On Saturday night, more excellence: I was privileged to be at an extraordinary evening of spellbinding performances from Mikey Kirkpatrick (Bird Radio) and John Bently (Bones and the Aft) - thank you all. I was blown away, gut-wrenched.
Some of Bird Radio and Bones & the Aft gigs are on YouTube but there's absolutely no substitute for seeing and hearing them live, right up close in an intimate setting. Mikey and John have strongly individual musical and poetic styles but both have similar roots and a passionate engagement with place and time, everyday tragedies and wonders. An image comes to mind of medieval troubadours but with very modern, very original sound and fury. See the Facebook page of Bird Radio for news of their CDs. John Bently is also a fellow book-artist (see Liver and Lights website) and his brilliant handmade books are collected world-wide - buy them now while there are still some left!
I
took some photos at the gig on Saturday and attach a few below. Lights
were dim in the room and I had to fiddle with Photoshop to extract
anything at all from the pictures but I'm quite pleased with the
somewhat impressionist effect that unexpectedly emerged. Unfortunately
my camera's battery died just as Bones and the Aft's set was getting under way so I missed what would have been some memorable shots.
11 comments:
Hello, apparently rumours of my (or blog's) demise are unfounded.
Hello Davoh, welcome back. Glad you have not demised cybernetically or terrestrially.
Am beginning to comprehend what it might be like to be a 'migrant' - albeit in my own country ... meh.
Natalie - the definition of 'excellence' ? dunno really. Have seen and heard over my lifetime some of the people with in Australia achieve what i think to be 'excellence' but they are subtle and bypassed.
Can i tell you a story - which means nothing.
Once upon a time, but was never a fairy - walking home after a late night part time shift at the (State) Performing Arts Centre - even the 'ticket takers' have a job. Treat them like shit at yer peril.
the mall was as normal, drunken teenagers parodying animals looking for power and space.
Walked into a less lit street leading to the pontoon where my dinghy moored.
Then, wafting though through the midnight air i hear a violin.
Haunting, melancholy, sweet stringing. Each note t my ear exact.
Yep, i walked the back streets, found him. Sitting in a doorway. Without care. Had no interest in any 'dob in a dollar'.
sat for a while, listened. He knew i was there, but the only recognition was a lazy lift from one eyelid.
There is, of course, a difference between the words 'perfection' and 'excellence' .....
Davoh, I take your point. I should have said "excellent, in my opinion". And I've had similar experiences to your encounter with perfection from that street musician. Most of the time. I tend not to agree with popular opinion about what is considered excellent in culture (or other fields) and fame doesn't figure much at all in what I'm drawn to - a lot of the currently most famous for whatever are of no interest to me.
Great pictures. Resembles my man Renoir's paintings. Or Monet. Or Manet. One of those guys.
Bruce, yes, that's the effect accidentally achieved by my trying to lighten photos that at first sight were compltely black. Ah the wonders of digital photography!
Natalie .. you comprehend, but yep, in my experience - ephemeral - fleeting. But will always remember.
On the other hand - can tell you anecdotes about my remembrances watching the subtitles among the "professional", public, performances of the popular stage performances of "Cats".
*subtitles? suttletees .. scheiss - save me from microsoft 'spell check'.
*subtle
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