What comes around

The bagpipe-lovin’ Madonna is back with a hit song, “Hung Up,” that, I have to admit is perty dern catchy. And it is very 1980s and has a boom-boxey dance video to accompany it. The beautifully choreographed video looks like it could have been from her first LP. Madge has survived long enough simply to go back to where she started, and that must be a dream come true for a pop star with inevitable fading creativity.

Since pop trends go around and come back around in 20-year cycles, why not pipe music and pipe bands? If that were so then next year should see echoes of 1985 return to the fore.

Let’s see: flannel grey kilt jackets with gauntlet cuffs and waistcoats; 12/8 marches to open medleys (think “Brigadier Snow” and “Up To The Line”); Sinclair chanters, and of course the occasional glutton-for-punishment band wearing number-one dress. The World’s could return to its lottery system draw and the RSPBA could go back to keeping secret who’s judging and what the break-down of results were.

Nah. I think we’re better moving the art forward. Leave the retro music and stylin’ to Madonna.