Many shades of bad.

I got an unexpected holiday – Monday was like last day at work/school. Not a serious day at all.

This time last week I was on a madcap, gulp-it-all-down-while-you’ve-got-time sort of mood. It still gives me a warm glow to think about it – doesn’t the phrase ‘run like F@#K’ send a thrill up your spine?

Sunday night was special too – I stayed up till 3-00am watching a series of BBC4 docuementaries about Punk, what led up to it, what it was about. A lot of clips and interviews, some I’d seen before, some were new to me. Great bands; Dr Feelgood, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Ian Dury, Elvis Costelloe, Clash, Jam – do I need to go on? It was all about attitude.

As the long night went on, it was obvious to me as it was last December, that this Blog draws nothing from technology/software/nowstuff and everything from the DIY FU attitude of Punk and especially the Fanzines that it produced. That’s why people often don’t like the site – it’s a take it or leave it kind of thing and I’m stuck with that, like you’re stuck with me.

So I went to bed far too late and then woke up far too early – early enough to watch wisps of September clouds wandering slowly over August’s bright blue sky. I got three hours sleep.

At the clinic I was expecting bad (bad bad) news and while it was bad news it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. There are many shades of bad.

We’re (they’re) having a bit of a gamble – if it works out I win another three months and that sounds pretty good to me.

Monday night and I was just about tired out, ill and aching. Was I going to miss out? Well, not this time. I went off to my Jazz Club at;

 www.red-lion.info

I ended up in the back row – the naughty seats, where I deserved to be. The whole evening was like being a prop in a Dali painting. I wasn’t really able to settle. I wanted to be dancing on a table, this was more thoughtful stuff.

Here are the youngsters at the front, letting go;

 

 Mind you, Sam Mayne, when he’s wound himself up properly, plays a very expressive saxophone – lots of screams and shouts, but John Horler’s piano is always reflective and they played a couple of his quiet compositions; ‘One for Clifford’ and ‘Around in three’. My attention was wandering like those September clouds, then I noticed that the person next to me was playing ‘air piano’ on the table.

I really enjoyed the start of the second set – a one off trio of Trevor Tomkins on Drums, Dave Green really giving his Bass an outing and John Horler. I really enjoy quartet’s and even trio’s, but I have to admit that the number ‘five’ really packed them in this week while ‘four’ didn’t do it for anyone but me last week.

I’m pleased with what I have been able to do over the last 18 months. I can’t travel, can’t climb the mountains I’d love to clamber up, walk across the wild, wild cliff edges of the world. But I’ve made a difference. Did some good, had a few adventures and sometimes the keyboard is mightier than the sword.

Another three months, hey?

Tomorrow, off to the dentist.

Neil Harris.

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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