Looking back at October and the first part of November

Sunday night (yesterday) sees me at the Union Chapel with Janet to see Kurt
Wagner.  First up it’s the Clientele with a soft Mojave 3 type sound
filtered through Lambchop in a way.  Thanked later by KW as dear
friends.  Sure I’ve seen them before and not enjoyed them so much but
this time I liked them – boosted by a fourth member maybe?  But nice
songs well played.  KW comes down through the audience singing
something.  Enjoying the acoustic.  Reaches the stage and sits down as
per usual.  But this time has a washing line above his head where he
hangs his songs as he plays them. 
He is using the audience as a
sounding board for new stuff.  It’s all really, really good – much
better than the last time I saw him solo.  And he signs a copy of the
tour only CD I’ve just bought makes eye contact as he shakes my hand.
I also come out with a Lambchop DVD of the last tour (which I
thoroughly enjoyed last year).

Thursday last saw me at the National on my own at Shepherds Bush through circumstances
beyond my control.  But it was Ok really.  It’s not so bad to be
somewhere like that on your own.  Saw the Broken Family Band first –
just getting into them when they had to finish but their albums have
made a great impression on me.  Is there a better single out at the
moment than Leaps?  Don’t think so.  Will I hear it on the radio?
Don’t think so.  The utterly conservative playlist of XFM won’t touch I
it – I wouldn’t have thought.  Maybe it will be on 6Music?  The
National were even better than last time – a great set drawing on
Alligator and Boxer mainly.  With the beautiful About Today as an
encore again. 
I know that Frances enjoyed them in Sheffield the other
day. And this give me a good feeling too.  The bit where the singer
shouts “My mind’s not right” at the top of his voice over and over
again I know what he means (possibly).  Actually he dedicates it to Robert Lowell and I do know because that’s a libe from Skunk Hour where RL realises he is going out of his mind.

Been a hectic month to six weeks of stuff. Work stuff and home stuff.
Just taking the weekend before the one just gone – it consisted of a night out on the Friday for me and Janet (sleepover for Jack and evening at Matt’s for Alice).
We took ourselves along to the Tapas place next to the cinema.
Nearly scuppered by the usual burst water main and attendant chaos in the locality
Saw Once after the meal – Irish, gentle, romantic, wistful and really made me want to go back to Dublin.  I don’t think it’s the best film I’ve ever seen but it had a quality of naturalism about it – a sense that it could really be like this – though the recording studio was a million miles from the last one I was in.
Saturday was a restoring order to chaos day with lots of clearing up –then in the evening Janet was out and I walked up to Blackheath with Jack, Alice and Matt to the fireworks.  Was weird without Janet who is the firework guru.  Great display as usual but marred by the stupid music being played (Elton singing ~Circle of Life amongst other things).  Utter crap. 
You don’t need music – the whooshing sound and those siren-y bits are the music. Matt and Alice vanished to be with friends.  Jack and I enjoyed some quality time including lighting sparklers and eating chocolate when we got back.  Took some quite good shots on the phone of the tree by the church all lit up and Jack plus sparklers.

A couple of weeks ago
David Lynch.  And Donovan,  And Andrew.  He was the best of the three in terms of what he said and the way he said it.  DL was launching his transcendental education movement in the UK.  It was fascinating to see him in the flesh and to think about the audience and why they were there, including the guy with the pyramid on his head, capturing his energy and using it most effectively.  Half were TM advocates and the rest were film buffs/students and people pitching their theses and –in one case – their script.  This was the  guy who grew up in the circus and held the one finger press up world record (and brandished a copy to prove it).  He gave his life’s work over to DL – well to Bobby Roth of the DL foundation.  Some young women were there from a yogic flying school in Skelmersdale.  And on and on.

After DL it was Donovan’s turn.  Certainly TM must increase your confidence to the point of eradicating all humility.  Here was an unreconstructed genius introduced by a movie fo his life in which he took a background role at many famous gatherings in the 60s – like a musical Leonard Zelig.  I did not like this.  I did not like his songs.  I did not like his stories.  They did not grab me.  Let’s just leave it there because he clearly has something for some people. One thing he mentioned was going to India with the Beatles. He said they came back with their songs and he came back with his.  Yes – they came back with Sgt Pepper, White Album etc and he came back with the Hurdy Gurdy Man.  Fine for some people but not for me.

Oh and Janet’s birthday was in the middle of all of these days – loaded up her iPod massively and made some playlists, gave her a set of speakers for work and Alice chose her some nice clothes and Jack went for chocolates.  Quiet really – we’re such a small, small family.  No word from Oz – I guess something is in the post!  Hope so.