Music Field Guide Lovers

I’m in the thick of a music festival at the moment. I can tell you’re thinking that if I was actually in the thick of a music festival at the moment, my priority would not be to post a blog post thingy. That instead my head should be resting on a field, with someone pouring stuff over my face and doing a little dance and probably singing etc. But no, I am two days into an indoor weekend of experimental music at the Sage, Gateshead. My friend Alex is playing with Jandek tomorrow, the man, the mystery, the legend, the guy no one’s heard of. Except the audience at this gig, obviously.

I saw some Keiji Haino (correctly spelled, Google tells me) last night. A Japanese man who looks like this

He played for four uninterrupted hours on his own, not even stopping to urinate. This last part seems to have amazed me more than most. Four hours of music. No piss. At least when DJs play for ridiculous hours, they can get a mate to man the decks while they go for a wee, or a blow job. That mate is clearly going to love those few minutes of suggested fame and adulation.

Anyway, Keiji Haino was fiddling with electric guitars, samplers, flutes, microphones, and recorded drum sounds. It was utterly unique and free.

Tonight, I wondered down late to the Sage and missed almost all the music. Thankfully, I found Vibracathedral Orchestra and Ashtray Navigators (both excellently named bands, no?) backstage and a jam developed. As I supped on a warm beer, I was passed a decent bongo that had had some rattle thing jammed inside to give it an interesting, varied sound. I looked around the mirrored room of the plush but soulless backstage room. I saw the usual musical types. Unshaven, thin, pale, unwashed. A bit like me at a festival. A bit like me really.

I do wash.

However, the shower is out of action tomorrow as a new tile has just been fitted and apparently it’s not a brilliant idea to splash water all over a newly glued on piece of ceramic.

Must not go near anyone tomorrow.