ICA WORLD CUP

BONUS SERIES : THE ICA WORLD CUP : ROUND 2 (Part 5)

You voted but not as heavily as previous weeks.  But then again, these ties were all pretty much done and dusted within the first few hours.

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions 28 Arab Strap 7
British Sea Power 10 Orange Juice 25
Lambchop 3 Pulp 32
Pavement 26  Clyde McPhatter 8

My favourite match report came from Bill albeit he backed a loser.

“You want me to vote for a lanky art school chancer trying to get a leg over with a naive foreign student. That may be ok in the 90s but definitely not on nowadays. My vote goes to Sharee Lewis little friend Lambchop. Simpler times”

Here’s how the numbers are shaping up for the next round

1. The Fall
2. Talking Heads
3. Edwyn Collins
4. Velvet Underground
5. New Order
6. The Charlatans
7. Lightning Seeds
8. St Etienne
9. The Jam
10. Half Man Half Biscuit
11. Pete Wylie
12. The Wedding Present
13. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
14. Orange Juice
15. Pulp
16. Pavement

Another 16 still to come.

This week’s match-ups have two of the big guns on display but not up against each other.  It also has a couple of very intriguing ties while some cults take to the field.

Matches 17-20 of Round 2

Rod Stewart v The Jesus & Mary Chain

Rod Stewart is perhaps one of the more surprising names to appear in Round 2, but only in as much that he drawn against Johnny Marr last time out; as some observant commentators said, the fact that the grisly veteran dug deep into his catalogue with a track from the highly regarded Gasoline Alley album from 1970 showed how serious he was taking it while the finest indie guitarist of our era decided to rely on a fairly weak track by Girls Aloud.  It proved to be quite a one-sided affair.   The Jesus and Mary Chain also enjoyed a comfortable passage against The Wondermints last time out and the Reids are bound to be licking their lips again this time round with Rod deciding to rely on how folk feel about his interpretation of a track made famous by a different pair of brothers.  Having said that, JAMC are relying on a sweary lesser-known number lasting a little over 90 seconds

Cigarettes and Alcohol (from When We Were The Rude Boys, 1998) v Boyfriend’s Dead (b-side, 1987)

XTC (2) v Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

This really has the potential to be a fascinating contest.  XTC had too much in their locker last time out for Friends Again but will, in all likelihood have to up the ante a bit to take on Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds who had to field a live rendition of The Mercy Seat to ensure they came through an epic encounter last time out against Teenage Fanclub in one of just two ties that ended in a draw with the Bellshill boys going out agonisingly on an actual coin toss.  I’m sure the Aussies were hoping for something a bit kinder than the Swindonites this time round as the reward for such endeavours.  One of those ones where the song choice will be absolutely crucial…..turns out to Jonny the Friendly Lawyer‘s favourite ever song by one of his favourite ever bands against a live rendition of a track which The Robster describes as being as good as any ever written by Cave.

Earn Enough For Us (from Skylarking, 1986) v Jubilee Street (live at the Sydney Opera House, 2014)990)

The Smiths (2) v Husker Du

A mid 80s classic here. The away side came through in an emotional All-American match-up against Grandaddy in which the final 26-10 score didn’t reflect how close the call had been for many folk.  The home side flexed their muscles from the outset, racking up 41 points as they made mincemeat of Mission of Burma.  While the initial thought may be that they have been given another fairly kind draw, it could be a banana skin.  Here come the songs……oh well, I’ve a feeling this one could be a foregone conclusion (although I have been wrong before).

I Know It’s Over (from The Queen Is Dead, 1986) v Keep Hanging On (from Flip Your Wig, 1985)

The Durutti Column v Paul Quinn

One for the connoisseurs in which the guitar goes up directly against the voice.  Both ICAs were well received and this is going to be very difficult one to call.  Reilly broke some Scottish hearts in Round 1 with a narrow and hard fought win over The Beta Band, and hopes to do similar this time;  Quinn, whose contribution last time round was with The Independent Group, did enough to hold on against a late onslaught from The Feelies back in the very first week of the competition in early January.  Will this extended break from competitive action count against him?

Contra–Indications (from Obey The Time, 1990) v Change of Attitude by Bourgie Bourgie (12″ b-side, 1984)

Please have your votes in by midnight on Thursday 15 March

I’ve had to bring things forward 24 hours as I’m out next Friday night, nowhere near a laptop or PC, and so need to tally the scores a bit earlier; it shouldn’t make too much difference as most of you do vote early on.

Tune in next Saturday for the results and the line-ups for matches 20-23, which, if I’m being honest are fairly similar in feel to this week.  The real fireworks will be held over till matches 24-27 which will be written up by jimdoes.

JC

 

35 thoughts on “BONUS SERIES : THE ICA WORLD CUP : ROUND 2 (Part 5)”

  2. 1. The Mary Chain- you make ‘a sweary lesser-known number lasting a little over 90 seconds’ sound like a weakness but its more than enough to beat Rod and his comedy cover version. Actually, I’m trying to think of a band who wouldn’t win against Rod’s Cigs and Alcohol…. I’ll get back to you.

    2. Nick Cave.

    3. Fuck fuck fuck. Fucking hell- a match to test my loyalties. I’m expecting the TVV readers will see The Smiths go through. But Husker Du were one of my ICAs and this is one of my favourite songs, by anyone- and while it rankles to vote against local hero Mr Marr, I’m gonna go for Husker Du.

    4. Durutti Column. Guitar beats voice in this game.

  4. 1. See BaggingArea… Even if it was a fair match and I only had to listen to 90 seconds of Rod Stewart, it still wouldn’t affect the outcome – FINAL SCORE 3-0 Mary Chain
    2. Never have liked XTC much (sorry) – so an easy victory for Cave who’s clearly saving some of his better songs for later rounds – FINAL SCORE 2-0 Cave
    3. Husker Du fought bravely but The Smiths definitely put in the performance of the round – FINAL SCORE 5-1 Smiths
    4. Close one but Duritti Column take it, despite fielding their whole team in a single line down the middle of the pitch – FINAL SCORE 2-1 Reilly

  6. The Mary Chain throw everyone forward early on to take a commanding lead before Rod even realises the game has started. The Reid Brothers then shore it up at the back while Rod weakly attempts to get back into it. No chance. 0-5 to JAMC.

    I have a feeling the crowd will become a 12th man for XTC, but even bearing that in mind, Cave’s strength in the live arena, coupled with an extra-strong line-up (Jubilee Street is quite simply and extraordinary song), means he comes through easily despite spitied opposition. 1-4 to Cave.

    I thought Smiths v Husker Du would go to extra time and penalties, but when something from the Queen Is Dead is fielded, it’s always going to be very tough to beat it. 2-1 to Moz & co.

    For me, there was little in the way of excitement in the final tie. 0-0 for 90 minutes before Vini pops up and toe-pokes a stoppage time winner into the net. 1-0 to Durutti Column.

  8. Morrissey immediately shown a yellow card after refusing to wear leather boots, then was heard mumbling that kicking the ball should be deemed animal cruelty. “The meet is murder”, he cried.

  9. JAMC
    XTC
    Husker Du
    Paul Quinn

    Couple of shouty noisy bands. That’s what i like to see.

  14. JAMC
    XTC
    Husker Du C
    DC

    Swindon’s finest roll over The Dark Lord with their best ever performance.

  24. Fuck sake. Loads of you taking the lazy/cowardly way and not justifying your selections this week.

    1. JAMC……cos Rod Stewart’s best days are long behind him and his karaoke number is shit beyond words. Besides, it’s grea when songs contain swear words

    2. Bad Seeds….this was a ‘see you next Tuesday’ of a choice. The XTC number grew on me with each successive listen and I was really tempted….but Jubilee Street is such an engrossing track, and to be such a standout when seen and heard live a few years back, that it prevailed.

    3. Smiths. Bastard of a song for Mould & co to try and overcome.

    4. Paul Quinn. This was a tie on paper I was looking forward to but felt a bit let down by both songs being self-indulgant wankfests for the most part. The voice did enough to make his tune that bit more bearable.

    Looking at whose already through, and who is likely to join them this week, it’s not looking great for any sistah to take the trophy is it??

    Malky Tucker

  25. JAMC (neither side on great form in this tie)
    XTC
    Smiths
    Durutti Column (tbh, gave up on the Bourgie Bourgie effort after a couple of minutes of nothing much happening)

  26. JAMC (not their best, but up against past-it Rod covering The Overrated Brothers… no contest)
    Nick Cave
    Husk… only kidding. The Smiths.
    Paul Quinn

  31. The Jesus and Mary Chain
    XTC
    Husker Du
    Durutti Column – not fussed on either – but that Bourgie Bourgie track must be about the worst thing you have ever put on this blog (includes Coldplay!)

  32. gong by the songs…this is a head vs heart thing…
    Rod
    XTC
    Husker Du
    Durutti

    yuck

  35. JAMC – sent off: Reid, J (2); Reid, W (2)
    XTC
    The Smiths – “They think it’s I Know It’s Over. It is now.”
    Durutti Column

    Thank-you, JC. Glad to have made the deadline.

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