Heroes
Nobody can deny that this past weekend has been a time for creating many new heroes on a local, national and international level.
We’re speaking, of course, about the Olympics and ‘Golden Saturday’, followed by THAT tennis match on Sunday afternoon and, to cap off a great weekend of sport, Usain Bolt’s magnificent 100m win at night.
Now, we realise that not everyone is into sport so let me say, right away, that the ‘Heroes’ in the title are not, in fact, these fantastic Olympians, but Heroes of the Cartoon version!
Saturday night saw Andy covering a birthday party in a local hostelry – and, when he could, texting base to find out how Jessica Ennis was doing in her bid for the heptathlon Gold Medal (yet another GB Hero!).
It was one of those parties where all ages were represented and also where some family members had travelled the length of the country to attend, so a lot of catching up was to be done before (and during) getting themselves up on the dance floor.
Many requests for favourite music appeared on his desk – he puts out slips before the start of each event asking for special requests – but one song kept appearing. Cartoon Heroes, released in 2000 by Scandinavian group Aqua (they of Barbie Girl fame) is, apparently, a family anthem. “One by one, we’re making it fun,” is the intro to this oldie and, boy, it did just that! Not in ones, though.
As soon as they heard the pounding intro beat the entire party sprinted for the dance floor. It was a bit like Sunday night’s 100m final – almost everyone across the line (between carpet and floor) in under ten seconds!
We’re talking young kids to grand-parents here!
Andy knows his stuff and he is familiar with this track but he’s never seen a reaction such as this in the handful of times it’s been requested. Everyone had a great time dancing and singing along to that and, later, to Rolf Harris’ King Caractacus!
Not only does this show what a diverse library Andy holds but, also, the sort of music that families will associate with. These weren’t the only times the dance floor was full and the guests enjoying themselves, but it was certainly the main attraction for many.
Most people have a favourite song – you know the sort of thing, a song playing when a couple met, a song that reminds you of a happy time in your life, a deceased parent’s favourite etc. But, the fact that one song and, let’s face it, not a particularly lyrical one, can unite an entire crowd is magical. It’s the sort of thing you may experience on a grand scale if you were at T in the Park , or how I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing made drinking Coke a feel-good product.
But on a smaller and more intimate scale, where everyone on the dance floor meant something, either by blood or friendship, to everyone else, it made for a wonderfully sensitive moment – on a far deeper level than the song itself merits!
So, of course, when a little girl shyly ventured up to the stage towards the end of the evening and politely asked if Andy could play Cartoon Heroes again, what could he say to the little Local Hero who had made it all the way to the podium under her own steam??