Eduardo, Webmeister Monster, is leaving today. Hugh and Eduardo had a break-through yesterday in our access to the DGM site. The changes so far are small, but the foundations are laid. It is interesting to note that they were able to do one small thing yesterday which used to take a full month for updating by our (former) Webmasters.
It should be becoming clear that DGM is gradually taking more and more of its operations into its own hands. Is this, I ponder, necessary when highly paid professional advisers and consultants have a duty of care to their client? Commitment, presence, quality, can enter the professional world but originate elsewhere. I conclude, it IS necessary for DGM to direct as much of its operation as possible.
Historically, Discipline was born in a time of war: we were building a bridge to the future while crossing it, and ducking bullets from behind. Each day I continue to settle one small repercussion from the past, set in place one small stepping stone to the future, and take care of (as much as possible) of today's business. In time, with the past tidied, this will cease to compromise the company.
Also yesterday:
1. I received a partial draft of Tony Levin's bass guide, his manual for the aspirant professional player; i.e. it has the effect (to my eyes) of seeking to deter anyone of wit or sentience from moving from music making to professional music making. And it is hilariously fuuny (particularly to a professional player).
2. Spoke to Bill Bruford regarding the return of King Crimson to active duty; this follows conversations with Tony and Adrian in the past two days.
3. Learnt that Beaton the Wonder Bun has been approached to sponsor a brand of rabbit food. This involves photo sessions and high profile public appearances (interviews? I wonder).
4. Planted out some ground carpet plants; this to connect with the earth, life, plants, the future.
5. I had my hair cut in Salisbury at the salon where The Troggs' bass player's wife works. We discussed the infamous Troggs' Tape. There is a second one which has not been publicly released, I told her, but which I have heard. "What's on it?" she asks. "Ronnie and Reg arguing", I reply. "Fairy dust" and "Split Yer Hands" are, I explain, two technical terms which I am able to use with any engineer and musician from the Western world, even when I have never worked with them before. Pete Troggo, bass player, drinks at our local along the valley and is (almost always) there when the Little Horse and I visit.
Back to today: distortion and sonic terrors from 1969 are gradually releasing their hold on the music which begins to emerge from time to time and beckon.
21:36
My brain must be dribbling: this morning's post spelt "Cappucino" (as in "Monster Cappucino") CappAcino. Apologies to all those whose spelling sensibilties were vyolated.
This late afternoon / early evening Monster Cappucini were made for Eduardo and Hugh, Heroes of the Web Site, who have just left to visit Ken and Alice Lawton. Eddie and Hughie were plied with gooey cakes in keeping with standard DGM entertainment practices. We are not good at playing the industry game of exotic lunches with expensive wines and menus in French, but we now do our own version of the business lunch - at our wonderful local pub (menu in English with broad accent) and continue to provide the traditional DGM service of cakes and select coffees.
And, yes, regular Web visitors - this is The Late Shift. David and I are resorting to necromantic sonic rites by which indecipherable announcements in halting English are clarified sufficiently to reveal and embarrass young prats lacking in the skills required for public speaking. Like:
1. Having something to say;
2. Having a minimal functional capacity to say it.
My Sister was not then available to coach the microphonically underdetermined.
I checked the postings of our Website posters before descending the stairs to our Music Room. Many thanks for all those who have visited and made suggestions - technical, musical, philosophical: they are on cerebral file.
My Sister has visited twice in the past several days. Without my Sister's unconditional and unqualified support (throughout my life) neither Discipline nor Robert would be here now, enduring duff sonics while striking a Querky keypad. ("dad has all ash. does dad have all ash?"). She is today in Naples, Florida, but we are already planning visits to high action movies (who needs a plot, even dialogue, when things go bang very loudly and blow up on a large screen?) when ProjeKt Four arrives in San Francisco. My Sister is the only person I know who is not only prepared to accompnay me to a no-brainer but has the movie schedule marked out and their car waiting. My Sister's descriptions of high action movies she has already seen, but which she is prepared to see again with her Brother, are more exciting than the actual movies. "Village of the Damned" (1960) and "Blue Thunder" (1982) spring to mind without effort. Chuck Norris achieved heights of cinematic rapture for Sister, probably more for his hairy chest than his capacity to pulp bad guys with minimal expenditure of energy. Even to this day, in hotels around the world when returning from a gig, I watch Chuckie movies in honour of my Sister. My Sister met Chuck Norris. He told her the advice which Steve McQueen gave him (Chuck was Steve's martial arts instructor) about getting into movies (for which you should access my sister's website and ask her directly).
Bill Forth (of "Ten Seconds" fame, former Guitar Craft registrar for America, and personal friend) wondered how it was that Fripp, the guitarist of "art" background, could rush from Bill's Sherman Oaks apartment to make the first house of Steven Segal's "Under Seige" when it opened over the block. Hey dude! Great cast - Tommy Lee Jones (I saw him live at Astor Place with Peter Boyle), Gary Busey - and things went bang very loudly while other things blew up on a large screen. The only downer was that the cinema's air conditioning had failed on a hot day.
I learnt with interest several years ago that Wittgenstein was an ardent viewer of Busby Berkely musicals.
Lisa Mattei has telephoned with more enquiries regarding the KC DVD, and distortion is on "Mars" receding gradually.
22:58
"Shooting Stars" is on BBC2 tonight, and is being recorded on the video machine which my Sister and I bought for Mother when Beta faded as a format. Non-English visitors will probably not know Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, or their hilarious quiz show.
English visitors might be interested to know that Vic Reeves was a strong Crimson fan in the days when this meant ignominy and banishment from society and peer group. I met him at John Wetton's show in London (about 3 years ago) and he asked me to be on Shooting Stars. English visitors wondering whether I agreed, but the show hasn't been broadcast yet, may also be interested to learn that next week the new series of "Rock Family Trees" (based on the Pete Frame trees of connection) begins, with The Mamas and Papas. I was approached by the producer to include Crimson / Roxy in this series - the cover of Pete Frame's book is the King Crimson / Roxy Music family tree. Don't wait up for that one either. But the DGM archives do include the original Pete Frame tree, framed.
