Is Everything a Western now?

Catching up with TV the other day, we watched the first episode of the new series, Peaky Blinders. I have to say at the start that I enjoyed it, and it looks like a bit of escapism, complete with anachronistic music and one or two suspect Brummie accents (although not being a native I may be wrong).

What did strike me after a few minutes was that I was basically watching a Western. Not the ones which are about fighting Native Americans, but the version where there's a bad bunch terrorising the town, and a new marshall/sheriff (never did work out the respective role descriptions) comes into town and fights to create law and order, sometimes at the request of the governor or some other higher authority.

In Peaky Blinders, we're not in the Wild West, but industrial Birmingham. Most of the men are veterans of the great war and nearly all men seem to have, not surprisingly, undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder. Worryingly, many of them appear to be armed.

Just like the West, there are gangs and families who operate outside the law with a blind eye being turned to their activities. In place of the saloon, there's a pub. And every Western has a barmaid, and she soon arrives. The gang is, on the face of it, run by a patriarch, but a son is working on taking power and a matriarch doesn't trust him.

In place of the settlement with wooden buildings in the middle of a dusty nowhere, one of the main streets goes through a stylised industrial site, complete with coal, ash, and lots of flames so you know we're in industrial England. In place of stealing weapons from a wagon or railroad, they've been nicked from BSA, and the preferred mode of escaping trouble is by canal. 

But make those substitutions, and we might as well be in the wild west. The Western's moralistic marshal is replaced by a police chief imported from Ulster, who has terrifying religious zeal in his pursuit of righteousness, and he's sent, not by a state governor, but a young(er) Winston Churchill, who fears Irish Republicans and Communists in equal measure.

There'll be no shoot-out by some rocks and a couple of cacti, but otherwise it's all there. You can do the same sort of analysis with Ripper Street - that series even includes the classic 'house of ill repute' run by a powerful woman and includes an American doctor of dubious moral character. Ideal Wild West material in the middle of Whitechapel.

Not sure why TV has taken this turn, but both series give us a stylised look at life in periods of British history which often only get portrayed in aristocratic circles and big country houses. Personally I enjoy them both.

Greenbelt 2013

Greenbelt reached it 40th edition this year. If you're not familiar with Greenbelt, it's an arts festival at Cheltenham race course, with a Christian background, but by no means limited to Christian input. Music, drama, literature, and talks addressing matters of faith and justice all feature, along with a good dose of silliness and fun. There are always several venues functioning, so there is plenty of choice as to how to spend the time. There are also plenty of stalls, (organic/fair trade/responsibly sourced) catering vans and displays to browse if you want to take a bit of time out. So what were my picks for 2013?

Jazz Church

Andy Flannagan and friends

There is usually some opening worship so we went along to Jazz Church in the Big Top. Some classic hymns to new arrangements mixed with a jazz take on more contemporary ones, including "Heaven" by Gungor. Not something you could sustain very often, but a great idea and a fresh take on some familiar tunes. I also got along to Ben Cantelon on Sunday doing set of contemporary worship songs in a (dare I say) more conventional way. Andy Flannagan closed things off on Monday with an interesting mix of him, a DJ and a man on a trombone. Somehow it worked.

Other options over the weekend, apart from the main worship on Sunday morning included eucharists from Blessed, an alt-worship sacramental community, another used music from Les Miserables, there was a U2charist and a goth mass. You could get close to nature with Forest Church, of you prefer it quiet, Quakers and Franciscans offer alternatives!

The range of music on offer is always a highlight for me. You can usually find a good selection of singer-songwriters around the place at the Performance Cafe (this year changed to a venue not a cafe!), the CD tent, the Christian Aid tent and the Shed - the youth venue. Martyn Joseph is usually on the list and he also hosts a session (The Rising) with musicians each day to talk about their work and share songs. We caught him talking to old-timer Garth Hewitt and two newer artists, Carrie Rodriguez and Blair Dunlop. The latter 2 were so good we spent 2 hours sitting on the floor of the Performance cafe for their afternoon sets. Blair Dunlop is a great guitarist and writes interesting songs; Carrie Rodriguez is more country influenced but avoids the country cliches. Ably assisted by Luke Jacobs on guitar and sometimes singing and playing the violin at the same time, she had real quality. Also caught Stylusboy from Coventry and Andy Howie from Scotland, but missed plenty more.

The Boxettes at The Performance Cafe

The word 'box' seemed to dominate music on Saturday. Boxes is a solo project by Carey Willetts of the band Athlete (who headlined our first Greenbelt in 2009). Playing solo with a variety of backing effects he did a good set. Later The Boxettes appeared. 4 singers and world champion beat boxer Bellatrix with no instrumentation or backing track, they delivered a great energetic set. More followed at the Performance Cafe, including an improvisation using three words from the audience. They're still unsigned and have far more talent than most 'girl groups', so somebody get them a contract! Also caught Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for some serious rock.

Panel discussion featuring Jim Wallis
and Richard Coles

The talks programme is always interesting, usually challenging, often inspiring and rarely without something controversial in there somewhere. Caught a nice little session with Martyn Joseph speaking about songwriting. Graham Cray spoke about what kind of church seems to be emerging for the future. Maybe I've been to too many sessions and read too many books on this, but I didn't find this very inspiring. However, Jim Wallis gave a very challenging, inspiring and yet very accessible address on 10 personal decisions you can make for the common good. I missed most of Steve Chalke, but I gather he was very good, but I did catch Rachel Mann on being a trans lesbian priest in the church today. that's not a talk I'd heard before, and it had a lot of insights.

Comedy from Paul Kerensa

The Christian Aid tent had a comprehensive programme. regular live music from Harry Bird and the Rubber Wellies, Paul Field and others. Interviews and panel discussions took place throughout and we also got some poetry from Harry Baker and comedy from Paul Kerensa, who writes for Miranda and other radio and TV shows. Meanwhile the cafe team made it a place to take a break and get some refreshment.

What else? Well there's always something going on. Giant puppets, a stage where anyone can have a go at a song, art installations, book launches, a beer tent (The Jesus Arms) and bumping into people you haven't seen for years.

This year there was little rain, no mud, and a new layout to avoid the quagmire of 2012. They did well, given the constraints, and we're sure to be back in future years.

Last mention of Life on Mars for a bit (promise)

I love this. It's from the freebies on the BBC site. Sam Tyler as he would be in Camberwick Green. Brilliant.

Life on Mars (series 2)

One of my favourite current TV shows is back, complete with bronze Ford Cortina, sideburns and sheepskin coats. I couldn't even resist the chance to see a episode 2 on BBC4 straight after the first one.

If you haven't caught up yet, DCI Sam Tyler has found himself back in the world of 1973, following a road accident during a police pursuit. He even has a job as a policeman, and people seem to know who he is. Last series it seemed pretty clear that his 'retro' life was somehow being played out in his mind, whilst he recovered from a coma. Occasional blips of sound from a hospital ward and visions during shows on his old TV seemed to be glimpses of the present.

It just got spookier in series 2. In the first series, the phone would ring and Sam heard a voice from 2006/7; now he can have a conversation with it, and even call it up himself. The last two episodes also raised another weird possibility. Sam's actions in his 1973 world seem to have a real effect on life in today's world. So which era is real, or are they both?

At first sight, some of the characters seem almost cartoonish '70s people, with all the sexist (and in episode 2, racist) banter. But as things go on, they become more real, and the interaction of Sam with that world is intriguing. In the first series I was also aware of how limited some of the camera shots were, to avoid the need for a very expensive CGI Manchester. But as it goes on, the claustrophobic feel of that world seems very appropriate for what is going on.

I just want to know how it ends, but not before enjoying 6 more episodes.

Pipe Dreams

This is just an unashamed plug for the next Riding Lights Theatre Company national tour. It's called Pipe Dream, and profits will be for Water Aid. The whole things sounds wonderfully silly - detectives searching for what's happening to our water. It will entertaining, funny, thought-provoking and a good night out. Full tour details here. Tickets available via their ticket line 01904 613000. For any local readers, Lancaster Grammar School is the venue, and tickets are available from our Chaplaincy Centre.

Manchester passion

Just watched it on TV. Amazing. Keith Allen as preacher, Love Will Tear Us Apart as a eucharistic anthem. Not sure about the mary figure singing on stage all the time, but the street scenes were good. Genius to try it. Well done BBC. Amazing that it ever got staged (or funded!!)

Life on Mars

Really enjoying Life on Mars, the time-travel drama running on BBC TV at the moment. If you haven't seen it, it involves a police officer who gets knocked down by a car, put into a coma and wakes up as a copper in 1973. There is always some ambiguity as to whether he has travelled through time or whether this is his internal thought world during the coma, but it becomes more and more clear it is the latter.

The problem is that back in the present, people are starting to wonder whether to keep the life support running. We only know this because he occasionally hears voices from the present either on the TV, in dreams or by rather odd phone calls. He can hear them; they can't hear him.

I think it raises lots of interesting questions, yet manages to portray them in an amusing way:

1) When is it the right time to switch off life-support? How can we know?

2) It gives an interesting slant on solipsism - the belief that everything is a construct of our own mind. If this 1973 world is Sam's coma, then it is all a product of his imagination. It isn't true solipsism, of course, as Sam has a body of experience of other beings before his coma; the true solipsist wouldn't acknowledge any other beings. However, Sam forms relationships with these other people in his coma world. What lasting value do they have. What would happen to that Sam if he comes round?

3) We have the impression that Sam's recovery depends on him fighting his corner in 1973 - maintaining his values, beliefs and integrity in the face of the sexism, racism and homophobia of that period. It made me wonder if there are parallels for people with belief systems in a secular world. As a Christian do I retain my 'reality' by holding on to my beliefs in the face of an uncomprehending world?

4) You just remember how much the world has changed since 1973. Quite apart from all the 'isms' quoted above, it is just another (and more smoky) world.

The question I have is how on earth can they end it?