Back to the world of the diary. It has been a while. I spent a long weekend with my cousin at a self catering cottage in Higher Brockhampton in Dorset – less than one mile away from Hardy’s cottage. The thatched brick and flint cottage, with a large curved wall which borders the road, was newly built in the late 1990s. The kitchen boasts a picture of the horrible, pink bungalow that used to stand in its place. Yuk. Horror. Horror. It is wonderful to be able to support a new building, which fits so well into its environs, and which is such a definite improvement on what came before. Sadly this is not often the case. Rural architecture is an area in which we seem to be regressing not progressing.
This cottage, remarkably, had no telephone of any kind – hence the absence of diary entries.
I left on Sunday evening to see the first of two nights of David Sylvian at the Hammersmith Odeon – now the 'Labatts Apollo'. I watched the boy from the side of stage, with Ingrid and two small Sylvians. The stage was strangely quiet, as all the musicians were using in ear monitors - there was only the sound of the odd guitar amp, and Steve Janssen’s drum kit. More akin to watching a recording session, than standing in the wings at a rock show.
In ear monitors could solve many of KC’s live problems – an intelligent use of new technology.
After the show, I heard from both David and Matt, the keyboard player, about a note that was passed through Keith, the bass player’s, dressing window, criticizing the quantity/style of keyboard soloing at Nottingham, the night before. The note quoted Stewart Copeland who, I think, said that everyone notices if you play one drum solo in a piece, but not if you play ten – I may have misunderstood the quote, but the point is clear. Matt was keen to discover the author of the note, as he was afraid at first that it was Stewart Copeland himself. In a bizarre coincidence, when I today mentioned the concert to Adrian Molloy at the DGM office, he told me that an acquaintance of his attended the Nottingham concert, disliked the soloing and passed a note to the band – so I can now put Matt in touch with his detractor.
On Monday night, I watched the show from front of house – a wonderful experience. Phil Wiffen’s light show was the perfect backdrop to an intelligent, well presented, thought provoking evening of music. The song 'Zero Landmine' lives with me still.
All this, and still my diary is not finished. Take one weekend away from the world, and it will be a different place when you return. Last Friday, I was discussing renewed work with Sean at Virgin. Yesterday, the mighty Ken Berry was toppled, and the world looks very different. I do business with people not companies, and I know nothing of his replacement Alain Levy. Ken was a good guy in a bad world – whose only mistake was the appointment of his wife Nancy in the US. The Daily Mail gave a whole page to the sorry tales of Nancy’s goings on. We shall see how long she outlives her husband.
"Moving forward feels like moving forward.
It also feels like moving backwards, and standing still."
