Friday 15 June 2007

Matthew 'rocks' the Guardian

You don't get 'Money for Nothing' in this game ...Readers of the Guardian's weekly 'What's rocking sport' section will know that the average sportsman's choice of listening is as varied and interesting as a 1970s-style 100 stroke rally up the sidewall to good length.

But this week's focus on Nick Matthew's iPod selection proves that the way a squash player performs on court is no guide to musical taste ...

It is the incongruity that baffles.

Here is a player who bounds on to court, gleefully lashing any loose ball into the nick like a wicked, cutlass-wielding enemy in a Sinbad film.

Previously featured sportsmen commonly reveal a preference for two types of music - coffee table chart fodder favoured by middle-class thirtysomethings (see David Gray), or rap/hip-hop - usually just on the 'edgy' side of popular - without being downright offensive (i.e. not N.W.A.): the bass-heavy rhythms providing the catalyst for getting 'pumped' prior to performance.

Given the way Matthew plays, I half suspected he would warm up to a hard rock bombast, shadow-boxing to Welcome to the Jungle or squat-thrusting to the solo from Enter Sandman.

Maybe someone raised in the city would harbour a guilty collection of Sheffield's finest - the 'Leppard ...

What is actually revealed is a penchant for James Blunt and Dire Straits (maybe I'm being a bit hard - Justin Timberlake and Kanye West feature in his matchday tracklisting. You won't find your dad listening to them.)

Joe Elliott would not approve.

"I suppose a rock's out of the question?"

1 comment:

  1. Not as bad as Andew Flintoff - Elton John fan!!!

    ReplyDelete

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