Worshipping Bill

It seems only right that I got to worship one of my Gods last week, and in a lovely church too. I've been a bit busy, so this is the first chance I've had to write about it (well, actually, if I hadn't finished writing OzBlog about my love adventures first, I reckon Wardy would have taken the hump and I'd be straight back to being Valerie Singleton). 

Got to the Union Chapel very early (bit keen aren't you?), so I could get a good seat. The Brummie and Screwy were out for a bit of dinner beforehand, so I had to save a couple of spaces on the pew...very tricky avoiding the glances of earnest young folks who reckon it's first come, first served. Frankly, my dears - I don't give a damn. The show is a sell-out, they've already had to put on a second night, so I'm sitting tight.

Support act is a girl called Sophia. She's OK, but I've seen so many acts like this (girl with guitar and quite a nice voice) that they really have to be very good to make me sit up and take notice. And she did a couple of things I liked, but nothing that'd make me go out of my way to see her again. I remember thinking she had a nice dress on, and that can't be a good sign...

Some huge man came and sat in the pew right in front of me. Bloody tall people. Bane of my life (where gigs are concerned). No escape, even in the Lord's House. And then his girlfriend appeared (also too tall), who seemed to be orchestrating the seating plan for her entire group of friends by standing and waggling her hands and pointing out where she could see spare seats on pews 10 rows away. Fucking annoying. At this point, I was secretly thrilled to see that her boyfriend was also annoyed with her for doing this and drawing too much attention to him. Then he wouldn't speak to her (schadenfreude - a concept I love - clever Germans). Sadly, they made up later, and managed to drape themselves around each others necks while Bill was on, making themselves about 7 feet wide and too tall with it. Fuckers. Can't help but think The Lord was getting back at me for my evil thoughts...

Enough of all that rubbish - let's get to Bill. He came on and the place went mad (well, as mad as nice, indie-loving middle-class people can). And it was just lovely. He looks like he really enjoys himself, laughing, pulling moves, so charismatic. Couldn't take my eyes off him. He plays Diamond Dancer, which thrills Brummie, it's a real favourite of hers. And as he has strings (violin, cello), he can play Eid Ma Clack Shaw and really do it justice. When he finished, he got some of the loudest cheers I've ever heard at The Union Chapel. And so we get Cold Blooded Old Times as an encore (I was hoping for The Well, but hey,maybe a girl shouldn't always get everything she wants, and just getting to watch him was kinda enough). 

Double Bill

New York was a wonderful experience. The amount of lazing around was phenomenal (even for my gentle, slothful day-to-day existence - that is, when I'm not running round like some headless overworked chicken...aaahh, the diversity of my life). But I have to say that among the other smashing things I could actually be arsed to do, Record Store Day night (weird English?) spent in the company of LouLou, the lovely Michael Taylor and Mr Bill Callahan was right up there.

Having already heard before leaving England that Bill C was doing an in-store to promote his new album (refer to hysteria on earlier post), I'd made it a priority to check in at Other Music when I hit NY, so I knew how this would work (Rough Trade give out wristbands for their in-store stuff...no wristband, no entry). Turns out a lovely redhead called Chris had given me all the right info. "Get here before 8pm when we close the store, get straight inline outside, at 9pm we open the doors and let about the first 100 people in. Don't be late!"

On the evening, LouLou and I got to Other Music at about 7.15pm (OK, so what if I'm keen?). Wise move, ladies. Queue ALREADY. About 15 people long. Jesus. I spot the ginger gentleman Chris, and he smiles, cos I think he thinks it's funny that I'm there so early. I tell him I'm not ashamed and ready an' willin' to stand around for nearly TWO HOURS. Honest to god, I have never waited this long for any artist before in my entire life. You'd better be good, sir...

So lucky - we go back outside, and the queue has just reached a small flight of steps, so we get a seat! Oh yes, all was looking bright. And then LouLou's friend Michael turned up. I've never met him before, and he is the most charming and interesting man, with excellent taste in music (and hats - he had a new felt hat on, bought by his wife Judy - very smart). LouLou kindly went off to buy coffees, and Michael went inside to buy vinyl. I sat tight - like I'm moving one inch and giving my place up? Get outta here! (I seem to have slipped into some sort-of newyorkspeak - think of it as scene setting...). They return and there's chat, laughs and queue-watching. The beard/check shirt uniform quota is rather high. Queue is by now HUGE and it's only just 8pm. One hour to lift off.

At 9ish, true to Chris's word, the doors opened and we got inside. Other Music isn't a huge store. For anyone who knows it, it's not much bigger than Rough Trade in Covent Garden. We got pretty good spots close to the front (sadly, it transpired I had some nodding-dog idiot with a baseball cap on BACKWARDS in front of me, but no matter). Michael got us beer from the counter (hooray for PBR).

And then, he appeared. A soft-faced vision of long, thick, greasy, grey-haired loveliness. And he sang and played like a dream. Honestly, I was transfixed. I think my mouth may have been a bit open, in a lovesick gormless way. And although he played for well over an hour, it seemed to be over in seconds. (He played quite a few off the new album 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle' - Jim Cain, Rococo Zephyr, All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast, Faith Void and more, more, more).

Snap: The Lovely Michael Taylor©

And then, he stopped. I didn't want him to (really? honestly, what a surprise). LouLou had had to go outside - it was unfeasibly hot in there - so Michael and I went out to find her. But I wanted to speak to him, so after hugging Michael goodbye, I left LouLou at the door and went back inside. The crowd was starting to thin out by now, but people were still asking for things signed, pictures taking...but then I caught his eye - and all the things I'd wanted to say washed away. So, there was no 'you know we were meant to be together, let's run away to the seaside and live in a little shack near the beach' speech, followed by him whisking me up in his arms and carrying me off. I could only blurt "you are the finale of my trip to America and it was perfect, thank you", to which he replied "thank you" and then I said "I have to go" and rushed off, definitely blushing, idiot that I am. He did give me the sweetest smile, though. Shame I didn't get to sit on his knee as he played...

Second bill of the week (apart from the pile of bills that I can't pay which eagerly awaited my return on the doorstep) was Bonnie 'Prince' Billy at the Southbank on Monday. I arrived back on Monday morning, did a few chores, knew I should try and stay awake, but I curled up for 'just 5 minutes, go on, it'll be fine' and woke up 5 hours later, dazed and confused. Popped out to meet the Brummie and Ralph the dog for coffee and a chinwag (no chinwag from Ralph, just tailwag), then off down to the Thames to meet Nadine.

This isn't the first gig I've been to with Nadine since her husband Mark died. We'd been to see Vic Chesnutt and Elf Power a few weeks earlier, which was the first time I'd seen her since the funeral. Last year, Mark had given me a BPB album when we discovered that we both liked him. Shortly before he died, he'd bought two tickets for him and Nadine. I was honoured that she asked me to go with her.

It was such a lovely evening. Had a great chat with Nadine beforehand, watched the support Susanna (very good, but last night I went to see Essie Jain and I much prefer her stuff), and then Nadine had a quick smoke outside before we went back in. I suddenly realised I hadn't eaten all day (WHAT??? WHY???), so I got a savoury muffin, spinach and pinenuts or sawdust and pinenuts, it was so bloody disappointingly dry and awful.

And then the main attraction. He is jaw-droppingly good. His band are so tight, and he is animated, charming, and can do the best balance-on-one-leg-whilst-playing-a-guitar I've seen in a long time. Or, in fact, ever. His lyrics are witty, raucous, poignant, so many things. And for the first time in a long time, I cried properly at a concert. He played "I See A Darkness". And I'm filling up again just thinking about it. I'd been expecting it, dreading it, but when it came, it was more powerful than even I'd imagined.

And to hear those words, standing next to a good friend, standing in the place where her husband who loved BPB as much as she did should be standing was just a bit too much for me. And I didn't need to look round to know how she felt hearing that song. He sang it just so beautifully. When it was over, I just gave her a big hug. I had no idea what else to do.

BrooklynBlog #2

Back in Blighty today. Very spaced out. Got a bit lazy in the second week in New York, so I couldn't be arsed to write my blog. The highlights were:

• Greenwood cemetery (you know how much I like dead folks)
• Champions League footy in Nevada Smiths (packed to the rafters, I was one of the few girls in the building)
• watching Anvil! at Angelika with LouLou - us both wiping a tear away
• Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - beautiful.
  
• The Watchmen at Webster Hall - singer has some pipes on him
• Met Museum of Art - what a building, what a collection. Great cake in the café too. And cool old bird helped me find the subway when I left looking confused. Upper East Side bohemian glamour puss, retired concert pianist, walked 6 blocks with me and big kiss on the cheek when we parted. Lovely.
• catching up with Charlie and Michelle
  
• Bill Callahan at Other Music for Record Store Day (more of this later - deserves a post of his own)

Time just flew by. Felt like I was there for ages, but also no time at all. It was such a huge treat, and spending time with LouLou, Ted the cool cat, and (albeit briefly) Andy was lovely. Journey back was uneventful. I didn't even read my H.P Lovecraft (superb) or watch films. Just listened to music and had a bit of a drift off into semi-sleep. Am having a lovely cup of PG (none of that Lipton's shite) and toasted crumpets, before hitting the sack for a couple of hours. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy at the Southbank tonight, jetlag permitting...ha! Like I'd let jetlag stop me going to a gig...

AOP + NYC + BILL

Day after tomorrow, I'm going to NY for 12 whole days - hooo-haaaa! But first, I must negotiate the bedlam that is the Association Of Photographers Awards at Sadlers Wells. My mission (should I choose to accept it without self-destructing) is to go along and stay sober (can't fly 7 hours with banging hangover). Sobriety is not the norm for this event. In a hall packed with egos, bristling with competition ("it got a GOLD??? But it's been done by Eggleston/Cartier-Bresson/McCullin/my six-year-old niece so much better*"... *delete where you like...), booze is mandatory. Me? I'm normally shit-faced by about 11pm. Last year, I rolled into a cab at about 3am. I didn't function properly the next day. Or for several days afterwards. But it's a good night for catching up with old friends, and for spotting emerging talent. Last year, my mate Dylan won a Gold award, and I remember his early struggles to get commissioned. Those days are over and I'm thrilled for him.

 

I'm off to stay with LouLou in NY. Can't wait. There'll be more to tell when I get there and have done some stuff (eat cake, potter about, see bands - Walkmen, Tallest Man On Earth, Crippled Black Phoenix), but one important thing to note is that the 18th is Record Store Day: http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home  

And aside from all the special vinyl releases and exciting events, BILL CALLAHAN WILL BE PLAYING LIVE IN-STORE AT OTHER RECORDS IN MANHATTAN AND I AM NEARLY LAYING AN EASTER EGG AS I HAVE ONLY JUST FOUND THIS OUT AND CAN YOU TELL I AM REALLY BLOODY EXCITED AND HOPING TO SIT ON HIS KNEE AS HE PLAYS OK WELL MAYBE THAT'S A BIT SILLY BUT GOD OH GOD I AM VERY PLEASED. And he has a beard now which is just lovely. Don't go shaving, Bill.