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Glasgow Univeristy Magazine Article from May 2000


Image by Subcity Radio
Glasgow University Magazine, Feburary 2000, p.10-11 by Lynne Hamilton

The New Wave

It was 10.30 am, I was standing in the windswept wastelands of Pacific Quay, soon to be super-tech development under the shadow of the SECC’s great shell. In the corner of this semi-landscaped field stands Four Winds Pavilion; spot on as the location for Beat 106 FM HQ. A freshly converted tram-shed that emits “bright, young and trendy”, its brand new inhabitants hope that Beat 106 FM, the radio station will do the same.

It burst live onto the airwaves at 1.06 pm, Friday November 19, 1999. Station’s Head of Music, here in the the eye of the storm, still recovering after a tempestuous weekend; the station;s first on air. Since he moved back up north from London and Radio One 10 weeks previous, life has been pretty much non-stop; now that his baby’s up and running, he already seeing what can be done to make it better. born of an idea that formed in the minds of, among others, Ewan McLeod, Stuart Clumpas (head honcho at DF Concerts and King Tuts) and Wilkinson himself, over two years ago, that weekend’s long-overdue launch must be making each and every one of them a proud father.

It may have been a turbulent birth here at Four Winds Pavilion, but to the public there was no more than a warm welcoming gust of good music, intelligent presenters and a sense that something better was coming to Scotland’s airwaves.

“We wanted to prepare the ground”, said Richard. They didn’t want to blow all their funding on a big gimmicky bang only to fade away a month or so later. “We couldn’t compete with the sort of things Radio so, we just let things tick over.: The exclusive Beat 106 gigs and club nights at the end of January, consolidating the station as the best new contender for Scottish Radio’s crown since… well, a long time.

Wilkinson himself himself rolled off the Glasgow University production line with an ordinary degree in Electronics and Music, a course that didn’t excite him much; apart from one occasion sin first year. He met an art school girl in one of his classes – “this is a really sad confession” – and followed her to a Guardian meeting. He stuck with the journalism (the relationship must not have happened then, eh?), and “started writing really crap record reviews”. One thing led to another and in 1995, following the lead of Sweet FM and Ton and a Half (the Art School station, named after its 150-year anniversary), he set up SubCity radio with a £20,000 grant from the SRC. Some may know the rest as history but here’s a brief summary. SubCity, operating on the 28-day Restricted Service Licence, won the Radio One award for best student radio station in November 1996, and in Febuary 1997 Steve Lamacq and John Peer broadcast Radio One from SubCity, alongside Richard and his pals; a formative experience for them all. :Steve had had a few ciders, and we were in their hotel. I was being my “I’m so against playlists’ self… I just want people to come in, play whatever records they want, and try to develop their on-air style. One thing Lamacq said to me was that, doing student radio, I was in such a fortunate position, to not be restrained, and that what I was doing was one of the biggest luxuries”.

From this luxurious position, he headed southwards after a stint at T in the Park, to spend a year and a half braving the perils of early breakfast shows, and the hell that is mainstream drivetime radio, all at Radio One itself. He doesn’t rule out ever heading back down that way, but for now Beat 106 is what he was made for, its seems. “It;s been fantastic.”

And so to the future; the aim is not to create a “tartan Radio One” but something that can fill the gap in the Scottish – and for that matter British – market. Wilkinson breaks out the music industry weekly’s singles chart, scoring off at least five of the top ten that would not receive airplay at 106; that would not receive airplay at 106; “Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Five, Shania Twain,…Westlife” 9this last uttered with pure contempt). The key idea here is “heavy rotation but no “pop” element…It’s a national radio station, we don’t have the luxury of being too out there.” The specialist side of things is, nevertheless, well catered for, with the weekends being practically devoted to dance (including Slam on Friday nights and the Jengaheads on a Sunday), and Jim Gellatly heralding a “more upbeat and accessible evening session” from 7pm until 10pm. Monday to Thursday. Gellatly is the man for you young band hopefuls out there – his “personal interest” according to Wilkinson, being Scottish acts. But like the bedroom DJs Beat 106 hope to uncover, you’ll have to make the effort to get hear; “obviously, we’d rather the talent came to us,” says Richard. I asked if SubCity would be involved in this grassroots side of things: “co-existence-wise, there has to be a recognised filtration system, a way of giving budding DJ talent the opportunity to make it.”

As Richard says: “…it’s a complete evolution process, and a case of being aware of what is not being played and what is not being represented. It’s about being inclusive rather than exclusive, it’s about making people feel welcome,” judging by the storm on the airwaves which the station has already whipped up, all this talk may be more than just hot air.

William T. Sherman


Image by dbking
William Tecumseh Sherman Monument
Location: 15th Street at Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Sculptor: Carl Rohl-Smith
Date: 1903
Medium: Bronze

Although the Grant Memorial may be the grandest, the Sherman Monument behind the U.S. Treasury is the largest and most complex of all the Civil War memorials.

Before the Civil War, Sherman had floundered in life. He graduated from West Point in 1840 and went on to serve in the Mexican War, but resigned his commission in 1853 to enter the banking business. But as banks failed, so did his banking career. When he tried to return to the military he was rebuffed and turned to law but lost the only case he tried. In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, Sherman was serving as superintendent of a new military college in Louisiana but turned down a commission in the Confederate Army. At age 41, he was reappointed as colonel of the 13th infantry as the regular U.S. army expanded. His memoirs note that he “felt as though there was now a purpose in his life” at this commission. Achieving the rank of commander of the Army of the Tennessee in 1863, Sherman’s “March to the Sea” during the winter of 1864-1865 captured the imagination of the North. This event led the press, who Sherman mistrusted and who disliked him in return, to become an immensely appealing hero. As a lieutenant general and then general and commander of the entire army from 1869-1883, Sherman was popular among veterans, whose welfare he looked after. He was active in veterans’ organizations, in constant demand as a speaker at reunions, dedications, and encampments, and he rarely turned down an invitation to “mix with the boys.” When word of his death in February 1891 reached the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, its officers began to plan for a memorial honoring his memory.

Selection of the Sculptor

As with the Grant Memorial (although several years later), members at the society’s summer encampment voted to erect a memorial to honor him “in the nation’s capitol, the heart of Union he had fought to save.” Congress was asked for and appropriated ,000 to establish the Sherman Monument Commission. The Society quickly established committees in each state to raise funds, writing solicitation letters to many military organizations of the day, as well as encouraging each Union veteran to contribute to the statue fund “so that when the statue is erected in Washington, every soldier who sees it will feel that it is a part of his effort.” With the plea for funds was an emotional circular to remind veterans of Sherman’s concern for them. Despite the appeals, only ,469.91 was raised, requiring Congress to double its contribution. By 1895, confident that they would be successful in raising the final funds needed, the Society announced a competition to select a design for the monument. The Society wanted only equestrian models from American artists and asked the National Sculpture Society to assist in the selection of the artist.

By April 1896, twenty-three sculptors had submitted models. Many of the sculptors had submitted models for earlier monumental commissions but had lost. The models were displayed in the basement of the War Department where the public could view them and offer opinions. In mid-May, the commission announced four finalists and the National Sculpture Society sent a delegation of the nation’s most prominent sculptors to evaluate the finalist’s models. The public had favored the most elaborate model, submitted by Danish born Carl Rohl-Smith, but the National Sculpture Society’s judges relegated Rohl-Smith’s design to the bottom, finding “it is ill conceived and overdone.” Two weeks after the National Sculpture Society’s delegation opined, the Sherman Monument commission announced Rohl-Smith as the winner. The losers were outraged and cried foul, claiming that the Sherman Monument Commission completely disregarded the opinion of the experts. The National Sculpture Society also protested the decision. The “Washington Star” newspaper called the competition a “bunko game.” In June, at the urging of the National Sculpture Society, Sen. Wolcott (CO), who had said the nation’s capital was already disgraced by enough bad sculpture, offered a resolution for an inquiry into the award of the Sherman commission. What ensued was a debate that intensified the great divide between the “artistic experts” who disliked Rohl-Smith’s model and the public’s desire for Rohl-Smith’s design. The wrangling continued until July, with Rohl-Smith having to deny that he had any influence in Washington, only the best design. Finally, the opposition surrendered and Rohl-Smith went to work on his sculpture.

The Location

While the selection process was contentious at best, the selection of the location for Rohl-Smith’s statue, which was going on simultaneously, was much easier. A slight incline on the south side of the Treasury building was identified, since it was where Sherman had watched the two-day Grand Review of the Union Army in May 1865. On the first day of the review, Sherman stood silently watching the Army of the Potomac march by in precision. Sherman’s own men (the Army of the Tennessee) would pass in review the second day, and worried they would not measure up to the Army of the Potomac, he rode across the river to their camp and called together all his commanding officers. He described in detail the precision marching of the Army of the Potomac, hoping that the officers would relay this to his men and inspire them to look as sharp as the Army of the Potomac. On the second day of the review, Sherman led the Army of the Tennessee up Pennsylvania Avenue with the military bands playing “Marching Through Georgia,” a new tune in their honor. As he and his band of men neared the rise at the Treasury building, Sherman pulled aside, turned facing eastward in his saddle, and with President Johnson and other dignitaries watched his men march down Pennsylvania Avenue toward him and the reviewing dignitaries.
Commenting on the second day of the Grand Review, the Washington Star reported that “this day’s men were taller, lankier, more sun beaten that those who had marched the day before. Their strides were longer, more confident. They swung along with an easy grace and their spirits high. They were magnificent.” Crowds along Pennsylvania Avenue cheered them, throwing flowers and Sherman was nearly overcome with emotion. In his memoirs he recalls this to be “one of the happiest, most satisfying moments of his life.” Therefore, this spot was chosen as the location for the Sherman monument, and the pride Sherman felt watching his men would be captured by Rohl-Smith in the statue itself.

The Sculpture Takes Shape

In 1897, Rohl-Smith set up his studio in a large barn-like structure that the Secretary of the Treasury built for him near the site. The building included an apartment where he and his wife Sara lived while he worked. In 1900, having completed models for the equestrian statue and three of the four soldiers that would stand guard at the monument’s corners, Rohl-Smith sailed to Denmark for a visit. While there, he died unexpectedly at age of 52 in Copenhagen. His wife, Sara, asked the Sherman Monument Commission to allow her to arrange the artist who would complete the statue and the commission agreed. Sara, along with some of the young Scandinavians who had been working with her husband, successfully directed the completion of the monument using her late husband’s original drawings. In August 1903, the Washington Star reported that the first cast sections of the 14’ tall equestrian statue were arriving at the site. Sherman’s torso, hands, arms, shoulders, neck and head comprised the largest piece.

Design Elements

On each corner of the tiered platform, facing outward, were placed four life size soldiers representing infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers. A relief on the north side of the pedestal shows men marching through Georgia as slaves step from their quarters to watch them pass. The relief on the south side depicts the Battle of Atlanta with Sherman and his staff at headquarters as smoke rises from the burning city in the distance. The reliefs on the west and east sides of the pedestal show Sherman walking among his men sleeping around a campfire and the general with his officers on horseback before the Battle of Missionary Ridge. Pairs of medallions bearing bas-reliefs of Sherman’s army and corps commanders (James Birdseye McPherson and Oliver O Howard, John A Logan and Francis Preston Blair, Greenville M. Dodge and Edward G. Ransom, and Benjamin Grierson and Andrew J. Smith) flank the larger reliefs on the east and west sides. Large bronze groups installed halfway up the monument’s east and west sides depict “Peace” and “War”. “Peace,” on the east side, depicts a graceful woman holding an olive branch accompanied by three children, one feeding a dove. “War,” on the west side, is a horrible fury, seething with rage and hatred, who tramples humanity in the form of a dead young soldier at her feet. Large bronze vultures perch on the body about to feast on its flesh, graphically driving home Sherman’s famous observation that “war is hell.” Inscribed on the north façade is another Sherman quote: “war’s legitimate object is more perfect peace.” Finally, inscribed in the wide mosaic band around the base of the monument are the many battles in which Sherman participated.

The Dedication Ceremony

The Society of the Army of the Tennessee made the plans for the dedication of the Sherman Monument. They arranged special excursion trains to bring veterans to Washington, special hotel rates, and activities for veterans’ wives. As the date of dedication arrived, October 15, 1903, thousands arrived in Washington and filled all hotels, forcing many to stay in hotels as far away as Baltimore and Annapolis. In Washington, miles of bunting and acres of flags decorated businesses, homes, and government buildings. The base of the monument itself was entwined with 400’ of garland and at each corner stood wreaths 7’ in diameter. On each side of the base was a 6’ high shield of red, white, and blue flowers—one for each of the four armies. The statue of Sherman was enfolded between two huge American flags suspended on wires while more flags covered the bronze soldiers at the corners. On the reviewing stand for the parade that preceded the ceremonies Turkish carpets were laid. Overstuffed armchairs for President Theodore Roosevelt and other dignitaries lined the freshly painted railings of the reviewing stand. More than a thousand folding chairs were arranged in a semi-circle in front for the actual unveiling, with two hundred special chairs for the “veterans who had left limbs to rot on the battlefield” right at the base of the statue. Special tables were set aside for the press and the Western Union operators. The parade, which stretched for miles, began at 2:00pm. President Roosevelt could barely contain his enthusiasm and kept leaping out of his chair to wave and shout to passing units. The last tune played before the ceremony was “Marching Through Georgia.” General Greenville Dodge, president of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, presided. At Dodge’s signal, the late general’s young grandson, William Tecumseh Sherman Thorndike, pulled the cord that parted the flags to show Sherman astride his horse.

The ceremony was unusual among dedications for the eloquence of its speakers. Dedication speeches had previously been patriotic and sentimental, but the speakers at this one, especially President Roosevelt, rose above the normal nostalgia. President Roosevelt’s speech was filled with moving, challenging imagery, because Roosevelt had an agenda and he relished the pulpit afforded to at this dedication ceremony (the nation had only recently finished the Spanish-American War), but his words express thoughts still valid today.

President Roosevelt stated that, as an emerging international power, the nation must be ever vigilant and always strong and veterans in the audience roared in agreement. Roosevelt also used this opportunity to call for a strong national defense, chiding opponents by saying, “No man is warranted in feeling pride in the deeds of the Army and Navy of the past if he does not back up the Army and Navy of the present.” Roosevelt wanted no one to rest on past laurels, calling for Americans to be vigorous, rigorous, up and doing noble deeds, and pursuing lofty goals, stating that heroes like Sherman should spur citizens to similar acts. The President called for new patriotism, honesty and vigilance – all qualities exhibited by Sherman and other “great dead.” Roosevelt continued: “The triumphs of the past should be lessons that, if learned, would lead to victory in challenges yet to come. It is a great and glorious thing for a nation to be stirred to present triumph by the splendid triumphs of the past. But it is a shameful thing for a nation if those memories stir it only to empty boastings…We of the present, if we are true to the past, must show by our lives that we have learned aright the lessons taught by the men who did the mighty deeds of the past.” As Roosevelt spoke, the thousands of veterans sitting in front of him, who had done the “mighty deeds” of the past, were stirred to know that this man wasn’t looking back in time but forward. He told those assembled that their hard won victories would guide the nation into a glorious future that they would not live to see but whose destiny they had guaranteed. Through Roosevelt’s promise of a sort of immortality, the men of the armies of the Tennessee, Cumberland, Ohio and the Potomac rose and gave him one ovation after another.

2010-08-09 – MIAMI – DAG 17 – Downtown


Image by Atlantiquon
De dag begon zonnig… helaas gisteren niet, maargoed, had alle tijd, vlucht vertrok pas om 12:40, dus geen haast, later opgestaan dan normaal, uitgebreid de tijd genomen om nog even wat na te zoeken op internet over Miami en daarna lekker rustig naar het ontbijt gegaan, uitgecheckt en rustig op een shuttlebus gewacht, kwam lekker vlot aan en had een privétaxi – nog steeds gratis – naar het vliegveld… perfecte dag toch?
Oké, ik hoor het cynisme al komen; hij heeft zijn vlucht gemist… jammer voor iedereen die deze aan zag komen, vlucht niet gemist hoor. Helaas tijdens het inchecken op de luchthaven werd bekend dat de vlucht een uur vertraging had… 1:40… ach ja, jammer dan, kan gebeuren. Moest naar gate H15, helemaal achteraan de H pier, en die is best lang. Onderweg nog een flesje drinken gekocht en nog niet eerder hier zo slecht iemand kunnen verstaan, hoe zij in een Engelstalig land aan de slag is gekomen is mij nog steeds een vraag, want de uitspraak was compleet niet te verstaan en zij verstond ook niets… lekker… haar probleem, ik had mijn drinken, beetje duur, maar het is en blijft het schijtdure Chicago waar alles grofweg veel te duur is – eerste degelijke kamer in ‘the loop’ gaat voor 0+ – en het is gewoon met alles redelijk over geprijsd – heb ik het niet over Brussel of Friscoformaten die voor minstens 0 gaan en dan krijg je geen goede reviews…
Kom je bij de pier, staat er achter de vlucht NO als gate… ow God, hier gaat het gebeuren, – was er redelijk vroeg, ruim 2,5 uur voor vertrek… – maar een half uur of uur gewacht, stond er nog steeds NO achter, maar naar de balie om te vragen hoe en wat, was er niet bekend of de vlucht zou vertrekken… balen… nog een uurtje gewacht, stond er ineens achter; gate K16… dat is de hele G gang uitlopen, voor de zoveelste keer, en dan heel de K gang door, en die is nog langer… kwam ik bij de K gang aan… nog steeds om 1:40, een geluk in ieder geval… half uur nog gelezen en gewacht, wordt er omgeroepen dat de gate is gewijzigd in K7… balen, aan het begin van de K pier… loop je langs het bord, helaas verder vertraagd; 2:40… k*t… – heb overigens iets anders gemompeld – nou ja, niets aan te doen… zit je in K7 weer verder te lezen – ja, rond de 75 pagina’s verder gekomen… – wordt er ineens omgeroepen dat de gate is gewijzigd… k… u… t… weer naar de andere kant van de gate; K18…, had ik net zo goed kunnen blijven zitten… en nog een keer het scheldwoord, want helaas de vlucht was nog verder vertraagd (was ondertussen al 2:40) en het vliegtuig zou over een minuut of 20 binnen komen… netjes gewacht en het boarden begon om iets van 3:10… was er een probleem met de bagage en kregen ze het ding niet snel genoeg dicht of waren ze bagage vergeten – nooit opgaaf van reden gekregen – rond 3:35 vertrokken we dan maar… natuurlijk niet vlekkeloos, want we stonden in de file… iets van 3:50 / 3:55 eindelijk de lucht in…
Kom je hier aan, – 3 uur later en +1 in tijd, want we zijn een tijdzone gepasseert… jee… – bijna iedereen in het vliegtuig moest naar een van de eilanden in het Caribisch gebied… en bijna iedereen heeft natuurlijk zijn of haar vlucht gemist door de +3 uur vertraging… – de vlucht naar Miami eerder had nog meer vertraging en was een half uur voor ons gearriveerd en vertrok normaal rond 11en uit Chicago… reken maar uit, en de vlucht na de onze, en de gene daar achteraan (4 op een dag ja) moesten daarna nog aankomen, was ondertussen iets van 8 of half 9, weet niet meer precies, was al richting donker – de meiden naast me hadden niet eens meer de moeite genomen om snel te zijn, want hun vlucht was een uur voor aankomst zonder hun al vertrokken en een overnachting in Miami – minstens 1, je weet maar nooit – was onvermijdelijk… taxi genomen naar hotel, weinig shuttlebussen te bekennen en ik zo onverschillig als was ondertussen, geen zin meer om moeite te doen, best aardige chauffeur en leuke stad, netjes en vooral veel witte bebouwing, een metro – metro metro als in Amsterdam en Rotterdam metro type, geen sneltrams of andere vervoersmiddelen die hier metro heten – in aanbouw van downtown naar luchthaven, perfect… leuk om in aanbouw gezien te hebben, ziet er toch anders – fragieler voornamelijk – uit dan in Nederland…
Tof hotel, ik kan iedereen wel een Hilton aanraden, heb een raam kamerbreed… en… verdiepingshoog, het uitzicht op de stad – noordzijde – op de boulevard, een deel binnenstad en het water… met daar in de verte Miami Beach (andere stad, niet vragen), het geluk dat ik de laatste glimpen licht mee kon maken, een paar leuke foto’s geschoten en voor de rest werd het aardig donker. In het restaurant – eindelijk een restaurant in het hotel, lekker makkelijk – een heerlijk stuk zalm – ja, ik tolereer geen warme zalm, krijg het normaal niet naar binnen, ik weet het, maar ik moest het toch proberen – genomen en het smaakte voortreffelijk, het was speciaal gemarineerd waardoor de specifieke smaak van zelf een beetje verdoezelt werd, zeer aangenaam te eten. Rijst, wortelen, andere ondefinieerbare groene en gele stukken niet in Nederland makkelijk verkrijgbare groente erbij en een paar orchideeën… en de laatst genoemde zijn eigenlijk echt lekker… probeer het eens zou ik zeggen – en niet de Nederlander uit gaan hangen en in de bloemenwinkel alvast beginnen met voorproeven en de plant vervolgens laten staan – maar heb je een keer de mogelijkheid, gewoon doen, de bloemen houden zonder plant er aan vast gaat toch niet meer… later op de avond nog even het zwembad uit geprobeerd, zat vol met Spaanstaligen… meer dan in Los Angeles krijg ik zo het vermoeden… en na een 20 minuten of iets meer maar terug gegaan naar de kamer – was al richting 10 uur – en iets later begon het te onweren en regenen…