THE NAKED CITY: The Grumpy Best – but Mainly Worst Of 2021

Most welcome news of the year: Chris Martin has announced Coldplay will stop writing music as a band in 2025. A few years to wait but the anticipation will excite The Guardian in the UK who once described the group as “music to wet your bed to.”

Sorry Coldplay fans!

Most arrogant act by a pop star: Adele supposedly walking out on an interview with a Channel 7 reporter after he admitted to not listening to her new album. Personally I would walk out of any room (rapidly) if anybody started playing Adele’s new album.

Most abused word of the year: Craig Kelly and Clive Palmer are mouthing it as are thousands of anti-vaxxers and their fellow travellers. ‘Freedom ‘once meant escaping the shackles of colonial masters or Nelson Mandela being released after 27 years in prison. Now it means not having to wear a mask to your local supermarket or pokie room at the pub. The real ‘Freedom day’ will come when we do what Barbados did this earlier this year – tell those loathsome Royals to bugger off and we become a republic.

Most questionable Government handout: $600,000 to the Paul Dainty group for losses incurred on a postponed Guns N’ Roses tour. Hey, this won’t even cover their backstage rider when they finally tour in late 2022.

Distressing trend number one: The rapid rise of food delivery services such as Uber Eats and Menulog –  and the shabby treatment of their delivery riders, when badly injured or in some cases killed on the job.

Distressing trend number two: The number of so called celebrities, rap artists etc. prepared to accept huge sums from these multinational delivery behemoths without questioning the ethics of their operations.

Distressing trend number three: The rise in teenage obesity with all those lard arses who think it’s cool to ring for a burger rather than walk a few hundred metres down the street to buy one.

Vegan of the year: Jailed for three and a half years for his part in the US Capitol riots, Qanon shaman Jacob Chansley (aka Jake Angeli) has requested an all vegan diet whilst incarcerated. Fame and fortune are guaranteed after his release with an organic cookbook, his own brand of Tofu Jerky, a rap album, a talk show on Fox and a spot on Dancing With The Stars.

Brain virus of the year: Why can’t we invent our own ultra right wing conspiracies and have to continually look to the Americans to pinch theirs. Where is the Aussie Deep State and what about those children being held captive in the bowels beneath Parliament House by a demonic cult. Like Omicron, Qanon has well and truly reached our shores, the only cure for this viral like brain snap being a belt over the head with a rolled up newspaper (preferably not The Daily Telegraph).

Worst local TV shows: Letters & Numbers (SBS), Love Island (Channel 9), SAS Australia (Channel 7), just about everything on Channel 10.

Well, not all was miserable and finally a number of totally biased ‘best ofs’ for the year where nearly everything else needs to be forgotten.

Best book: Clinton Walker’s Suburban Songbook is essential reading for anybody interested in the history of Australian popular music from the 50s through to the early 70s. Immaculately researched and beautifully illustrated.

Best album: The Friests were an obscure Sydney band from the 90s who have regrouped to release an engaging, very cinematic, all instrumental album. It’s out on download but best to grab the sparkling vinyl copy.

Best podcast: Jay Katz and Miss Death deliver some extraordinary interviews on their Patreon channel, The Naked World.

Best Summer Radio Listening: Eastside Radio offer a highly diverse selection of programs put together by a great team of dedicated presenters and producers.