Episode 9 / June 23 2008
The penultimate episode of this season of the Big Arena Podcast is now up.
I’m playing Finders Keepers, a song that became slightly infamous around here a few years ago due to its chilling subject matter – kidnap and murder in general, and Michael Sams in particular, the hated rapist who was jailed for life in 1993.
Sams committed some of his worst crimes in Newark-on-Trent, my old home town and, for some ridiculous reason known only to my subconscious, I thought it would be rather interesting to write a song as if he were singing it. I naively thought that if I could try to get inside the mind of an evil killer, I might produce an original and interesting piece of work. What inspired me more than anything were what people in the town who knew Sams told me about him: that he was so very average, obliging and ordinary.
I was never happy with the recorded version of the song but, in concert, Finders Keepers is a stunning sing-along favourite featuring blistering performances from the Enormous Horns.
I do not make any excuses for it, I happen to think that it’s a great song. You’ll have to make up your own minds – but it is scary, especially in the light of recent events in Austria.
I was called a misogynist and a ‘manipulative, sexist coward’ by a female vocalist who had heard the song in the studio, but it didn’t worry me unduly: I’m often called these things. This is the effect I generally have on women, anyway.
Next week, to mark the last of this season and to usher in the release on Big Arena of Electric Baby Grand, the podcast will feature a special guest. Watch this space . . .
(I won’t be able to post for a few days due to essential server maintenance. I shall be back shortly.)
Filed under Podcast / Song Writing / Songs / Enormous
Comments
4 comments on “Episode 9”
Charlotte / June 24th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Cracking tune Davy, althouhg it certainly gave me goosebumps. I worked at Kelham Hall (nr Newark) at the time, and I too heard that he was very ordinary. His house where it all happened sold for peanuts a couple of months afterwards, and no doubt some unsuspecting person paid a mint for it later.
I’ll be almost sorry to hear the songs with a full electric band when they are released, although I do promise not to shout “Judas”!
xx
Napoleon Fantastic / June 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Thank you, Charlotte!
Nelson Galaxy / June 27th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Findus Kippers - that’s one of mine. Didn’t Sams also try to kidnap your roadie - Tommy Tittlemouse? Or was that someone else?
Napoleon Fantastic / June 28th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
That was Gene October.
I saved him.
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