The Next Big Thing

This is real. I didn't make it up but I was pretty thrilled to learn that this thing actually works. My thanks to Filippo for agreeing to let me reproduce it... although I think we'd like to see the picture, right?

Hello,

I just wanted to thank you. I have been following and loving Shonen Knife for 20 years but weren't it for your account of Glasgow I doubt I would have gone to see them. As previously mentioned on the comments of your blog I live in Italy and the whole trip to Barcelona (trains + flight + crappy hotel) cost me more than 300 euro, which is quite a hole in my pocket. But it was totally worth it. Totally.

The venue was small (according to a sign the capacity was 300) and far from being full. Yet they gave everything, played an amazing show and even did an encore. Local people explained to me that it was the normal turnout for a gig of this kind in Barcelona, still I was hoping for a much bigger audience. They deserve to be huge.

On the other hand that allowed me to be so close to the stage that when Ritsuko was headbanging on the edge her hair touched my face and Naoko was just a few steps away. I was happy like a child throughout the whole set.

Before the show they were locked out of the club with the public for a while (it was quite surreal). I could not resist and I asked them to take a picture together and exchanged a few words. On the picture I have an unbelievably stupid grin on my face. I'd never thought I'd be such a fanboy at 40. They were incredibly kind and after the show they were selling their own CDs and signing them for everyone.

It was the best show of my life (a spot previously held by Arthur Lee) and a very, very happy night.

So thank you again. You were pretty convincing ;-)

Filippo.