the shimmering haze of another reality

[flaviomatani]

Again on a train slowly crawling its way out of London... only 25 miles to Watford where I'll have a very short teaching day, after four hours' sleep. It's going to be a long day... but going to bed late to wake up at 5:00 am was worth it at least. I hadn't ever seen Gertrud Stein (no, not _that_ Gertrude Stein) perform live and I was pretty much bowled over. I only really knew her as a friend of aka_toothbrush and had some idea that she was a musician and a performing artist. Hers was a very good show, deceptively simple with very good use of a few visual resources. And that tiny Casio keyboard, I'm pretty sure I had one of those once upon the time -but I didn't give it such full use (with two fingers... those tiny keys are not for the ten-fingered keyboardist..)

The week-end brought several good events. Friday night was A New Dusk at what is almost my local pub, Aces & Eights (insofar as a rock pub can be my local, I'm becoming increasingly impatient with any pub where I have to shout to make myself heard and where I have to strain to hear what is being said to me -this is not getting better as I get older and my hearing gets more.. difficult..). It was a very good night with good music and people. The only thing was perhaps that it was too popular: it was packed in that tiny basement and the air-con was not coping. It was _really_ hot in there. How did it happen that I found myself discussing early medieval polyphony outside a night-club at some hour in the middle of the night?

Saturday was boxcat's 40th birthday -it was a blast, with open bar (dread to think what the bill may have been for that) and a storming set by the mempunks. There'll be pictures of this at some point.

Sunday... apart from my nightmare morning lesson, it brought silkyraven's birthday drinks at The Bell in Walthamstow. I liked the pub and the gathering but was feeling perhaps a tiny little bit outside. It seemed to me that the birthday girl was happy, though, which was the main thing. Happy Birthday, Raven!

On coming home Sunday night I practised a bit of guitar and played Bach's Chaconnne through. I can do it but clearly it is too early yet -my hand and wrist have been hurting since.

Comments

[djpsyche.livejournal.com]

How did it happen that I found myself discussing early medieval polyphony outside a night-club at some hour in the middle of the night?

Because you have the right friends! :)

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

That was pretty much the answer I was voting for ...

[flavio-matani.livejournal.com]

:)

[zenithed.livejournal.com]

The Bell used to be my local! It's a nice pub, though a bit children-heavy during the day.

Used to be Ian Dury's local too, back when he studied at the art college round the corner.

[flavio-matani.livejournal.com]

Apparently the site of the block of flats I live in now was the pub where Dury and a lot of other people started in the '70s, the Tally Ho in Kentish Town...

[zenithed.livejournal.com]

I've played pool in that pub! I'd say I was sorry to see it go, but it was a bit grim at the time iirc.

[augeas.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed her set. We showed up as she was so entertaining at Nathan's gig, despite not being on the bill. We left shortly after the second act started. They seemed to be achieving rather less with more gear and bodies. All a bit of a dirge...

[flavio-matani.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she is really good onstage. And you're right, after her the band that followed... felt like a student's effort. They tried, they did try but weren't getting anywhere much. The sound wasn't helping, mind, and they were having problems with monitors, but even so.