Official Tumblr of ThisGirl.com

Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? is 25 years old this holiday season!

Wow. What a show Jann Wenner — and Tom Hanks?! — pulled off last night on HBO. While every entertainment site is no doubt reporting the highlights, here are some of the things they might have missed:

1. MICK JAGGER GETS DOWN DURING, UM, “STUCK IN A MOMENT”

The U2 song is a sad good-bye to the late INXS frontman, MIchael Hutchence. Yet Mick turned the barely mid-tempo tune into a bluesy background for his infamous mugging and signature dance moves. We laughed from beginning to end — and we caught Larry Mullen Jr. cracking up too.

Oh yeah: Fergie was there too.

2. BRUCE’S EARRING

The guy is a hot 6-0. But the earring reeks of Harrison Ford when the actor entered his three-quarter-life crisis. Not necessary.

3. JOHN FOGERTY’S FACE

He hit all the right notes during Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” with Springsteen, but he needs to get Boxtox’d at the same place as Bruce. Yikes.

4. BILLY JOEL = SCARY

Hard to believe that the Piano Man is a few months younger than Springsteen. And while his “New York State of Mind” proved he’s Hall of Fame-worthy, what was with his odd, old-man-of-soul interpretation?! FYI: With all the talk of Sinatra vs. Jay-Z, we’re wondering why no one’s thought to mash-up (or at least bring up!) Joel’s “NYSOM” with Mr. Carter’s “Empire State of Mind”?

5. OZZY OSBOURNE DOES “IRON MAN” … SORT OF

Metallica with Kelly Osbourne’s dad

Sorry, but we couldn’t watch. When he ambled out on stage looking more reality star than rock legend, we had to go pee.

6. BONO & BRUCE ON THE SAME STAGE

This is like Obama and Biden being on the same plane! Luckily, Bono made room for Bruce, even allowing him to share the spotlight during “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. The song was perfect for today’s preacher-like Bruce who, all these years later, is still born to run.

* Sadly, we tuned in at the end of the Simon and Garfunkel set. Man, Garfunkel still has it.

The Script

By ThisGirl Lorinda Tallulah

Don’t even think about calling it the luck of the Irish: The Script are the for real, and that’s why they’re one of this year’s biggest success stories. Just check out the link to the story on CNN.com!

ThisGirl was there when they played their first gig in New York at the tiny Mercury Lounge. The room was filled with mostly industry types who had come out to see if they were actually the Next Big Thing or just another band who’d get lost in the mix. FYI: These “showcases” usually come with a free drink ticket or two for non-paying entertainment suits and journos who usually squeeze them in between an industry party and, well, another showcase.

I’d listened to The Script’s album beforehand (something few music writers actually do) and loved their unexpectedly soulful sound (Maroon 5-y in places, like their hit “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”). Then there was their good looks (always a plus) and that too-obvious-to-ignore early U2-ness: young, unjaded, and Dublin-earnest. So I really wanted to see how they’d go over live. One of the guys had been in a boy band back in the UK, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Well, aside from my English band-manager friend Paul who wrote “They’re bullocks” on his Facebook status, I dare say that most of us at the Mercury Lounge recognized The Script as the Next Big Thing that night. This doesn’t happen often. The last band that had really wowed me at a showcase was The Fray. (Coincidentally both are from Epic, both were signed by ThisGirl’s partner, Charlie Walk, and both had me — and their audiences — at Song One.)

Months later, The Script is performing before audiences 100x the size. This summer, they supported Sir Paul McCartney on his stadium tour, and this fall they’ll play to sold-out arenas for none other than U2.

And so I say to my friend Paul: Bullocks, my ass!

Official Tumblr of ThisGirl.com

Fine Folk

Tagged with U2…

R&R Hall of Fame Concerts Musings

ThisGirl LOVES The Script!