Going to Comic Con

 

Playing an Open Mic on Friday, High Street Kensington: cancelled

Sorry for short notice- I have had to cancel this gig!

Reporter on Cold Day, with Passing Dog

 

Mental Recalibration

Well, the last 18 months have been quite shocking. I always find it harder to see terrible things happening to people that I know and love that I do to experience them myself.

Yet terrible things have happened to me, too. I have been wondering why I have not really written any songs despite having literally hundreds of ideas (how am I going to crack open that parcel of words and music?), but looking at it from the outside, it's not surprising.

I know the creativity is still there: I've been writing songs with a group of people with complex physical disabilities, and songs for a purpose always appear just when I need them. I press the start button, and we move on incrementally from there.

Last night, a line for a song appeared and I realised that I'll start writing again soon. I've been putting a lot of energy into other people's projects (which is a privilege and a lovely thing to do) but it's time to look inwards again, even if what's there might be uncomfortable to unfold.

Strangely, I think the thing that has prompted the idea of starting to write again has been reading a book that I don't like. It is full of poetry and beautiful concepts used in a completely facetious way. 

It's almost as though my songs need to be written as a protest against the misuse of words that don't tap into any sort of meaning.

I am still grieving for my brother: my annoying, funny and intelligent ally. We were literally co-diarists of each others lives and co-defendants in a non-existent court case of deceit and abuse. I'm so glad we spent so much time together at the end of his life, talking about songs and making sure he left a musical imprint of being here. He had so much to say; his songs are packed with words and humour saved up from a lifetime of suppressing his wish to be a musician and earning a living to support his family.

I care so much about humans, and this has been brought to the forefront after what happened to James. We need to see through the fog of hatred that has landed on us all. Life is so short, too short to spend any time stoking fury at people who we think don't match our idea of what a human being should be like. If this is what we feel maybe it is ourselves we should be looking at. These feelings come from fear and discomfort with change. Even though the hatred is mainly targeted at other people and communities, I can still feel it in the air, poisoning the atmosphere for everyone. Unfettered anger belongs to toddlers, not adult humans; we are supposed to grow out of it. 

Being kind is not a weakness, it's the most difficult and powerful strength of all.

The Internet has taken on the role of and Old Testament God, with all the associated scariness, punishment and drama; the new religion's priests are psychotherapists, who manipulate people's inner feelings and dash away from the consequences of their actions before the temples collapse. 

Heavy, dude! That's enough thinking for the day. 

Woman Busking in the High Street

 

Podcast About The Chefs, Radio 3 Madrid

Thank you to Diego for sending this link, via Ian Ballard at Damaged Goods:

https://www.rtve.es/play/audios/el-sotano/discos-historia-chefs-20-11-25/16824690/

Photo by Claire Barratt

Poet for Hire

 

Man Collects Leaves with Giant Grabber

 

Last Life Drawing Class

It was a therapeutic thing to take part in each week, and last night we had the opportunity to draw the model for a long pose of almost two hours. I drew big- which meant a lot of re-drawing to work on the proportions. I didn't finish the drawing, but I don't think anyone did. The model was the best one ever- they managed to stay completely still, and most importantly, not sag under the physical pressure of keeping themselves in one position for such a long time. There were a few short breaks, but by some miracle they managed to get straight back into the same pose with very little change.

Singing Louder and Listening

Over the past week it feels as though my feet have scarcely touched the ground. It has been a long time since I forgot to eat, or indeed didn't have time. This has been such an occasion.

One Tuesday, there was a rehearsal for Gina's choir in the basement of Third Man Records. Hats off to everyone, they had put the work in learning the parts. They are all excellent singers and there was no time wasted: we spent around two and a half hours running through both of the songs and working out the minimum of backing track that could be used to anchor the vocals. By the end of the rehearsal, we were singing as one, which is exactly what a choir should do: listening to the vocal blend at the same time as creating it. It was all the more of an achievement because without exception the members of the choir have their own solo projects as writers and performers, and kept their egos in their pockets to make the whole thing work.

On Wednesday we met at the Union Chapel, where the house sound engineer had prepared microphones for each of us, and he sorted the backing tracks so they sounded good over the PA. I had to leave for a while because Devendra Banhart uses incense and I found that like bonfire smoke, my lungs cannot cope with it. I went and stood out the back with the catering staff who were phoning their families- and eventually, lighting up their fags, so I went back in again.

It was a house full to bursting, and the audience responded really well to Gina's music. She is an accomplished front-woman full of wit and charm, and soon they were eating out of her hand. We stood in order behind the big velvet curtain and slipped into place on the stage after being introduced. It went past in a whirl. I could hear it all working (phew!), and we marched off singing 'Keep to the left..'

What an amazing thing to do, and also what a responsibility. It's been a long time since I arranged vocals for live; it's all been for recording recently, and for live I'd made some call-and-response sections to make the dynamic more interesting. I thought they worked!

Afterwards, Devendra took a photograph of us all on the stairs. He is a witty chap. Earlier, I'd been out to look for somewhere to relieve myself. 'Is this the toilet?', I asked a person standing in the doorway to his dressing room. 'Sometimes people call me that', he replied.

On Thursday morning, I went to my new freelance job writing songs with people with complex disabilities. It was a good session, and I left them with some homework for the next song, which will be a protest song. 

Then it was time to head off to the BBC studios at Maida Vale to a live BBC3 recording of the BBC Orchestra. This was a wonderful thing to do, to listen after so much doing. It was also a watching experience because the orchestra interact with each other and with the conductor constantly. There was a piece by Tchaikowsky where the violins started to the left of the stage, and the arrangement moved through the violas (left of centre) to the cellos (right of centre), and ended up with the massed basses on the right. It was brilliant. Panning sounds on a small laptop all the time is so insular, to see this happening in real life was incredible both visually and sonically. How wonderful to be an orchestral composer and see this dynamic in action after imagining it in your head! Here it is (at least for a while. Can you hear us clapping?): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002lq0l

Friday was a breathing day, although I did prepare and time the mini-sets for the Louder than Words Festival, where I had been asked to play three 15 minute sets before the interviews with Justin Currie (The Tremeloes), Richard Jobson (The Skids) and Eddie Tudor Pole (Tenpole Tudor)

On Saturday I got the train to Manchester. Delays on the network meant that I completely missed Debsey Wykes of the Dollymixture, who was apparently brilliant, and Claire Grogan of Altered Images, who was also apparently brilliant. I did hear her singing through the doors of the Green Room and her lovely voice has not changed a bit.

Cazz Blase and Shelina Brown were there and we had some great conversations about it all, and about how some men are so threatened by intelligent women. Thankfully, not all of them are, but the ones who are have disproportionately loud voices. There are a lot of exceptions, mercifully: for instance I talked to Dave Barbarossa backstage, who is wonderfully funny and tactful. 

I also have to thank the sound engineer Ash for getting a really great sound. He was calm and collected, and there was a room change (Baz from The Stranglers instead of Eddie) which was made all the easier for the fact that he's already done the other two sets I'd played.

What about the punk panel? Well, it was very lively. Chris Sullivan and Stephen Colegrave have published a book called Punk, the Last Word which they say is a tongue-in-cheek title because there is no last word. It was such a big panel that we almost fell off the podium: Russ Bestley, who designed the Pauline Murray biography, Carol Hodge, who performs Crass songs all around the world with Steve Ignorant, Chris, Marco Pirroni, Ryan Walker (journalist from Louder than War), me, Stephen and Mike Dines from the Punk Scholars Network sat in a semicircle with John Robb convening us all. Or reining us in, where necessary. The discussion became heated at some points but John managed to keep things polite and as unmansplainy as possible with so many strong male viewpoints. I think Carol and me held our own, and there was a very interesting point at the end where there was a debate about the origin of the word 'punk', and the familiar conclusion that it came from the nickname of young men in prison about 100 years ago who sexually serviced the other male prisoners. From the back of the audience, Cazz pointed out that her own first discovery of the word was in fact in Shakespeare, where the word was used to describe a female prostitute. Game, set and match to Cazz for that! 

My own issue came with The Pink Fairies and Hawkwind being held up as examples of early 1970s countercultural music. To me, they were in the same male boat as Led Zeppelin (squeeze my lemon), and that led to a very interesting after-panel discussion with the woman who had proposed the idea. In the end, I said 'You should write about this!' (I didn't say 'This is why I wrote the song 'Thrush'!).

The next day, I played an early set before Richard Jobson's talk, and then went to a talk on a history of graphic design and DIY printing in the punk and post-punk era. It does sound like a very interesting book, but unfortunately the author couldn't resist the urge to be controversial at my expense. After the talk, in the questions part, he mentioned that he didn't like Cold War Steve. I actually love him- that constant snarling and biting, even on days when the quality of collage is not brilliant. It's the biteback that I find really heartening. I brought up how I felt. 'Hermann Goering would agree with you', said the speaker. What a silly swipe! I have seen this guy do something this before, so I let it rest. I could have asked him to wash his mind out with soap and water, but I didn't. Funnily enough, I mentioned it to Offsprog One this morning. 'Is he a graphic designer?', she asked. Ha ha! 

So, on the the final short set where I had to develop a pair of cojones to get past the rows of folded arms, but I think it was OK. They clapped! Then I hared over to Eddie Tenpole to hear his interview, and it was absolutely hilarious. Years ago, he came to audition for one of the mad Music Halls that I did with Lester Square but kind of disappeared after that. On Sunday afternoon he was energetic, terrifying, honest, animated and exhausting. Life has chewed him up, but he has chewed it up back. Can you imagine being asked by Malcolm McLaren to go to Paris and have sex with underage girls while singing? Eddie was still clearly disturbed by this, and of course he said no. His talk was packed with people, presumably because of his hosting of The Crystal Maze. He did wonderful impressions of Edward Fox- and of himself being auditioned. He was like a box of fireworks; at the beginning it had seemed that he'd made the decision to just give yes/no answers, but this was clearly impossible for a man with so much explosive energy. It was a great way to end the festival, even though there was so much I missed. 

I had a great chat with Jill Adam, who organised the whole thing so beautifully, and headed home to think about it all. There has been so much food for thought this seven days: every day a different flavour.

Louder than Words

I'm heading to 'Louder than Words' tomorrow where I'll be taking part in a punk panel with John Rob, Chris Sullivan, Stephen Colegrave and Russ Bestley at 6.15 p.m.

I'll also be playing three 15-minute mini sets on Saturday and Sunday if you're going and would like to hear my songs:

3.45pm Saturday 15th - before Justin Currie

11.45am Sunday 16th - before Richard Jobson

3.45pm Sunday 16th - before Ed Tudor Pole

Backstage at the Union Chapel

This photo is from last night. Gina supported Devendra Banhart at the Union Chapel in London, and a choir of friends and associates sang on two of her songs, Live Forever and Keep to the Left.

I did the vocal arrangements, and after one rehearsal at Third Man in the basement (due to touring and other time restraints), we donned our black garb and joined her on stage.

Thank you choir for making those arrangements sound so good! Thanks also to Gina for inviting me to do it. It's a very different kettle of fish to the job of arranging backing vocals for recordings, which I do for myself, Gina, Robert and various other people.

This is a rushed posting; I'm up early for work but might write more in due course.

Young Fleas4U In the Kitchen with a Box and a Bag

 

McCookerybook Chili Recipe

New Zine Alert!
From Jane Duffus, writer of 'These Things Happen: the Sarah Records story'
'Zine Things Happen' includes my recipe for Black Bean Chili.
(substitute vegan sour cream if required)
What a neat publication it is- I love it, and am honoured to have been invited to share my just-about-only recipe!

Coming Up In Jolly January!

Have you got your tickets yet?

This is going to be a unique event, a one-off night of music in north London's Stoke Newington to brighten up your January!

https://wegottickets.com/f/14034

Last Night at the Prince Albert

 

Rachel Love playing her set- they are such a well-rehearsed band. It's incredibly moving to hear Rachel's song lyrics, all the more so because of the beautifully-arranged music behind them. Good luck in Glasgow!

Below, The Last of the Lovely Days sound checking. They play powerful-sounding pop songs with a lot of punky energy.

Photo by Steve Clements. Thanks to all to came- lovely to see Steve, Jon Chrisp (The Chefs London Manager) and his family, Mark Erickson from Asbo Derek (we Gaelicked at each other, briefly), Charlie Harper from UK Subs and Yuko, Jerry and Alice, and Rachel's lovely sons and their partners. As always, the sound was immaculate. Thanks to everyone who sang along to The Sea. Haven't played that one for a while!

New Collaboration with Willie Gibson

https://williegibson.bandcamp.com/album/cailin-mo-ruin-sa-ailein-duinn

Dog Being Groomed

 

Arranging

After a rehearsal of tomorrow's songs (got to keep those guitar-players callouses going!), I went round to Gina's to finalise the parts for the choir arrangement that's going to happen on two of her songs when she supports Devendra Banhart at the Union Chapel next Wednesday. One one of them, we added her existing vocal parts to the ones I've been working on, and the other I think is complete anyway. She's going to send the parts out to everyone today so they have time to learn them.

It's going to sound absolutely great. I am delighted that Ruth and Karina are going to be part of it; Miki Beryeni, Rozi Plain, Estella Adeyeri, Jenny Green, and more will also be there. 

I had admin to do today- some PRS registrations. The Gaelic electronica songs are going to be released tomorrow. I also had to cut out the printed download codes and clip them to the lyric books for tomorrow.

Tomorrow at the Prince Albert in Brighton supporting Rachel Love & The Last of the Lovely Days It will be a night of warmth and colour!

Tickets: https://wegottickets.com/event/673409

I'll play some songs from 'Showtunes from the Shadows' and from this now sold-out album. The lyrics/chord/colouring book book I made to go with it + download codes will be only £5 (cash) on the night!

Man Sketching Other Passengers On The Tube

 

Pencil

I came all the way back from life drawing last night with an Indigo coloured pencil crayon sticking up out of my hair. I'd been keeping the colours there for when I needed them. I didn't realise till I saw my shadow on the fence when I walked up from the tube station. Nobody on the train appeared to have noticed.

Monday...

... and I haven't done a posting since Thursday! Blame a visit to the V&A Storehouse, McSis's birthday, continuing revisions to Gina's choir parts (she's back from tour and we are fine-tuning), a long walk, and the beginning of rehearsing songs for Thursday's gig in Brighton.

Oh yes, and a paid-for Covid jab with a very inquisitive health professional. He will have plenty to tell his family at teatime today.

Time to get ready for life drawing...