nigeblog

Art Brut played an excellent set at the Voodoo Rooms a few weeks ago, 96 minutes including various long mid song monologues. One of those monologues was the story of getting escorted in to the basement of the Van Gogh Museum for licking a painting.

The next week we were at two Ghanaian art shows in Edinburgh: El Anatsui Scottish Mission Book Depot Keta at the Talbot Rice Gallery and Ibrahim Mahama Songs about Roses at the Fruitmarket.

Maybe Art Brut put the idea in my head, but I felt really connected to both shows and, yes, I wanted to lick them…

Anyway, Modern art makes me want to rock out! And I’m not being ironic!

I was very interested in this obituary of Michael Davies, the founder of Parallel Histories, in the Guardian this weekend.

It must be very difficult trying to teach the history of any sectarian conflict, so an approach that recognises both sides have stories to tell looks like it could be very helpful.

I’m steppin’ out, I’m looking good, I’m Mr Cool of the neighborhood

Steppin’ Out by Lionel Robinson from the excellent Soul Jazz compilation New Orleans Soul

The vinyl listening group I go to had a special guest for its latest meeting — University of Dundee rector and Stevie Wonder’s manager Keith Harris.

Keith was a great guy with a whole world of stories, both first and second hand. The only record he brought with him from London was Breakaway by Gallagher and Lyle, and one of the stories he told was how Gallagher and Lyle were busy in the Apple building, didn’t know what was going down, and missed the Beatles playing on the roof.

Andrew added that Benny Gallagher had been to see Ian Green, but Andrew was busy, hadn’t known he was in the building, and missed him. Which kind of seemed like history repeating.

I saw the Stranglers play North Berwick Fringe at the Sea a couple of weeks ago. The last time I had seen them play was November 1986 at Wembley Arena, supported by X-Mal Deuthschland and Keith Allen who did a brilliant confrontational set.

The 1986 show was the only time I ever went to such a large venue, and I vowed never again. That meant I missed Prince’s shows at Earls Court, but on the whole I just like small, standing venues where you can get as close to the band as you are comfortable with.

I thought they did a cracking Toiler on the Sea near the end of the ’86 show and when they opened the recent show with it I knew we were in for a good night. They really miss Dave Greenfield RIP, and a lot of the keyboard parts seem much simpler arrangements, but all the old aggression is still there and it’s great to see JJ having such a good time.

I watched Graham Thorpe bat for England countless times on television and once at Lords. Even though I didn’t know him personally at all, I was very sad when I learned he had died last week, and even more so when it emerged he had taken his own life.

Suicide feels like a preventable death, but as his wife said, “Mental illness is a real disease and can affect anyone. Despite having a wife and two daughters whom he loved and who loved him, he did not get better.” Graham Thorpe RIP.

More positively, Jan and I were walking home yesterday when we found a young man lying on the path having a fit. A neighbour had heard him scream out and came to help. We talked gently to him as he was coming to, while the other guy was on the phone to emergency services, and an ambulance was soon in attendance.

It is good to know that someone can take ill on a rainy Tuesday morning in Prestonpans and get the help they need from neighbours and the NHS.

Photo by kriegs on Freeimages.com

I’ve seen a couple of highly entertaining Wobble shows in Edinburgh recently, but I was most impressed by his generosity giving his time for free jam sessions in Wimbledon Library.

Happy birthday Jah Wobble, 66 today.

We had a nice trip to Newcastle and Wallsend last week and I picked these up at an actual record shop (not a charity shop).

The Ska-Dows and Clint Eastwood and General Saint records are the only ones I have been able to get to play all the way through. The whole lot only cost £16, a mixture of £5 and £2 prices, so I wasn’t too disappointed. In general I find most records that haven’t only ever been owned by me don’t play that well, which is I why usually only buy CDs.

It had just been in the news that morning that Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir, the last of the original Four Tops had died, so it seemed appropriate to pick up the Return of the Magnificent Seven.

I loved Another One Bites the Dust when John Peel used to play it and I remember Ska’s on 45 from the radio as well.

Otis sings a version of the Hucklebuck which I hadn’t heard before. No line about being out of luck if you don’t know how to do it, but it is the same tune as the Coast to Coast hit.

Slade Alive! is a lot of fun too. I can see why people love this album even if my copy doesn’t play so well.