RETURN TO ESSEX:
Two days in Cardiff, working with Students from the
Welsh School of Architecture and College of Music & Drama.
This is inspiring, life affirming (non) work.
(K)
Friday 16th May
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Category Archives: Diary
Thursday 15th May
IN PONTYPRYDD:
Recording the sound of a valley town.
(K)
Wednesday 14th May
RIDE THE TRAIN:
Red light cocoon at sunrise, the 05:19 to Cardiff, return to homeland, back to the beginning. That night we stumbled into the rain looking for a deal that never came who could imagine a morning as beautiful as this? The jam on last night’s TV, the welcome & the company would’ve driven me to the bar & gutter on the back of such a high. Instead we left grinning, drove back to London swapping texts & messages, stopped for bagels at the Elephant in memory of that first gig at the Ministry. “This must be how pop stars live!” You laughed, toasting the night with stubby brown clink of bottles of fizzy malt.
(K)
Tuesday 13th May
FIRST JOOLES:
Without the familiar faces I’ve toured with for years,
it’s strange to be setting up at the BBC, soundchecking
for tonight’s broadcast at what will be my first ever
appearance on the Jooles show. Crossing the river in
the sun, the rhythm of southern traffic, frantically
attracted, to a hole beneath the channel, is manic.
Fish-oil scented boats float metal, dripping stains,
wait with gaping mouths for these chromium teethed
machines cutting me up. Weavers switching lanes,
Euro trucks fast as executive sportsters, dawdlers,
mirror danglers, steering wheels hunchers, radio dueters,
micro cars glued together on speed & faith.
At the door of the studio I blink into darkness, search
for a flightcase, a promise, a sign, a beautiful mark
left for me to find. But this band opted for student chic,
cardboard, & what could be squeezed into the back of a family
saloon. The studio crew greet us with smiles, give us every
thing we need, an environment of nurture & positivity, these
are good people, professionals. It’s fine art & they’ve got it
down, give us a platform to do our best, the rest is yet to come.
Hope what we heard in the room yesterday afternoon comes out of
your tv tonight.
(K)
Monday 12th May
EDICT:
Attended the launch of EDICT magazine on friday night for which
I have been coaxed to write with a bunch of people who turned
out upbeat & inspiring. A weekend of birthdays & films, driving
the back roads, radio surfing. Heading south to soundcheck at the
BBC now for Later with Jooles, first time on the show ever –
looking forward to seeing the band again.
(K)
Sunday 11th May
CLEAN HEAD:
Rode in the rain between fields bursting with new life.
Rinsed a headful of noise out by half way round the circuit.
Grey men with angry dogs hail them back on rough leather straps,
yellow hammers burst from hedgerows, low out’ve overhang grasses
stooping their heads over succulent blacktop. Rain up my back off
the wheel, knuckles soaked in leather cocoons. Wild flowers exude
a heady perfume as we stop to photograph the same field, from bare
earth to erupting with the dance of feather head green.
(K)
Saturday 10th Mal
!6 TODAY:
Well well well
(K)
Friday 9th May
ITALIANISH:
Then suddenly, the room filled, like the herd had been waiting
round the corner for a sign. The music changed, upbeat & New York.
“Two Toast? Two Orange Juice? Would you like berries on that?”
Everyone is talking in Italian, even though this is England
(I loved that song by the Clash). I miss my car, it’s radio
underscoring a night drive down the back roads of Essex.
“Apply Juice, Orange Juice” says the waiter in English,
cartoon Italian.
“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah – Sure” says the woman with a foghorn voice
across from the other side of the room and you can’t hear the
music anymore.
(K)
Thursday 8th May
180 DEGREES:
I thought I heard you moving through a silent hotel room,
had you close for a second & felt good. A loved up couple
floated in their glow & showered hair as music turned on,
saccharin, I shuddered. A theme from the past when I was a
dry twig, snapped beneath the feet of a relentless night,
alone & eventually broken.
(K)
Wednesday 7th May
AT THE BBC:
With Eno.Hyde band for today’s live broadcast.
I think I left my notes back in the studio!
Ha ha ha – somedays laughter is the way.
This is a great band, a joy to play with.
(K)
Karl Hyde 