I got an email from my mate Spud who I haven’t seen for 20+ years. He’d seen the site and got in touch. Wierdly, I bumped into him a week later at Morrisons in Swinton (when over in Manchester visiting the folks). A coincidence?  Anyway, he suggested a meeting about what you would want played at your funeral and QUIMS took up the challenge. 22^nd April saw us convening at John M’s and, as usually happens, the subject bled a little and oozed into different areas. John F brought his choices as an order of service (Opening reflections, the Eulogy, the reading, the committal and closing prayers) so we used this as a loose template for the evening: Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return…..

Music playing as people enter the room:

 

Requiem – Killing Joke  (John M)

Sad Day – Blancmange  (Roger)

Ceremony – New Order (John F)

Heaven – Talking Heads (Bob)

The Funeral Party – The Cure (Simon)

Worms and Angels – Echobelly (Jez)

Whilst the coffin is brought in:

No Lucifer – British Sea Power  (John M)

The Gin Soaked Boy – Divine Comedy (Roger)

I want everyone to like me – Randy Newman  (John F)

No.1 Song in Heaven – Sparks (Bob)

Lust For Life – Iggy Pop (Simon)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme – Nerf Herder (Jez)

Last Caress – NOFX (Jez)

(Part of Jez’s Goth/Punk/Hardcore 7 track requiem…..)

Quiet Contemplation whilst the coffin rests at the front:

Death Take Your Fiddle – Spiritualised (John M)

Try Not To Breathe – REM (Roger)

Cunts Are Still Running The World – Jarvis Cocker (John F)

Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be – AC/DC (Bob)

Thoughts Of A Dying Athiest - Muse  (Simon)

Gone Away – The Offspring (Jez)

The Eulogy:

Ghost – Bombay Bicycle Club (John M)

Spirit – The Waterboys (Roger)

That’s Me Trying – William Shatner/Ben Folds (John F)

Dress Sexy At My Funeral – Smog (Bob)

Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead (Simon)

Just A Closer Walk With Thee – Dirty Dozen Black Band (Jez)

Into the flames:

There She Goes My Beautiful World – Nick Cave (John M)

Alive – Pearl Jam (Roger…..obviously 

Weird Sister – Sparklehorse (John F)

Enjoy Yourself – Jools Holland + Prince Buster (Bob)

“Zed’s Dead Baby” Bullwinkle pt2 – The Centurians (Simon)

Never Forget You – The Noisettes (Jez)

As the congregation leave:

This Monkey’s Gone To Heaven – The Pixies (John M)

I Won’t Be Going South For A While – The Palladinos (Roger)

We All Make The Little Flowers Grow – Stephen Jones (John F)

Love In The Cemetery – Lord Kitchener (Bob)

End Titles To Blade Runner – Vangelis (Simon)

Run (Acoustic) – Snow Patrol (Jez)

One for the road:

Decay – Ride (John M)

Fade Away – Noel Gallagher (Roger)

You’ll Never Walk Alone In Harlem – Aretha Franklin (John F)

The Morning Fog – Kate Bush (Bob)

Dancing On Our Graves – Cave Singers (Simon)

When September Ends – Green Day (Jez)

And finally…….

Seasons in the sun – Terry Jacks (John M + Jez)

A great night of banter and cheese. Some great things came out of peoples choices. It was agreed that a funeral without a Joy Division choice was like a Birthday Party without a cake. I was shocked to find out that Ceremony is now being used on an Absolute Vodka advert (!). John F had chosen Aretha’s version of ‘You’ll never walk alone’ as Peel had played it the day after after the Hillsborough tragedy. He was so chocked-up after, that he couldn’t speak for crying. Kate Bush’s Morning Fog is actually stipulated in Bob’s will to be played at his funeral (“What if your will’s not opened until after?” Jez “Ah – didn’t think of that!”).  Roger has bought Sad Day at least 4 times in differing formats. John M (hard core indie kid) refused to like AC/DC which spawned the phrase “What’s the difference between this and AC/DC” for every subsequent track. Jez wanted to play a 15 minute Sigur Ros track that he reconned would be the perfect soundtrack to being burnt on a funeral pyre “It just builds up and up and the flames would rise at the end” - he was vetoed! The subject of webcams in coffins came up and thought’s of a dying atheist made me think of Rowan Atkinson’s sketch where he’s the Devil introducing people to hell….. Best joke of the night: What’s the difference between Cheryl Cole and an Icelandic volcano? The Volcano is still blowing Ash…….We left with Seasons in the sun ringing in our ears as John M and Jez had both brought it along. As John noted. “It seemed to be number one for the whole summer when I was a kid”. By coincidence - 2 days later I heard it again on ‘Pick of the pops’ as it was number one, this week in 1974………for four weeks by the way