Do you remember that guy on a London
Underground platform singing Respect by Erasure and getting over one to join
in? You must remember. The video went viral and then some. Nearly three million
hits on YouTube, interview on the BBC website. Fifteen minutes of fame for Neil
Francis. People said it restored their faith in humanity. No, still nothing. Oh
well, it doesn’t matter. I bring it up because I tried to replicate it last
night.
Oxford to
Cardiff on a Sunday night is a journey that would make Sir Edmund Hilary think
twice. Hours spent in deserted train stations, crowded trains, and the dreaded
words, rail replacement bus service, had left me too tired to sleep, too awake
to sit still. The driver on the bus from
Bristol to Cardiff had HeartFM on the radio; Sunday night Eighties Gold, every
tune a winner. Careless Whisper, Land Down
Under, Heaven is a Place on Earth. I was struggling not to sing along. I
was mouthing the words to each and every song like I was on Top of the Pops in
1984.
“Coming after
the ad break, I want to Break Free, by
Queen.” The DJ said and I saw the
words YouTube sensation flash before
my eyes. I got my phone out during the adverts and got the camera ready.
Surely, no one could resist a good old-fashioned singalong to one of the
Eighties’ best tunes.
As the familiar
chords struck, I started beating my chest. I wanted to clap but I had a camera
in one hand. No one was joining in with my rhythm, but surely they’d join in
with the words. Here we go, I
thought.
“I want to break free.” I sang at the top of my voice. “I want to
break…”
“Shut up, you
twat.”
My fifteen minutes of fame had lasted
forty-two seconds. I’d got from potential internet sensation to embarrassed bus
passenger. It had confirmed my lack of faith in humanity.
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Extraordinary Rendition.
Are you sure you didn´t sing out of tune?:-)
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