So. due to my predictable lateness, I was doing my ususal half-walk half-run to Spanish class the other night (ooooh the progress is slow), short-cutting my way through Tallers in the Raval to avoid all the jokers on the Ramblas and Carrer Pelai.
I had my headphones in, and to quicken my step I was listening to the ‘Walking’ playlist. You know the songs, Justice and Hot Chip-esque tracks that help you march through crowds, almost like Richard Ashcroft in the Bittersweet Symphony video. (Note this works best if you’re a short old Catalan granny who is not going to veer of course no matter who you are).
So like I said, on Tallers with my headphones in, I was fast approaching a busker, typical of his ilk – flares, chord jacket, acoustic guitar, beard, wooly hat… As I got closer, I heard his voice bellowing out over whatever ‘walking’ track I had in my ears at the time.
“Scooby Scooby Doo, where are you…”
WHAT? I know that nostalgia is so hot right now. But really? Is it just me? Or is that a completely annoying turn of busking events?
I’m not slaggin buskers off . (Well I am but I bear them no ill will, unlike street artists and mimes. I bear them a lot, even shitloads, of ill will). And even though I know that nostalgia is so hot right now (although actually it peaked in 2004/2005), I can’t forgive the Scooby Doo theme tune. I just can’t. Every fibre of my being just wanted to stop and shout ‘NOOOOOOOOO’ in his direction. And I have severe difficulty trying to justify why.
He’s just trying to veer off the Bob Marley ‘No woman, no cry’ path. And I appreciate that. It’s just… it’s kinda smug and self-aware but not in a cool way. Also, it’s shit.
Anyway it spurred me to think, maybe we could organise an official list of busker songs we could do away with and draft a whole new load of updated ones for the lower-case-’i’ generation ( or whatever the marketeers are calling us* these days). Maybe we could even persuade some DJs to set up some decks and start bleeping out some electronica and introduce a new way of busking.
I could be very wrong. But it’s just a thought.
*actually I don’t know if I qualify to be part of this demographic. I started ticking a new box just last year!
