Cornered By The Vending Machines

Thursday 10 July, Göteborg, Sweden - Shadow cars moved across the frosted glass. Cornered by the vending machines couldn't help notice so many people staring into the abyss of their smart phones. If you stare into the abyss long enough it stares back at you. Best thing to do was catch the #7 tram back to HQ. The faders shoved up, all wired and ready to go. Mixing 'Train Station Turnaround' was easier than expected with everything falling into place as in a good dream, and they're thin on the ground. 

A few hours later with The Last Souls I blasted out a short set at Vastervik in the pirate borough of Majorna. Hot and humid, we had fun, with one recent rehearsal under our belts.

Tuesday 15 July. - We watched as the torrential rain ruffled the egos of the long long line of Bob Dylan fans. The true believers, the curious, the naive and the easily led were getting drenched as we sat in La Sombrita, a bar & restaurant on board an old boat at Kungsportsbron. As expected, the rain stopped ten minutes before Dylan and his band ambled on stage and kicked into 'Watching The River Flow.' 

Several highlights were in store...'Desolation Road, 'Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee,' 'A Hard Rain a Gonna Fall.' We got right up to the front, the sound was crystal clear and he played 'Girl From The North Country'. 

Wednesday 16 July, Oslo, Norway - Having taken time-off from tour management duties I had to accept that arriving to Central Station in a mild panic to catch the midday bus and then be told the booking was in fact for the 15,40 bus it was out of my control....and for once, not my fault. At least this meant we had time to eat and Indian food and red wine filled this blank time. The clouds and telegraph poles flew by on the bus ride and the Land of Nod beckoned.

On arrival, Oslo seemed of little interest. Phone call to art dealer / art hutler John Fitz led to a few drinks, leaving the Leonardo Da Vinvi for a street bar and winding up in Mono before catching four hours shut eye and onwards to the airport by train.

sunrise & sunset

Saturday 28 June, Gothnburg - Met guitarist Thomas Silver at Mug (musical equipment store and home of the guitar doctor). Thomas played for 10 years with Hardcore Superstar, a famous Swedish heavy rock band. A great guitar player. Nice guy too. Chatting away, I suggested he play on some stuff Im recording but he says hes really stuck for time , but then instantly changes his mind and says maybe in the autumn. That would be cool and could be fun . He knows all the notes I dont.

Dropped into the record shop upstairs at Lagerhaus, the place stinks of detergent. Somebody must have puked listening to a Per Gessler record and they’re trying to mask the smell. Found a good soul compilation LP  for 10SEK. (thats a little more than €1 or $1) Worth it alone for the Roscoe Robinson song -  “One Thousand Rivers”. Never heard that one before.

Asked the google god for precise information concerning the length of the day as I cant recall having seen darkness for a long time. Im informed that sunrise is at 4.15....sunset at 10.16. In between it doesnt really get dark....more of a kind of hazy grey.  The same website told me that the moon is waxing too, but I knew that already.  These past few weeks Ive been rising with the sun, more or less, getting up around 5am, but tend to crash around 9 with book in hand and there really aren’t any real sunsets worth staying awake for. Winter and Spring is the best time for surreal Nordic sunsets.

Down at La Sombrita palm trees manned the enterance. Interesting and slightly kitch decor, we had a beverage. A boat moored in the centre of the town masquerading as a bar and restaurant, the drinks were cheap but the deal on the tapas was off for the day.
Before heading out to see Bunny Wailer a package from Crusher Records arrived in the post....a Spiders LP, a Vilunder LP,  two LPs by The Movements, a few CD’s and a couple of 7inch singles. Will be playing these on the radio show on Radio 88 Partille over the next few weeks.

Liseberg, a funfair that boasts the biggest rollercoaster in Europe is the venue for Bunny Wailer. Looking frail, he apparently had concidered canceling the gig, but changed his mind and soldiered on. I can still remember the day when his ‘Blackheart Man’ LP arrived in the post from a Scottish based mail order company. Also in that package was John Lee Hookers LP ‘Blues Before Sunrise’. Both crucial LPs in their respective genres. I was about 14 years old, happy to be off sick from prison school, and with the record player within reach from my sick bed i played both LPs over and over. A wonderful education.
At Liseberg, Bunny played Rasta Man, Armagedeon, Blackheart Man and even one of his 60’s ska hits. Great to see him after all those years. Martti Blacksmith was there with his missus, and Ali. Back at home Bunny was on the turntable all night long.