Mind Control

In 2004, the Wolves Of Greece rock band/theatre group were invited to play a very large show with the lovely Lightning Bolt in The London. This was, as they say in the industry, a "Big Deal". A few days before the gig our singist, Simon, sheepishly called us all up and said he couldn't do the show because something important had come up. Upon being pressed, we managed to get it out of him that he had tickets to see hypnotist/mind bender/trickster Derren Brown perform live. We were outraged and applied so much pressure to poor old Simon that he sacked off Derren and did the show. It was fun.It made a list of the loudest gigs of all time as well, I might add. Though Simon did quit the band shortly afterwards.
So, what's this got to do with anything? Well, how times change because all I've done is watch Derren Brown for the last 3 weeks or so. Today I am staying at a friends', waiting for the keys to my new house, sitting around all day with nothing but a laptop and I am actually excited at the prospect of watching 4 On Demand all afternoon and the many Derren Brown related programmes available.
Who gives a shit how he predicted the lottery ultimately? It was a televisual event (the clue is in the title) like I remember from my childhood when everyone at school, even the teachers, would want to discuss it the day after. It was something that got people talking and rather that than a bunch of mentally challenged people locked in a house shrieking "ohmygod!" for 24 hours a day surely?
Anyway, Derren Brown's Blog is always good for a read, even when it contains (admittedly quite decent) impressions of Stewie Griffin.
In summary: more hypnotism, less noise rock. Simon was a visionary.