Music and the moment

Having merely to avoid defeat in the last test, English (+Welsh) sporting loins are stirring at the thought of a third Ashes victory in 24 years. Domestic or office-bound eyes will be glued to Channel 4’s coverage next week. Time will stop for Freddie Flintoff’s exploits, then catch up again.

Yet the weight of expectation is not matched by C4’s music – namely Mambo no 5 by Lou Bega, a rip from a Perez Prado original. Mostly the brass parps and sampled yelps are the focus as C4 goes to a break or on the outro, but the lyrics are so good it would be a shame not to include them here . For years cricket and this slice of crap plastic latina were well suited, as it matched the pissed-up indulgences of the clubhouse and alluded – if only slightly – to the Caribbean wing of the franchise. Cricket was not taken seriously by the public at large. However, the England team has improved in recent years and now they are on the cusp of a meaningful victory. The press, if no-one else, will make a big hearty meal of it.

So bet on the producers changing tone, to the chest-out, emoti-rock of Foldclay , David Gray, Doves or Elbow, next week. Snow Patrol and U2 have been ruled out, unfortunately, because they are Irish; Oasis because their brand of working class hedonism is not suited to the long room of the Lords (the girl next to me in the office loves all this Heart/Virgin fayre and it’s polluting my ears RIGHT NOW). Producers will know such basic indie-rock also goes well with the stench of defeat, so it’s a good hedge either way.

Of course they might not bother because they’re losing the coverage to Sky soon…