Wedding Bell Blues

A few months ago, there was a sensational Van Morrison backlash in a blog post of note. Sure, he's a bloaty, moany old scroat now, more than past his best and I wouldn't go to see him live, I just wouldn't, it would probably be awful and utterly pointless. But in 1971 he created one of the best albums ever, Tupelo Honey. Van Morrison has been as much a part of key moments in my life as a new dress to mark the occasion. I remember my brother's glorious wedding at Chelsea Register Office and later back in Ladbroke Grove gardens, and before I arrived I was listening to him on my walkman (yes, that long ago) and I remember thinking then, when my turn comes I'd like 'Come Running' (Moondance) played at my wedding. That was the song for me. Ten years later, I didn't forget, playing Van at my wedding was almost as important as the wedding itself.

Other artists do turning your life upside down and starting again songs well, like Neil Young and Sonic Youth, but there's real power in this song, and if you don't get it, well I'll say no more.

It's not just key events either, it's the small things too, listening to him as I'm literally crying into my A to Z, trying to find a road in West London in my teenage years or walking the dog in a deserted beach in Ireland. Little things that make up a life.


And if this doesn't melt your heart, you're dead inside I tell you, dead inside.

Overlooked Voices # 1

Paul Kelly.

He's got a bloody great, soulful voice. Almost heartachingly so.

Paul's brother, Martin, also in East Village, went on to manage St Etienne and co-manage Heavenly (of course). Paul dabbled with Birdie and made more than a few fantastic films. Phew! Spencer works to this day in Heavenly and he also sessions with St Etienne and has done work with other bands and artists in the past, like Epic Soundtracks.

Do note, if you own an East Village record and you don't mind flogging it in Japan, do so, they go for a mint over there. It's a shame there's no video footage existing of this band, because they were a handsome bunch.


Actually Silver Train from the above album is one of my favourite all time instrumental tracks.

Strawberry Window by East Village:

Woohoo! I've secured two second row tickets to see Pentangle in Oxford this Sunday. How exciting.

In other news, I met these bloggers for the first time yesterday and what a lovely evening it was too. Planet Mondo and I were discussing our exciting high concept German project that we've been working on, so be sure to keep reading as it'll be finished and posted here very soon.

I woke early this morning, with my asthma at a punishing all time low, sometimes it's a struggle to breathe in this heat, it sounds like someone's driven a needle into my lungs and the air is slowly wheezing out. Bah! So, sleepless and gasping for air, cue some stupidly early morning You Tube trawling, and this performance on Jules Holland was so lovely I had to blink back a tear or two. God, I love this band.

An RE Career Idea

It's been documented on here before what a patchwork career I've had to date. I didn't plan for this to happen and it's caused me more grief than happiness on the whole. What I have never been though, is unemployed, well not unless this is voluntary anyway. I've always managed to find work when I needed it as long as I wasn't too fussy about what it was. But what happens is as soon as I get close to having a proper job with responsibilities (I recently trained as a teacher for example)I realise that the job was not how I imagined it at all. I'm not a 1970s teacher in floaty dress spending all afternoon showing orderly children how to make a daffodil from crepe paper and glue. The reality in a London sink school, is a million miles from this ideal, I can tell you.

But I won't dwell, although I will say that the thought of returning to the servility of teaching is about as appealing as being nailed to a cross and being paraded down the Roman Road having jellied eels thrown at me as I pass through.

So, I thought my next move would be to give this a go. My husband,(Mr Norman) sketched me reclining a few years ago and being a talented artist he did a great job (I must get around to buying a frame for that). He did point out though, he was constantly having to remind me to stay still (I am a bit of a wriggler) and he also pointed out I do get cold easy (brrrr, right again) but I'm fully up for this. The pay's rubbish, the hours are erratic and the work is dull, but it's easy and artistic and I just don't feel I've been as bohemian as I'd like to have fully been yet. I also think clothes are a pain, and if I can dispense with them, all to the better.

I always wanted to be a model when I was younger but I never had the skin for it, so this is the next best thing.

Wish me luck.

99 Luft Ballons

I love the German language more than anything else, but so delighted was I to see them fall at the tenth hour, I devoted half of my radio show last night to German songs.

We wallowed in Can, Kraftwerk, Hildegard Knef etc etc. And Nena's punky, spangly hit is one great tune that sounds even better in the German language. Here it is, just to remind you what a great track this is.

So, Germany, this is for you.



(Nernernernerner).

Restaurants Go Radiohead

Zebrano @ The Establishment in Greek Street, London offer from the 9th July every Wednesday, diners the opportunity to pay what they feel their dinner is worth, similar to what Radiohead did with their recent album.

So, would you pay what you genuinely thought a meal was worth or would you have no qualms in handing over your Morgan Stanley for 1p?

I don't understand this and as a gimmick it's a rubbish one. Restaurants, unlike digital music, have massive overheads. I'm presuming the food costs something to buy in the first place (unless they're scrabbling it out of bins) and actually what they're doing is embarrassing their customers into being overly generous (tsk) or shaming them into being the tight-fisted loons they dare not normally be.

I just don't get this. Me, I'd stay away from the place.

God is in the House

As a person who very rarely checks TV guides, I often miss real nuggets on *the* tv station, BBC4, but come the 4th of July, wild horses wouldn't stop me from holing myself in and glueing myself to the TV to watch a whole evening's schedule of this.

Nick Cave is my favourite contemporary artist without a murmur of doubt and the closest you're likely to come to God inside your little box will be on the 4th of July. I didn't think anything could better God Is In The House but The Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues proved me wrong. I do think, then, his latest album, Dig Lazarus Dig, was a result of scaring himself with his own genius, so no doubt he withdrew from us a bit.

I'll be sampling a bottle or two of your red wine recommendations too no doubt.