Beating the Blues

Twice a season, while we’re out of the Premiership, Villa have to tolerate 90 minutes against our inglorious neighbours Birmingham City. It’s a tortuous affair, both sets of supporters gnashing their teeth at one another and wishing them nothing but ill, it’s called tribalism and it’s inescapable, I’ve tried it. How is it that an otherwise sane human being such as myself can get so worked up over a football match that he watches it between his fingers while uncontrollably breaking wind? All’s well that ends well though, we turned them over 4-2 and I could breathe again.

And in an infantile demonstration of delight, I dedicated the first hour of my Mearns FM radio show to a celebration of Villa’s routine triumph over Blues, taking the trouble to play a track from bands who’s name starts with each letter in the name ASTON VILLA. This might be considered small time and I’m happy to hold my hands up to such an accusation, but please understand how difficult it is to find yourself 400 miles from Villa Park while your team demolishes its bitterest rivals. And even if the idea was a lame one, at least the resultant music was of the highest order, here’s that glory box in full...

A - The Associates (Party Fears Two)
S - The Smiths (I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish)
T - Teenage Fanclub (Ain’t That Enough)
O - Oasis (Columbia)
N - Gary Numan (Cars)
V - The Verve (Love Is Noise)
I - Inspiral Carpets (Dragging Me Down)
L - The Lemonheads (It’s A Shame About Ray)
L - The La’s (Son Of A Gun)
A - Ash (Burn Baby Burn)

Join me every Sunday 6-8pm and listen online at http://www.mearnsfm.org.uk/for more idle banter and bostin music and you can find last weeks show on there too.