u/pluto_and_proserpina

Missed the intro due to phone being in wrong orientation.

This might appear sideways: camera trouble!

Audience choice: this or Don't You Want Me Anymore (tough call for me! But audience was clear on wanting this song.)

A good night; Razzmatazz, OU, Seconds, DYRTFT, Pink Glove, Babies, Acrylic Afternoons, Underwear, Mis-Shapes, Sorted, CP, SC, F.E.E.L.I.N.G., Disco 2000, The Fear, TIH, Sunrise, Spike Island, Slow Jam, Farmers Market, Got To Have Love, Begging For Change, A Sunset. (Not performed in that order; I don't have a set list. If I've missed any, please comment!)

The audience correctly chose Seconds over Bad Cover Version.

Hello you. Make a cup of tea, put a record on.

The football World Cup is all well and good. Countries. Flags. Fixtures. Groups of four. Very serious people explaining permutations on a touchscreen.

But what about the real question?

What if Britpop had a World Cup?

I’m putting together the World Cup of Britpop, a public vote to crown one winner from the whole messy, badly-fringed 90s argument.

The plan is to mirror the actual 48-team World Cup format as closely as possible, because apparently this is what adulthood has become:

• 96 acts on the longlist
• 48 qualify for the main draw
• 12 groups of four
• Group stage Round of 32
• Round of 16 Quarter-finals
• Semi-finals
• Third-place play-off
• Final

The qualification vote is live now.

You can pick up to 24 acts from the 96-band longlist. The highest-ranked 48 will qualify for the tournament proper.

The timeline is:

• Qualification vote open now Qualification vote closes Friday 5 June at 23:59
• Final 48 revealed from Saturday 6 June
• Group draw follows before the tournament starts
• Group stage begins Thursday 11 June
• Knockout rounds run through late June and July
• Final takes place Sunday 19 July, alongside the actual World Cup final

Yes, Oasis and Blur are there. Obviously. So are Pulp, Suede, Supergrass, Elastica, The Verve, Sleeper, Shed Seven, Mansun, Gene, Catatonia, Ash, The Bluetones, Ocean Colour Scene, and a lot of bands who will immediately start arguments about whether they count.

Good.

That is the point.

This is supposed to be fun, mildly absurd, and probably annoying in exactly the right way.

Vote here. Democracy has had worse afternoons.

https://forms.gle/23EGDNkroU1Z4KeU6

This, as always, is then.