LUKES BLOG NUMBER TWO (20/07/06)
Posted July 20, 2006
17/7/06 Bound for Toronto on Air India flight with JP and Katie B
Hello. After three days of festival gigs up and down the UK we are going to Toronto to play our first Canadian shows. A little tired and yet excited to be on another musical adventure. We decided a few years ago to go for this music. That it was a magical meeting point worth following through. And it does seem to be taking us on some crazy trips. Both inside and out. In the last months we have played a gig with my favourite musician (Rory McLeod) and with my favourite author Alastair McIntosh, as well as recorded a track with the latter. A Scots activist poet. (The Track is Homage to young men and is on ExtraOrdinary released on Nizlopi.com on Sept 4th) Following the heart to the crazy good places.
Regardless of how we harp on about how great it is to be on an independent family and friend run label, (i.e.: to be free) it can be really hard work. We are trying to run this business in a way that is equal and fair and hears everybodys voice at FDM (Our record label), and builds something we all want to see. Something that has real meaning to all of us. Lining up like that is hard. But it seems essential work! So Many systems seem to be run as hierarchies (in government and business) and they are not working. So we keep finding our way together. It can be hard, good fun, and a real lesson.
We opened Guilfest the other night (Friday 14/7/06). It was cool as feck. We all had a good laugh on the way down to the gig. And then got our selves warmed up back stage. Its a well organised family vibe at Guilfest, organised by Radio 2 I believe. John and me wrote our set list played a little together and then wrote an Intro. A kind of dark hip-hop thing with lyric about soul getting us through the coming storm. It kicked the whole thing off bad style and all the revellers seemed up for the Craic and what we were doing. We played Glastonbury for the first time at a festi and it felt good. People feeling and getting the story. John was loving it and giving loads of mad full-on scratch beats and crazy multi-tasking bass-business. But he is SOOOOOOOOO GAY (Johns addition). It was full of spirit and great fun to open a festival well. We then played a nice chilled out version of ExtraOrdinary for the Stuart Maconie show aided by a Stella (we never drink and play but on the odd occasion that we do we often times play really relaxed and well).
We did Godiva and Lounge on the Farm Festivals over the weekend too. Godiva: odd! Too chaotic. A beer-boy festival. With a weird quite dangerous vibe. Every one seemed to be losing their heads (sound men, creweveryone) it was tuff for us to do a good job with all the madness around us. Why dont they have open-air gigs so everyone can see the show? Or a much bigger tent! And more organization. And a place for bands to warm up and down from the gig that is private? Wish id seen Bad Marsh and Shri and Kila Kela and Tye.
Lounge On The Farm was cool. Cool people, cool ethos (locally source everything, we were the only non-local thing there I think!). Organic vibe to the whole thing. Sundays at festis can be a bit of a wash out! Everyone is knackered and in need of some peace/rest so it all felt a bit sedate. But people seemed to get a lot from it. Even at gigs where you feel the crowd are not mad for it (rare) people seem to just get what we are putting out.
My Kate is in France I miss her! Shes convalescing with some old dancing friends.
Listening to:
Rory McLeod: Brave Faces, Hes just soul soul soul, brilliant words, hand built rawness, and great spirit.
Chris Wood: The Lark Descending. I want to play guitar like him and write with such honesty.
Reading: Noam Chomsky: The Imperial Presidency: He says that the only people who ever really change history for the better (social/environmental justice) are people like you and me. Go make history, fight for what you feel is right, he calls world public opinion The Second Super Power. So its our duty to check injustice. The future is up to all of us. Reading Richard Jefferies The Story of my Heart. He goes in to nature and prays by all the beauty for his soul-life to sing the song celestial. Wicked.
Yours off to Canada to rock some shows with my Brother.
Luke
