13 December 2010

An opportunity lost

So dull he even sends himself to sleep


Despite not being desperately taken by the content of the Wikileaks cables there are some gems including this one reported in yesterday’s Obsever.

It seems that North Korea wanted the US to arrange for Eric Clapped-out to play a concert in Pyonyang,

A confidential cable dated 22 May 2007 from the US ambassador in Seoul to Washington reveals North Korean officials "suggested" to the Americans that because Kim Jong-il's second son, Kim Jong-chol, was "a great fan" of the British guitarist, a "performance could be an opportunity to build goodwill". The report adds that "arranging an Eric Clapton concert in Pyongyang… could be useful, given Kim Jong-il's second son's devotion to the rock legend".

Rock and pop are forbidden in North Korea because of their western influences but of course some people are more equal than others – Heaven forbid that one of the Kims would have to endure the restrictions of one of the family’s millions of serfs.

The request was portrayed by North Korea as a way to "promote understanding" between the communist nation and the west. Clapton apparently agreed in principle but the plan later appeared to stall, however, with Clapton denying that he had agreed to take part.

Ah given the behaviour of the Kims in the past it may have been that Clapton would have bee kidnapped – the fate of at least on Japanese film director… Frankly they would be welcome to the over rated tosser. In fact it is a shame that there had not been a whole festival. I can think of plenty of artistes who could have spent the rest of their careers performing for the Kims!

4 comments:

James Higham said...

Strange - I remember seeing, spraypainted on a railway bridge in the 1970s, that he was God.

jams o donnell said...

Gah they must be hard up to want EC as their deity!

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Clapton and the current old Kim are in similar state of senility, so that denial wouldn't mean a lot. Anyway, for one of the vintage Porsches Kim has in his barn I would go instead of Clapton. It will have a side benefit: Kim is certain to croak from my singing...

jams o donnell said...

Now that would be a result for everyone Snoopy... and you would have a nice new old car!