Around the time I discovered my condition, I also discovered Ed Sheeran’s new album: “Divide”. I’m loving its energy, vitality and reflective lyrics. Currently I awake several times in the night (steroid side effects!) to the welcome soundtrack is my head. As a geek, I am so impressed that a guy with a guitar and a live multi-tracking pedal can build such impressive live performances at Glastonbury etc..
However, despite Ed’s success, I note that it’s not “cool” in the UK to like him or his music. Indeed, it seems that many feel good about themselves by slagging off someone else who happens bring delight to more naive folk such as myself. The band Coldplay is another example of a band which is highly popular worldwide, yet often disdained at home. In our British way, we sacrifice natural enthusiasm to be smug and cool. Whenever I traveled in North America I loved rediscovering prog rock radio, music too cool for the sophisticates at home. Musically, I define myself by what I love and not what I hate. I don’t need to waste time detailing what I don’t like about music which does not appeal to me.
In the case of Ed Sheeran, there is another factor: racism. I am always amazed how comfortable so many supposedly liberal folk are, with denigrating “gingers”. While there is no comparison between the atrocities of black prejudice and being “anti-ginger”, skin type and hair colouring are the distinctive superficial features which facilitate such prejudice.
This is where I must confess: I am a Ginger. Although almost all evidence has disappeared with age, my skin is fair and freckled, and as a child I had gingery hair. I was the only such child at my school, and was once identified for a crime (of which I was innocent!) by by appearance.