I AM A LAZY, HAPPY BASTARD
OK, I'm not lazy, I just haven't put the photos up this month. I really plan to get on that tonight, but people (thanks, Henrik!) keep sending me great stuff, and I've been busy. I am jumping these days between my life in France and the incredible stuff happening in London, and all the new friends I've made there. I can't be in two places at once, but, I think I've proven that I can be in two places in rapid succession! So, I have a feeling London will see more and more of me. I of course love Paris and my life here, but London is unbeatable for being close to the beating, icky heart of rock and roll...progress is being made in France, but...progress already came and went in London, it lives in a shiny little place called the future...both countries also of course have awful commercial tendencies...so does every place; that's not the argument. Anyway...you prob. won't notice a difference as I'm already jumping from place to place on the map.
It's been so cold and stormy in Paris (in London, too) the leaves are confused and falling from the trees, in mid July.
True to my last word last week, I supported (not like a support act, but, in a 'bring out the peeps' way)
Shaolin at their two London shows. The Monday night show at the Social was part of a night of French music hosted by Resonance FM's 'Rockfort' French music program. The band, Dom & I had a very strange dinner at the restaurant next door to the Social, I never did catch the name of the place. It's decorated in a kind of glass mosiac everything-goes style...anyway, our dinner was strange cuz we were the only customers in this huge restaurant. And the staff were all French. And it wasn't a French restaurant, except demographically speaking.
After dinner we came back in time to see a bit of Miniscule Hey, who were one of the better 'backed by a laptop' bands (not to be confused with the 'touched by an angel' bands). Then my friends and I (Henrik, Caroline, Mira) rocked out to Shaolin and went our separate ways in to the night.
Tuesday I had lunch with Shaolin and Dom at the invitation of Shaolin's London relatives (the two vocalists in Shaolin are brothers). They family is Vietnamese/French, and when they left Vietnam in the 70s, some went to London and some to France. Hence, Shaolin were essentially meeting their aunt & uncle for the first time, as far as I could tell--they had trouble understanding each other unless they spoke in simple English. Anyway, the result was we had an incredible lunch at a Chinese restuarant in London's Chinatown, near Leicester Square, and were fed within an inch of our lives. Thanks!
In the evening Shaolin played at the Fly, they played first so by 9 we were free and we went in search of food. We stumbled eventually on the Bay of Bengal Indian restaurant on Greek Street. I found the place a bit pushy and not super friendly, so I can't recommend it. I can't say anything about the food, as we had to leave--there was a suspicious vehicle that the police had become concerned about and the entire area was evacuated! We ended up at the kebab place by the Astoria...
LONDON 7/18
During the day Dom & I went shopping in Carnaby St. and I managed to avoid buying anything--Top Man was promising but too busy to be fun. Sometime in the afternoon I set out on my quest to get the Duloks' equipment; first, I took the tube from central London to the northwest part, to Maida Vale, where Mar Dulok works for the BBC, and got her keys. Then I took the tube all the way to east London to her flat, and Mira ordered a cab to pick me up. I loaded it up with their gear--the frame of the electronic drum kit, a suitcase with all the drums stuff in it, the Casio 1000 keyboard, the keyboard stand, and the drum stool. I managed to find a spot for the cab to stop across the street from the Fly, as New Oxford Str. is too busy for a cab to stop on, and in two crossings I ran the gear into the club across two lanes of traffic.
If you look at the photos of
me with the Duloks from
this weekend, you'll see that I'm having a great time--it's such a great combination of things: the Duloks themselves are outstanding, lovely people; they have really nice friends; the show is comprised of many many stupid jokes; and the fact that there aren't loud drums all the time is such a relief! This show was only half an hour and I didn't want it to end.
Thursday Dom & I headed back to Paris, and I more or less immediately set out to see
Tarwater, from Germany, who are (as they will play again tonight) performing as part of the
"Quartier d'Ete" series of free arts events in outdoor venues in Paris. This show was in a park down from the Place D'Italie, it was so lovely to hear their moody, atmospheric rantings while supine in the grass.
Friday I was in, listening to death metal, and announcing the
Posies October tour of Spain on various sites.
Today I was in an ass-kicking pilates class, and spent a few hours doing preproduction rehearsals with Mateo and band. And listening to Death Metal. And watching a Harry Potter film, but in English for a change.
Recommended: I'm reading Lewis Grassic Gibbon's classic novel about life in Scotland a hundred years ago, Sunset Song. Incredible depth and breadth is brought to make these characters and their environment come alive.
The Presets, who play the Quartier d'Ete on the 30th. This Australian duo plays hard, danceable, sexy electronic music but with live drums...really, you won't believe this drummer; all in all it's one of the best live shows around.
Goodnight!
Love
KS
Paris
