UK/Ire Road Ramblings

EDINBURGH>> A steady crossing over a glimmering sea and the children of this new world surrounding me like a sea of gelled hair and Nintendo and give me give me. But the train is peaceful and the gig is packed with eager bubbly people. Forest is a welcome home. First show of the tour and I’m still stumbling with sea legs. But the warm buzz of the Forest carries me home, lulled into a reverie of goodness by Harry Bird’s opening songs. Sweet spiritual delights from SJH and I’m off on an unknown road. NEWCASTLE<<Two early mornings back in the cold modern corridors of Newcastle Collge but the workshops are a blast. The students are a shining gem amidst the garbage of the financial institution with its cuts and underlying violence towards its humble teachers. The politiks of this land seem royally fucked, but we improvise vocal music together and we rise above the ashes. Venue is awesome, sound is sweet, and Beccy is a magical alchemist. And once again the crowd carries me through and O Newcastle I love you. SHEFFIELD>> Breakfast with the sharks and what the hell is fakie-bacon? Being a vegetarian is nigh-on-impossible in this place. We’re headed to the world and the house of kindreds. Asleep in the car and then record shops and trying to find a phone charger to text my girl and setting up a sound-system that the world is pulling in on-off on-off rhythms.The room is full of love in the eyes of the young audience, and 8-year old Jake has figured out my electronics before I began. Jem is proud of his speakers and Harry runs in at 8 and fills the room with gypsy spirit. 2-year old Esther is a moon-baby and runs around the house shouting “Gig, gig, gig!” LONDON>> Another early rise after late whisky but this time

with coffee. The bus to London stops and starts in clouds of diesel exhaust and I make solemn vow to keep to the rails. Carnivale is a safe haven, Andy the sound guy tells me of his new baby and Phil sets up the projector for live visuals. So we set off and flow together into a cloud-like vision of glory. The music is coming rich and spontaneous and there are moments of light. After a Two Horses encore my mother hugs me and runs to her train. Now we’re really rocking. BRIGHTON<< This horse never stops and I’m beginning to get tired but Brighton is all summer sunglasses, beer in gardens. Its trek trek across town then filming performance under a bandstand, then trek trek and radio performance, then off to venue via endless record shops vinyl heaven ah for more time! Venue is wooden stage and walls and thrums nicely, as they say. Nice soundman who sums it all up as a ‘climactic experience of joy’ EDINBURGH>> is just a stop and a bed after a 6hour train delay and only dinner with band and label man and woman who were forgiving and blast these rails but please take me home, home across to Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and back to our favourite venue. CLONAKILTY