In the springtime of our lives there was also The Fall. Yet from desperation came renewal. You see, there’s staying power, then there’s reinvention. I’m working with brands who need British people to re-invent what Britain is all about. People talk us down. As already noted, we do a good job of it ourselves. When we talk of British spirit today, we usually mean Dunkirk or Dunroamin. In the new world we are old. We look back at the Romans. But, are the Chinese running ironic TV programmes entitled What did the British do for us? Doubt it. As we approach a General Election in benighted Blighty, there’s going to be even more talk about what’s wrong, a broken Britain, mediated by the wagging index finger of blame from the psychomafia. Live at the witch trials, indeed! Personally, I’m not interested in what’s wrong or what’s been, only what’s right and what’s coming. Optimism – it’s the new thing. So, let’s get this one out of the way, shall we – things did not start going wrong in 1997 or 1979, as some would say (nor even 1966). If you want to know, nothing’s been quite the same since the Battle of Hastings. Mark E Smith, who was born in 1066 (or 1979) is as Saxon as they come. Now here is a manbrand who combines staying power and reinvention. 52 today, a bad hip and no teeth to worry about, there's hardly a more broken Briton. And yes, his chip-flavoured lyrics came from Alf Tupper via Fred Dibnah, with all the Ts crossed by Albert Camus. But it’s his sheer hydrochloric singlemindedness I’m talking about. 60 singles, to be precise. And 55 albums on the turntable since 1979. And 47 other band members, but only one Mark E Smith. Doing anything Sunday 15th March? Hear him talking at Huddersfield Literary Festival about his life, work, writers and writing and his recently published autobiography: Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E Smith. As the man says: ‘I hope this book turns out like Mein Kampf for the Hollyoaks generation’. I recommend it. Even though, on close inspection, it’s not always easy to like the man. Ask Big A&M Herb. And last Time I saw Mark E Smith, he was arrested for being drunk on stage at Worthing Assembly Rooms on 8th October 1996. But I was the one who was breathalysed. Yet, toothless Mancunian wazzock that he is, it’s hard not to admire the spirit of persistence in this very large brain in this very big head. My heart and I agree. Matt Lucas, it’s your birthday today, too. A new face in hell. But what’s all this Little Britain stuff? We need Big Britain. So, I’m awarding Mark E Smith the Big Briton Award for March 5th. He makes me think of the task ahead for a very old country with a lot of new thinking to do. Singlemindedness.
Mark Griffiths www.idealconsulting.co.uk
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Talking of 'Big Britain', I think there is someone else you might have included your roundup of 'born today'.
ReplyDeleteI'm not thinking of Rex Harrison, although he was a hero of mine until I read his self obsessed life story.
It's another man, born in France, but not French. I am speaking of Henri, the man who would become Henry II King of England, Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, Lord over parts of Wales, Scotland and western France.
It sounds as if I am praising him for the extent of his dominions. But I'm not. Henry II left a much more important legacy for us all - the beginnings of the establishment of rule of law and trial by jury.
This replaced a time when a Baron had great fun with droit de senior and had power of life or death over any vassel.
Of course we remember Henry II as the architect of the murder of Thomas a Becket. He wasn't but the monks wrote the history books, and its easy to forget that Thomas was trying to block the rule of Henry's law from applying to the clergy too.
To my mind Henry II is a Big Briton too.
I take your point, but I find it hard to relate to Henry II. I may have introduced too many concepts into today's blog. But it's really all down to one word, one brand quality that I'm trying to bring through in the branding work I'm currently doing for clients. And, to ground it, I have to approach this attribute from my own experience. I can relate to Mark E Smith, even though he is not appreciated. Even though here is a man who makes Bernard Manning sound like Russell Brand. For my purposes here, there is only one redeeming feature...singlemindedness. What I'm saying is, it ain't just what you do, it's the way that you do it.
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