The Next Big Thing

I was kvetching to a friend about the guff mountain I have to climb and she implied that the “climb” might have to start sooner rather than later. Sage words. My procrastibility is sky rocketing with a seemingly endless appetite for distraction. And no shortage of that particular commodity.

And that brings me to something that seems forever ago now but was actually just two months. And to tie in the fact with that Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones are coming back this way to “do” Ireland en route to Italy in three weeks time.

The show in Glasgow was at The Arches and depending on where you found yourself in that particular venue, the sound sometimes left a little to be desired. Also, it was a decent audience but it should have been rammed so the concert going public of that parish should hang its collective head in shame. The main thing was that they blew in, delivered and headed for Newcastle, as did I.

Just the second show by Dahlmanns 2.0 and even at this early stage, it’s clear that we’re dealing with another level. Whilst the previous incarnation was damn good, it was an approximation. The train is well and truly hurtling down them tracks now.

In addition to everything else that’s come down about me lately, I’m having to put up with some old glasses before my new greg’s are ready. This makes looking at a computer screen (or phone) problematic. I’ve been in full Magoo mode for longer than I care to think about. Totally blind folks have better coordination than I do right now. Or than I ever have - no doubt according to some... this won’t solve all my inadequacies but it’ll be a start. So when I get the vision sorted, then I’ll maybe go into these recent adventures a bit more. I also have the Voladoras, KinderAngst and Bruce Anderson/Rich Stim album action info to pass along.

I’ve made a few pilgrimages in my time – NY, Solna, Snoqualmie, Moss, Springfield, Mo. (to name some) and the latest - last weekend – was to the fine city of Hull to catch their #1 son (and daughter in law) provide top flight Saturday evening entertainment to the very nice people at the New Adelphi. Next morning, I took some pictures of historic landmarks on my way back down to the railway station.
Events over the first half of this year have really made me reconsider what I should be doing. The realisation of living forward and learning backward are conspiring to suggest that there’s surely more to life than slogging one’s guts out.

This has been brought harshly into view by what happened to my folks. This brush with mortality has forced me to face mine in some regard and anyway, who the hell knows what might happen or indeed when. So who knows if this’ll actually “publish”? I forgot all about the “cookies” furore that’s going on so maybe that explains this disconnect between my pedal-powered pc and the blogger interface. I’m sticking pretty close to the bunker today after making a foray into Edinburgh for the Film Festival yesterday. Long gone are the days when I’d do 3 or 4 films a day for the duration. The programme is pretty good this year but I don’t have the time or wherewithal to see more. Next weekend is “God Bless America” on Friday and a couple more on the Saturday (I think). Better check the tix.

So there’s a wee catch up. I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth but that is one appealing notion alright.