Terrible heading but i couldn’t resist. Last week i went to see Steve Reich’s Drumming piece with Caryl Mann who plays harp and flute on a few of the A-Line recordings (quite beautifully too). There was an in conversation afterwards with him and Colin Currie and i was planning on only staying for a few minutes as these things are usually just really sycophantic and don’t tell you anything much but he turned out to be a real charmer and it was really interesting to note that the first time the piece was played in London it was played at the Hayward Gallery as part of the Rothko exhibition, which was his first solo show too. Rothko, Reich, Phillip Glass etc - what massive names they all are now, it’s fascinating how influential and talented such a small group of people have been.
Then as a much more low key but equally good weekend gig I went to see Kath Bloom play at Cafe Oto. She’s been rediscovered by lots of people who bought the tribute album featuring Devendra Banhart, Scout Niblet and those kinds of folks but she was orginally recording in the late 70’s early 80’s. Anyway, she was a total character and we only went because it seemed like a better option than Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. It was a much better option.
Her songs are very plaintive, verging on depressing, mostly just her and guitar but in the flesh she’s got quite a lot of underlying anger and humour that you wouldn’t necessarily get from just listening to the songs. She was very funny between songs, making little self depracating comments and goading her violinist. I’ve been listening to her songs over the weekend and very much enjoying them.
I’ve never managed to finish an Ingmar Bergman film at least in part because they’re put on so late but last night I stayed up until the early hours watching Through A Glass Darkly. ‘Classics’ often intimidate me and last night was a lesson in realising that often works of art that are classified this way have been so because they are so good and in the case of this film, so watchable.
Anyway, it was an amazing film and it highlighted for me the possibilities of exploring truly large ideas, philosophical ideas and grand human questions through film. Which makes it sounds terribly dry and serious. It was serious but it’s also very dramatic and there’s something very voyeuristic and thrilling about watching someone go truly mad.
Because of Bergman’s obsession with death it made me connect his work to Woody Allen’s and it turns out (anyone who know anything about Woody Allen would know this I suppose) that Allen is a huge admirer of Bergman. I found this interesting interview with Allen about Bergman on his death in 2007 in Time Magazine.
This is a still from the film where the protagonist is making it up to her brother for mocking his porno magazine - so Swedish!
Very sad news for a lot of people as Kate McGarrigle died today. A lot of people I admire are big fans of the McGarrigle sisters, I particularly like this song.
It’s the new year and one of my resolutions is to see more live music and meet up with my friends more, these should combine rather easily so it shouldn’t be too hard to keep up. I went to see Beak at The Garage in December and I totally loved them. Moody post-rock/ kraut rock can be boring beyond belief when in the wrong hands but this was exciting and playful and Battery Point, my favourite song, was truly sexy, something absent from my listening pleasure for some time.
The Brittania Pub has asked A-Line to do a monthly residency and it starts next week Wednesday 11th!
And Venn Some is the idea that everyone invited to take part will participate with each other in some way. This month we have catering, Feathery Purr Machine and Manila.
Feathery Purr Machine are a new and wonderful band headed by Vicky Steer (also in Blanket) Manila is what A-Line will be called for the residencies and possibly further into the future (a little freshen up is always nice) Catering will be a surprise
All three elements will cross over in some way on the night.
Athanasios Argianas has an exhibition at the Max Wigram Gallery this month including a piece that has mine, Jo Apps and Amy Cunnigham voices and faces as part of one of the sculptures. The piece has been bought by some fancy American Collector apparently. Athanasios was interviewed by Art Review so you can see and hear the piece for yourself.
I seem to have a soft spot for 3/4 time signatures when I write songs so I’ve been looking into examples that don’t sound too much like a waltz or a trad country song just to get ideas for arrangements. It’s been interesting discovering that it really is a genuine attraction, not just a habit I’ve formed as a lot of these songs were favourites of mine as a teenager. This is a decent site for searching song time signatures.
Manic Depression - Jimi Hendrix
Sing It Again - Beck
Since I’ve Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin (nice clear drum track on this)
And a whole raft of Leonard Cohen songs: Chelsea Hotel, Joan of Arc etc
Nancy Wallace and I are collaborating for this contemporary/ye olde English event at Cecil Sharpe House. We’re going to do a vocal only performance of a selection of each others songs which I hope will turn out beautifully… there will also be lots of wild mushrooms, morris dancing, folk bingo, apple bobbing and the like. More event details.
