Anglotopia

AC/DC heavily imply their return with Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 13:49:03 GMT

AC/DC has been in a state of flux for the last couple years. First, rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young retired so he could recieve treatment for dementia, and was replaced by his and Angus’ nephew Stevie. Then, drummer Phil Rudd got into a lot of legal trouble in New Zealand and had to be replaced by onetime replacement Chris Slade. After that, Brian Johnson developed hearing issues so severe he had to be replaced with Axl Rose. And, finally, by the end, bassist Cliff Williams announced he was losing interest in the band with all the changes, and he would retire when the tour ended. Only Angus remained… or so it seemed, since, a few years later, Angus Young was spotted with Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd at the Vancouver studio where most of their recent albums had been made. Could this be the sign of their return? They kept tight-lipped for a few years.

And then, the band finally acknowledged it. At first, they posted a series of photos supposedly shot at a recent video shoot in the Netherlands, with the rest of the old band in tow (except, of course, for Malcolm):

These were posted earlier today… With strong RUMOURS that an album will follow this November. Follow ACDC’s socials for an official announcement. Until then, enjoy the possibility. pic.twitter.com/epZ9sX0Y3Y

— Mitch Lafon (@mitchlafon) September 19, 2020

They deleted it almost immediately, but, eventually, they posted this cryptic video of a neon lightning bolt flickering in sync with the sound of the band’s Marshall amplifiers.

pic.twitter.com/0WKzNSi3ix

— AC/DC (@acdc) September 28, 2020

While a lot of this is still speculation at this point, it’s been something of an open secret that they’ve been recording an album all this time (and, apparently, Malcolm’s work will be featured on every track through means that aren’t yet clear). A few months ago, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister claimed that the albums is finished and the only thing keeping it from being released is the current pandemic. He added: “This is gonna be a miracle of technology. What will be achieved, the reuniting of the band that we know for one more album, is gonna be uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. Because nothing goes on forever. But this is the ultimate ‘one more time.’” And according to Wikipedia, its name will be PWRUP, especially with this site of the same name being set up by the band, but that’s not been confirmed yet.

Ten Interesting Facts about King Henry V

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:41:34 GMT

While King Henry V only reigned for nine years from 1413 to 1422, his time on the throne was one of the most influential in England’s history. Henry was one of the most militarily successful kings of England and helped push the tide of the Hundred Years’ War in England’s favor. In fact, it was his fighting prowess that earned him the nickname “Warrior King”. Of course, there is more to him than fighting (though there is quite a lot of it), so join us as we delve into ten interesting facts related to King Henry V.

How Old Are You Again?

So the thing is, no one knows exactly when King Henry V was born. While historians know he was born at Monmouth Castle to Henry Bolingbroke (the future King Henry IV) and Mary de Bohun, the year has been lost to the ages. Most historians choose either September 16, 1386, or August 9, 1387. The September date comes from a horoscope drawn up by a man the French later accused of being an English spy, so it’s possible the horoscope could have just been an excuse to get close to the king.

Absent Father

Though not by choice. Henry V’s father had rebelled against King Richard II (Henry Bolingbroke’s cousin), and the elder Henry was later banished in 1398 when the younger Henry was roughly twelve. Richard took the young boy in and raised him as his ward. After Richard cancelled legal documents that would have let Henry Bolingbroke inherit lands from John of Gaunt, Henry IV returned to England and became swept up in the Lancastrian campaign to unseat Richard.

Ward or Hostage?

Of course, there is a school of thought that Richard taking in the young Henry wasn’t so much about looking after his cousin’s son as it was about keeping the elder Henry in line. However, while Henry IV was on the throne, and Richard was in the Tower of London, Henry IV had a messenger tell Henry V to visit his father, and the young man went to Richard instead.

Reversed

After Henry IV fell ill in 1410, his son ruled in his stead of the better part of his father’s recovery. However, the young Henry got a bit ahead of himself and instituted several policies his father reversed once the king was better.

Warrior Prince

Henry’s reputation for battle actually began well before he was king. While still a prince and heir to his father, King Henry IV, Henry V cut his teeth in battle by putting down the Welsh revolt led by Owain Glyndwr. He then fought alongside his father in 1403 at the Battle of Shrewsbury where the young Henry was actually shot in the face with an arrow but was saved with a bit of surgery. He would go on to participate in even more significant battles such as Agincourt.

Henry’s Own Success or a Templar Curse?

There’s an old superstition that says after French King Philippe IV seized the Templars’ property in his country, the last Grand Master of the order put a curse on the royal that Philippe would die within a year. Philippe died eight months later, then his son Louis X died at age twenty-six after a game of tennis, and over the next twelve years, all of his descendants met an early demise. King Edward III was a distant relation, which led to him challenging the French succession and kicking off the Hundred Years’ War that Henry would later lead to much of Henry’s success.

Tennis Balls, My Liege

In Shakespeare’s King Henry V, what finally inspires Henry to go to war against the Dauphin of France is a gift of tennis balls. In the play, it’s a sign that the Dauphin does not take Henry seriously and sees him only as a boy playing at threats of war. Of course, this never actually happened in reality and Henry continued the war begun by his ancestor Edward over the claim to the French throne.

An Offer They Could Refuse

Henry originally tried to end the Hundred Years War by capturing King John II of France and holding him for ransom. However, the French didn’t pay up the full amount, and Henry eventually attempted to negotiate an end to the war saying that he would give up his claims to the French throne if they simply paid rest of the ransom, lands, and the hand of Charles VI’s daughter. His terms were refused, and open warfare resumed.

Rambunctious Youth

What Shakespeare portrays as Henry’s wild teenage years in King Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 seems to be almost entirely a work of fiction. It mostly comes from other accounts that could have been politically motivated and doesn’t seem to have much support from Henry’s contemporaries. In fact, most accounts during Henry’s life show that he was a little too busy fighting in wars and learning the politics of court to get involved in any mischief.

English Motherf#$@er, Do You Speak It?!

When King William I conquered England in 1066, French became the primary language of court and remained that way for centuries. And while Henry could speak French, he is thought of as the first English king to actually speak English as his primary language.

The Brit Fiver – Five Oldest Professional English Football Clubs

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:53:23 GMT

AnnRos / Pixabay

Football has been popular in Great Britain for hundreds of years, with the first clubs reportedly formed as early as the 15^th Century. The Foot-Ball Club of Edinburgh was the first documented club (as well as the first to call itself such) and existed from 1824 to 1841, while the oldest continuous club is the one formed by the staffs of Kings, Grey’s, and St. Thomas’s hospitals which formed in 1843. Sheffield FC, meanwhile, is recognized by FIFA as the oldest continuous association football club, having formed in 1857. Professional football didn’t come around until the late-19^th Century, but many of the clubs that would become professional teams in the Premier League and FA got their start decades earlier. Below we have outlined the five oldest of these clubs. If there’s one that we missed, help us out by including them in the comments.

Chesterfield FC – 1866

Chesterfield FC is a fifth-tier club coming in fifth on this list for its formation in 1866. Determining the formation date of the current club has been a little confusing as several different clubs called themselves Chesterfield FC, but the earliest mention of any club using the name is from 1863. The Chesterfield Cricket Club then formed its own team in 1866, which is the date used by the current club that formed in 1919. The club was formed by the Chesterfield Borough Council, which the Football Association and Football League found undesirable and forced Chesterfield to become independent in 1920 when it officially became Chesterfield FC.

Nottingham Forest – 1865

The first club from Nottinghamshire to appear on this list, Nottingham Forest formed in 1865 by a group of shinty players (think a Scottish version of field hockey) who decided to give football a go. Forest actually started as a multi-sport club, but this was dropped sometime in the early 20^th Century. The club’s first match was against Notts County (more on them later) in 1866. Their first attempt to join the Football League in 1888 was rejected, and they joined the Football Alliance instead in 1889 before joining the Football League after 1892. Since then they have won several cups and continue to play the Nottingham derby against their Notts County rivals.

Stoke City – 1863

Stoke City was founded as the Stoke Ramblers in 1863 before changing their name to Stoke Football Club in 1870. After Stoke was granted city status in 1925, they changed to the current name. The exact details of the club’s early history has been the subject of debate amongst historians, some of home regard the actual founding date as 1868 when Henry Amond arrived in Stoke and formed the club with some of his fellow apprentices from the North Staffordshire Railway. Despite this, the club stands by the 1863 date which features on their crest.

Notts County – 1862

The second club from Nottinghamshire to make it onto this list, Notts County formed in 1862 and is recognized as the oldest professional association football club in the world, predating even the formation of the Football Association. They were one of twelve clubs to help found the Football League in 1888 and played for their first FA Cup in 1891, which they lost 3-1 to the Blackburn Rovers. In an interesting bit of trivia, their black-and-white color scheme earned them the nickname “The Magpies” and inspired Juventus to adopt the colors as well.

Crystal Palace – 1861

Now, depending on who you talk to, this entry on the list could be a stretch. Crystal Palace FC’s official founding date is in 1905 (that’s for the professional club as it is now). However, there was a preexisting Crystal Palace club that began as an amateur club in 1861 and was a founding member of the Football Association in 1863. Historians apparently discovered a continuous ownership link between the 1861 amateur club and the 1905 professional club that arguably makes them the oldest professional club in the world, though that isn’t accepted by everyone.

The Beatles to release book companion to "Let it Be.”

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 14:36:41 GMT

Hello, Good Evening, and Remain Mindful of Social Distancing Protocols! With the 50th anniversary of the release of Let it Be having come and gone with neither re-release of the original film nor the Peter Jackson recut, due in no small part to the current pandemic, it’s nice to see that there’s still some progress being made and it’s still being released. How did I find out?

It turns out that there’s going to be a companion book published, called The Beatles: Get Back. It’s the first official book credited to the Fab Four to be released since 2000’s Beatles Anthology, and it will be released in a 240-page hardback book worldwide on 31 August 2021. Its trailer can be seen here:

The format, as foreshadowed by the trailer, will cover the first month of 1969, from the stressful early sessions that were so frustrating that George temporarily quit the band, all the way up to the rooftop performance, told from transcribed conversations of the band’s 120 hours in the studio and previously unseen photos taken by Linda McCartney and Ethan A. Russell, the man who took the photos on the cover of Let it Be. A foreword will be written by Peter Jackson, whose documentary of the same name is still scheduled to go out, even if it is on 27 August 2021, and an introduction by novelist Hanif Kureishi of My Beautiful Laundrette and Buddha of Suburbia fame, with him saying: “In fact this was a productive time for them, when they created some of their best work. And it is here that we have the privilege of witnessing their early drafts, the mistakes, the drift and digressions, the boredom, the excitement, joyous jamming and sudden breakthroughs that led to the work we now know and admire.”

And, remarkably, despite the fact that it’s going to be a bit less than a year before anyone’s going to get their hands on a copy, it’s already available for pre-order.