It's terrible, says PM

Prime Minister John Howard says a dance version of the Australian national anthem, due to be played at New Year's Eve celebrations at Sydney Harbour, sounds "terrible". The three-minute techno version of the song, which has been approved by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, will reach about one million viewers around Sydney Harbour and potentially 600 million watching around the world at midnight on New Year's Eve.

But community leaders have attacked the move as being disrespectful, while a flood of talkback callers in Sydney have also expressed their outrage. After being played an extract of the dance version of the anthem during an interview on Perth radio 6PR this morning the PM said: "I think it sounds terrible. I have a very strong view that the national anthem should be sung and played in a way that facilitates maximum audience participation in its singing," Mr Howard said.

"Most importantly it should encourage and allow people to sing along - and nobody can sing along to that, can you? The public wants to sing it, but they can't sing it if its not easy to follow, and nobody can follow that."

Full Article, (might need to register) thanks to SMH

MathewK -

I don't know about you guys, but I have to agree with the PM, the remix version, in the beginning it sounds ok, like the music from a rave show, fast paced and a good beat, when the anthem actually hits, the feel changes, its the national anthem, not the latest hit from Britney Spears. This version of the anthem is a pop song sung by a chipmunk on steroids.

Local talkback radio station 2GB has been trying to get hold of the Lord Mayor Clover Moore, but she has gone into hiding, refuses to take calls, she's missed her own press conferences and is constantly 'in a meeting'. Instead she has pushed this other fellow Scowfield or something to take the flak and tell us that we are not hip and young and this is just all a storm in a teacup.

Clover did pretty much the same thing over the Sydney's generic christmas celebrations, she's effectively banned Santa and all decorations, didn't care what the people of Sydney thought, I can only assume she will not be giving a damn what the people of Sydney think on this matter either. I wonder if she will be having a generic Gay and Lesbian festival next year, I suspect they are the only people she listens to, and maybe the voices in her head.

I don't live in the Sydney City area so I couldn't vote in the last elections, but I like many Sydney siders supported her, what a cockup that turned out to be. To date she is refusing to defend her decision and even talk about it. The Lord Mayor performing her duties from under her desk or in the shadows, is seemingly both spineless and obstinate.

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