Number 28

Seeing Peterson

I'm examining again, and have been away two days to see the recent NFL game at Wembley, so haven't been posting that much on music of late.

As has become a tradition now, I had the great pleasure of seeing an NFL game at Wembley, this year the Minnesota Vikings take on the Pittsburg Steelers in the first of two games there. Supporting the Steelers, it was disappointing to see them lose, but one of the many thrills of getting to the Wembley game annually is seeing NFL stars playing over here, and this year the privilege was in seeing the genuinely all-time great Adrian Peterson - number 28 - from the Vikings, and he made two running touchdowns, one a 60 yarder to add to many of his record-setting statistics as a running back. The collective and appreciative roar that greeted his introduction before the game was, as they say, awesome.

It was also good to see Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who impressively possesses two Superbowl rings, but I will leave the accolades for him there!

Gene Simmons from Kiss sang the national anthem, and that was bound to be interesting for all kinds of reasons. He gave a simple and honest rendition which was a welcome alternative to the often ostensible vocal acrobatics of some performances, though American artists will always proffer heartfelt coverings of a song that resonates for any one of them given the honour to perform. When I hear my anthem I am not overwhelmed with feelings of a conventional patriotism, but I always have the deeply proudest thoughts for my family and how they and other experiences of my time living there and since have shaped me - remarkably so having lived away from them and the country of my birth for most of my life.

In celebrating other if less profound aspects of still being an American, I enjoyed eating on game day at Bodean's in Tower Hill - sharing with my daughter a ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends and chicken meat platter - and then a return visit on Monday to the Meat Market at Covent Garden where I again enjoyed a Dead Hippie burger, though sadly not any corn puppies [deep fried, cornmeal encased polish sausage] as they had been removed from the menu - one of my main reasons for my wanting to go. Still, that helped me to leave without looking like an NFL defensive guard!