Ghosts of the Christmas Parlour

Young and beautiful Joanna McCormick and myself are performing 'Ghosts of the Christmas Parlour' aka Ladies in Red at the Old Police Station in Deptford this Friday evening. We may be singing:-

Ladies in Red
I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
In the Bleak Midwinter

and more!

Project Fukushima

Matt's playing in the Hauntological Orchestra at Cafe Oto on Monday. Simon came round to rehearse the other night so I guess they know what they're doing. We'll hear if they do on the 15th. Should be a nice evening.

The Drop

This evening I have a little slot at Vis the Spoon's 'Spoonful of Poison' gig at the Drop in Stoke Newington. I'm going to do a World NEws Vision set with Microkorg XL and Minipops drum machine.

Foulkestone booking

Making a little A5 book - the Foulkestone Gazette! A very limited edition for our Mirror Mirror debut on 25th July.

Composing

Yesterday began composing at the piano in earnest. I'm writing for SSATB for the opening evening of my gallery exhibition in November. This is the beginning of a new artistic chapter for me, here we go ...

World News Vision - 23rd July

We're having our first extended World News Vision band gig at the Montague Arms on the 23rd July. Hurray!

Chris Cornetto is going to join us - there will be myself, Matt and Chris and there will be a special puppet TV show courtesy of Rediffusion!

Lewisham People's Day

Had a lovely gig on the bandstand at Lewisham People's Day - sung various Reuters improvisations in my World News Vision guise, including one about photographs of Hiroshima on display in New York. Met an old friend, Sophie Cammack. She is now co-ordinating music festivals. What a great person to know, and was really nice to see her again, she's lovely!

Sound Art Radio

It's my second World News Vision show tonight on Sound Art Radio

8pm

www.soundartradio.org.uk


Yes, I'm on BBC Radio Lancs at 10pm too, so today the radio waves are mine!

Matt's back!

Hurray! He's been in the studio with Bill Fay working on the new album, and now he's back for a day. Hurrah!

More Poetry

Hello everyone, I'm playing at Ken Champion's More Poetry evening at Liverpool Street this evening.

http://www.kenchampion.org.uk/events/

Faure's Requiem at St Paul's

This is where Matt and I have been tonight. It was lovely. Also Bach, chorales and solo violin

Lamb & Tyger - the Commune Album

Just received the album fresh out of the studio from Wim Oudjik!!! It's bloody marvellous even though I say it myself. Soooo excited!!!!

Barking Day in Walthamstow

A great day in the studio today with Brian in Walthamstow. Matt came and joined me. We made some lovely music, well we enjoyed ourselves.

Ruth Barnes - the Other Woman

Hurrah for Ruth Barnes. She's written a wonderful bit about me in her blog. I'm honoured.

http://theotherwomanmusic.blogspot.com/2011/05/tow-on-bbc-6-music-kool-thing-and-jude.html

The Foulkestone

Now with added colour - and instruments! And on tartan in honour of the 'Talisman Crew'.

I love this picture

One hour to play. The next band is on next. Play. Who is there? A few people drinking. I'm here for the week. Explain the London knees up that I know from films and books only the same as a New Yorker. Demonstrate the cockney knees up. Sing expressively. Have fun. Pull some poses. Posters of this and that. Red walls, black walls. One drink per set minimum. Bartender-sound guy. The mic goes off by the piano. Bashing away at 'London'. Tell more stories. Sing songs. Handed a CD in at East Village radio. The store is a shop front. Young Jewish guy. 'That's great'. 'I love the picture'. 'Thank you.' So cold I can hardly speak. Wear, then take off scarf and hat. You've been a wonderful audience, New York.

Footpump

Richard Sanderson and I are working on a new collaboration. This is another one he has got up to.

http://www.last.fm/music/Footpump

Singing saluang songs

I used to sing to the saluang when I was in Sumatra Barat. When I was talking about it to a friend yesterday he asked me what one is. The most that Westerners usually know of Indonesian music is the gamelan, or gong orchestra.

The saluang is a bamboo flute which is played using circular breathing. It's very beautiful. It has a soft breathy burble. Then the singer joins the saluang in a nasal tone and sings almost in unison, but there is so much ornamentation and interpretation this is not unison as in the Western interpretation.

I love singing saluang music although I haven't done it properly for such a long time. I have some old cassettes but they don't have the power of music made sitting cross legged in a street market and singing to the mountains as the sun goes down.

It's the instrument of the Minangkabau. I loved staying with my menang friends. They are a real matrilinear people. The house stays with the women who run the household, not just in a cooking/cleaning capacity. The men are traditionally welcomed as guests and very much feel this. They are honoured, served the meals etc, but they also feel that transience of their existence in which they are almost a visitor in the home. Often they have to go off and earn their living. Of course this is my impression but it was a very strong one.

Here's a chap playing a saluang at the kind of gathering I used to join in with. Although we didn't have so much techhie equipment in my day.

Antonionioni's 'Hey Jude' sonnet

My dear friend Tony from Manchester writes a sonnet a day. I only hope it keeps the doctor away.

Here is his latest, written for the two of us! We were in Ireland recently at a poetry and music festival, and he walked into a bog. I think this is the incident alluded to.

Anyone hazard a go at the number of Beatles songs referenced?


1414 - Hey Jude
Hey Jude, it only seems like yesterday
You saw me standing there, fool on the hill
That long and winding road to a hard day
Might in the end need your bungalow, Bill
I played it cool, four thousand holes to fill
Or fix, cos I’m the taxman, oh girl, girl
Was your magical mystery tour a thrill?
You’re something to this nowhere man: the world
Is at your command. Say say say the word
I’ve got to get you in my life, blue J
We can work it out, Jude, help me, I will
Hold your hand, come together like the birds
In the trees. Don’t let me down. Here I’ll stay
Another day. From me to you, until…

Kilcrohane here I come

This Saturday I'm off to the last coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula for a poetry and music festival. This might be my only trip to Ireland this summer so I shall make the most of it; I'm going to run down to the sea and breathe very deeply.

I'm playing on the acoustic stage on the Saturday evening. As I have to get up VERY EARLY to get my flight from Luton airport I shall have to nap in the afternoon, or maybe shame myself by falling asleep during 'Future Dialogue' or 'The Lonely Schizophrenic'. Oh the delights of being a modern troubadour.

I'm very much looking forward to meeting Kylyra Ameringer, poet extraordinaire, who is hosting the event, and putting me up on her couch. She's a musician too so we should have lots in common.