccompanied, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, but I think he piked at the last minute.
The weirdest part of the talent quest for me was when, at the urging of his circle of friends, a Year 11 dude got up out of the audience and delivered an impromptu rant about the pop group Bros that included repeating their lyrics in a camp voice. He was surprisingly well received. I remember thinking, “No wonder they laughed at us, they’ll laugh at bloody anything!”
Yes! That’s the story I remember.
Martin Lewis was the friend we convinced (conned) to perform ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence’ whilst dressed as Jesus, including an adult diaper and a large cross cut out of cardboard. I had forgotten that he piked at the last minute, but having see his rehearsals (I believe he wrote ‘I am Jesus’ on his bare chest with lipstick) it was probably for the best.
We (that being me) had an evil plan to get him up there to embarrass himself to know end, and then to ruthlessly critique him afterwards 🙂
I wish you still had your act… love to hear those jokes again!