PAWS – Ruth4Truth

PAWS, CCA Glasgow, 10th May 2019

11/05/2019ruth4truthLeave a comment

Let’s start by saying that if you haven’t heard of PAWS then you most certainly should check them out, and if you haven’t listened to their new album, “Your Church on My Bonfire” then you should get on that straight away as well, ideally throwing them some pennies for the vinyl or at least the download in the process. Remember – Spotify etc pay artists next to nothing and small bands need our support.

Ok, party political broadcast for the Support Independent Artists party over.

Paws are a band that I came across by accident but am extremely glad I did, because they have become one of my favourite bands ever. It doesn’t seem that long since their last album “No Grace” was released (it was 2016 so I guess quite long) but I was very excited to hear that they had a new record in the pipeline this year. The early singles from the record were previewed and I loved them from the second I heard them. There are certain bands that just seem to be on the same musical wavelength as you and their music fits in your ears and your soul like it was always meant to be. Yes, some music is challenging or takes multiple listens to “get” and that is good too (see my adventures in jazz for example) but when I listened to this record I just thought, “yeah, of course”. It is somehow what I expected without being predictable or derivative. As if the music had been in our souls all along and it just took this band at this moment to draw it out and give it life and form.

So of course I bought a ticket to the album launch gig in Glasgow and was excited to see Phillip from the band say that they were planning on playing every song from the album for us.

As I had to set a 5.30am alarm the next morning to catch a very early train down to Preston, I decided to drive into town to ensure a quick getaway back home after the gig. There was an after-party planned but sadly I would have to give that a miss. On the way in, the heavens opened, producing paddling-pool level surface water on the motorway. I feared for my life at several points as cars veered about and lorries threw up tsunami sprays. On arriving in Glasgow City Centre the rain was at deluge levels. I waited in my car for 10 minutes, but, showing no signs of abating, I made a dash the few blocks to the venue.

Despite my dashing, I arrived utterly soaked. My feet were squelching, my trousers dripping and my hoodie jacket soaked through. I had hoped to time my arrival to just catch the start of PAWS set, hoping for a 8.30-9.00pm start and be done by 10pm. Nope. There were 2 support bands, I had missed 1, the other was half an hour away with PAWS not due on until 10pm. But my super early alarm……!

Fiskur were the 2^nd support. I liked them but wasn’t sure they were the right fit for this occasion. Phillip from Paws later told us that both the support bands were friends of his, so I guess it was good for him to have all his pals around supporting his album launch, but I would have preferred a band with a bit more…..oomph? I did like them, but they put me in mind of the kind of band you come across late afternoon at a festival, when you want to have a bit of time chilling, sit down, drink or lunch in hand and listen to a band that don’t look like much but actually surprise you and have some decent songs and you leave quite impressed. They did have some decent songs, albeit a bit sedate for me. Ross Clark is undoubtedly a good singer and I did like the rhythms played by the drummer, who I now read was/is in Washington Irvine who I saw years ago and really liked. It was also a bit distracting having Andy from Frightened Rabbit on the stage, especially given the date. I dunno, maybe I am being a bit too harsh. My friend liked them and there were plenty people standing in front of me who were really into them so maybe it was a better fit than I realised.

I’m not taken with the CCA as a venue. I know that Glasgow is sorely missing the sadly fire-destroyed ABC, but the hall in the CCA feels weird for a gig like Paws. It’s very large and airy which is nice in some respects, but a high ceiling without an Oran Mor mural or a Barras glitterball just feels sterile. There isn’t any decent gig lighting, the room overall was too bright and there was a lot of light and noise coming from a door just to the left of the stage. It looked more like a high school gym-come-assembly hall, complete with black cloth backdrop and temporary stage.

Anyway, after catching up with my friend about gigs past and planned, it was PAWS time.

They kept to their word and played every song from the new album, starting the set with the first track What We Want and ending on the epic Not Goodbye (See You Later) complete with spoken word performance.

Interspersed between the new songs were some oldies as well. The band have added a 4^th member, a guitarist whose name I didn’t catch but they described him as “a proper musician”. He added layers of electric guitar as well as playing acoustic on some songs which worked very well. The songs on this album are fuller in soundscape than previous so it was great to get the full effect live. There were some technical problems during their set, but they took them in good humour and Phillip chatted easily with the crowd throughout, before on one occasion realising that he was to blame for the feedback on his guitar.

I’ve only ever seen PAWS play small, cramped shows where all members were giving high-octane, frenetic performances, so seeing them play the more acoustic numbers was interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Philip show the kind of vulnerability he did when playing the slower, more intimate songs. Barring some people talking at the back, who thankfully realised the situation and ceased their yabbering, the whole auditorium was listening with awed respect.

Just when I was thinking that his performance was overall more confident, the openness and rawness of the quieter songs included, Phillip shared with the audience his fears that no-one would show up to the gig or buy his record. He asked if anyone had listened to it. Everyone around me was singing along, so yes, Phillip, we have devoured it, it’s brilliant. (See above for plea to BUY it not just stream it, if you can) There was a confidence in the performance, though, perhaps more of a feeling of being at ease with the material and the live arrangements, it looked like they were all very comfortable with the songs and were relieved to finally give them a public airing.

If the hall was like a high school gymnasium, then Josh was like an unruly student who had been fidgeting once too often in class and sent to burn off some energy on the drums, defying his teachers’ expectations and turning out to be a percussion playing genius. Adding to the illusion in a PE-style plain white t-shirt, he thrashed and bashed, head and body quivering as if in religious fervour. Whatever supernatural being is possessing him when he plays, is my new deity and we should all pray to it.

I sincerely hope that this album gets PAWS the recognition and appreciation that they deserve, I look forward to a full tour coming hopefully soon because those songs belong in packed rooms with everyone singing along loudly and sharing in the special experience that is PAWS live.

PAWS & WAS pt2 – Dunfermline & Kilmarnock August 2018

25/08/2018ruth4truth1 Comment

Well, well, well. I wasn’t sure that I would write this one up, because I wasn’t sure I had anything more to say on a band I have written at length about many times before. I am also tired, so very physically and mentally tired from life stuff that I wanted to enjoy these gigs, immerse myself in the escapism of the moment and not have to remember details or come up with descriptions. Saying that, I never write about gigs as a chore, it’s something I enjoy doing.

I wasn’t even going to go to these gigs. When they were first released, the thought of going to Dunfermline or Kilmarnock, even for We Are Scientists, wasn’t particularly appealing. I had seen them twice earlier this year and expected that to be it, but when PAWS were announced as support, my mind was changed. I have missed PAWS recently, as we await news of their next album so a double-whammy of two of my favourite bands persuaded me to buy a ticket to the Kilmarnock gig which handily was on a Friday. As the date drew nearer, I caved and made the necessary arrangements for me to go to the Dunfermline gig on the Wednesday too. I knew that I would kick myself if I had been sat at home. I arranged to meet up with a gig pal in Dunfermline and I had persuaded a non-WAS-fan friend to accompany me to Kilmarnock.

Both shows were in tiny venues, Dunfermline was a nice Irish-style pub, with the venue in the basement including tiered levels and booths. Kilmarnock was a small nightclub with the stage set up on the dance floor that had to be quickly vacated afterwards by the band to make way for what helpful local “big Billy” let us know was sure to be a “crackin’ rave”. We didn’t hang around long enough to find out if this was true.

I’ll not go into too much detail about each gig, but here are some selected highlights and lowlights:

Highlights

PAWS – consistently a great, solid, entertaining band. New songs sounded fab and make me want the new album right now. Philip’s delivery of vocals has that raw emotional edge but solidity of conviction in what he is singing. Josh’s drumming is as vigorous, riotous and lightening quick as ever. I still can’t get used to watching him in action and do so with jaw dropped and a sense of impending injury to either himself or those in the vicinity. As it was them that had really drawn me there, I revelled in every second and didn’t take a single photo. There aren’t many bands that have grabbed me from day 1 and have kept me wanting more, but PAWS are one of them. Top guys and a band you should check out if you haven’t done so already.

No Wait at Five Leaves – I love this song more and more every time I hear it live. We were treated to it both nights, and each time I wanted to run up to Keith Murray afterwards, hug him, shake his hand and tell him how utterly gorgeous that song is and how it makes me feel some weird mixture of emotions that I can’t comprehend yet but I think one day I will.

Sprinkles!! – one of my favourite all time WAS songs ever, I was delighted to hear it in Dunfermline. Again, one that is supremely emotional for me, gives me shivers each time but I still sing along with a huge smile on my face.

Catching up with the guys – over the 2 nights I had a few chats with all 3 guys, talking about holidays, New York City and small Scottish towns.

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Letting go – even though it was in 2 towns that I had rarely, if ever, been to before, a WAS/PAWS gig is a comfortable, friendly place. It was so nice to be able to be in that space again, singing along to every word, waving my arms in the air and dancing along with people who were strangers but who were sharing that moment and experience.

New merch!! – in the absence of Heart is a Weapon shirts in my size (see below) and having a rather extensive collection of both WAS and PAWS t-shirts already, I opted for a new tote bag.

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Lowlights

Still no Heart is a Weapon live – I really hoped that they would start playing Heart is a Weapon, but sadly we didn’t hear it either night. And they still don’t have the associated t-shirt in small size. Come on guys! Pretty pretty please….!

The locations – I understand the rationale for playing places other than Glasgow and Edinburgh again, but I’m not sure the small town thing really worked. I don’t think either venue I attended was sold out and they were tiny venues. I can’t help but think they would have been better off in one of the smaller venues in the bigger cities. To be honest I don’t think WAS have a big enough fan base in Scotland any more, and PAWS don’t have it yet, to warrant playing these small towns. Saying that, it was nice that we didn’t get kicked out immediately after the set was done, and the security staff were MUCH nicer than the ones usually encountered in Glasgow.

People on phones – oh my good god – the people and their phones!!!! I was on the barrier in Dunfermline and once or twice was distracted by people using flashes on their cameras/phones. It was bad enough for me, I only saw it out of the corner of my eye, I hope it didn’t distract those on stage at all. In Kilmarnock there wasn’t a barrier as such, more some steps and a railing. We were behind the folk who were right at the railing. Despite there being only a handful of people between us and the band, we were still faced with a constant visual interruption of cameras being held aloft for multiple photos and lengthy videos. One couple stood right at the front, stock-still and miserable-looking, filming almost the entire WAS set. Not otherwise participating, just filming. At one point the girl took a photo, fiddled with filters, posted it to Instagram, then showed her companion the results, apparently proud of her achievement. This took a whole song. Which meant that I missed that whole song cos this malarky was happening right in front of my nose. When I’m at the barrier I do take some photos myself, but there you can be more discreet and not disturb those behind you. I did take 2 short bursts of photos during 1 song (It’s a Hit, I’m over this song now, sorry) in Kilmarnock, but otherwise kept my phone in my bag, sticking to my plan of giving myself over to the experience. Unfortunately my experience was blighted by other people’s lit up screens.

I know that some artists have banned phones from their concerts. I wouldn’t go as far as that, having your phone at a gig can be particularly useful if you go to gigs on your own or need to meet up with mates, if you have kids or other reasons you might be called away urgently. But bands have power. Mystery Jets insist that all the venues they play at are fully accessible, The Spook School require bathrooms to be gender neutral. Venues oblige, or the band’s business goes elsewhere. So I wish more bands would use their platform to remind people to be considerate and respectful of those on stage as well as their fellow audience members and instruct people to limit their camera/phone use and instruct security to have a word with repeat offenders.

Anyway, I did take a couple of snaps, they weren’t great, but I was glad that I stuck by and large to my plan of living the gig as it happened and well, I have enough photos of those guys anyway….

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West End Festival All-Dayer, Oran Mor, Glasgow, 18th June 2017

19/06/2017ruth4truthLeave a comment

Once upon a time, the West End of Glasgow was pretty much home. I lived there as a student, and in neighbouring areas for several years afterwards. During that time, I would always take in some of the annual West End Festival’s events. Now that I live out in the suburbs (eww, do I?) I may browse the programme now and again, but I had got out of the habit of delving in. However, this year, when PAWS announced that they would be featuring in the WEF’s “All-Dayer” – a not-quite-all-day multi-stage event at Oran Mor, I had to get on board. It may not be the most highbrow of the WEF’s cultural offerings but frankly, I need some loud rock music right now more than I need the Bard in the Botanics.

The day turned out to be a hot and humid one, not ideal for heading into a converted church venue late-afternoon. I’m not sure what ticket sales for the day were like, but I suspect a large portion of people who had bought them decided to ditch the gigs and park themselves in a beer garden instead. It was a tempting thought.

Instead, I first headed upstairs to the “Auditorium” to catch Kid Canaveral. I saw Alasdair Gray’s painted ceiling for the first time, and it is impressive indeed.

Kid Canaveral are a band that I have listened to occasionally, usually when they have cropped up as “related artists” to something else I have been listening to. They are part of that folk/rock scene that I dip into now and again as the mood takes me. As a live act, they come across as more rock than folk, but the intricacies of melody and harmony remained to give a softer, more aurally interesting presentation. I was impressed and would definitely actively seek them out from now on, both to listen to and to see live if the opportunity arose.

The surroundings lent an added dimension to proceedings, with the late afternoon sun streaming in the stained glass windows and lead singer David’s anti-Tory semi-rant against the backdrop of Gray’s mural depicting the words “Let us flourish by telling the truth” particularly poignant.

The room was sweltering and the sun was still shining outside. I had an hour or so gap in between bands that I wanted to see, so I headed outside and took a walk around the Botanics. No Bards though.

Back inside Oran Mor I ventured into the basement, and while the decor was less salubrious, the air conditioning was fully functioning. I was keen to get a good spot for the headliners, PAWS, so thought it would be worth getting there a band early just in case it was busy. It was not busy. It was dead. The preceding band were called Bloodlines, and clearly had ambitions to be the next Biffy Clyro. The lead singer came out all swagger, verging on aggression. The crowd was tiny, and dispersed around the room at side tables and the bar. He thought the best way to get us down the front was to swear repeatedly at us. It didn’t work. As their set went on, more people entered the hall and a slightly larger group formed. Their set was standard shouty-rock. Only 1 song, Mothers Misery, had some depth and left a more favourable impression. The singer removed his top, further enhancing the Biffy-wannabe status, which was later cemented by several songs that were pound-shop rip-offs of Biffy. On their last song, the singer wanted to crowd surf. But there was no crowd. So he leapt off the stage, physically rounded up people in the room, forced them into a small pack at the front, then “surfed” them for about 5 seconds. Mate, if there ain’t a crowd ready and willing to catch you and hold you aloft, don’t engineer one just to fulfil your rock star ambitions.

PAWS were up next. As they set up, people began to drift down to the front, so I edged my way among them. It still wasn’t a large crowd, but the room gradually filled. PAWS have quickly become one of my favourite bands, due largely to their live shows. This one was slightly different in that the crowd wasn’t full of PAWS fans. It was my first PAWS gig where I wasn’t squished and trampled seven ways throughout. Weirdly, I missed that. The absence of the uber-fan posse was evident during songs that usually elicit mass sing-alongs/shout-outs such as Get Bent. I won’t repeat the lyrics here, but if you are not familiar – look it up and you can probably make a guess as to which lines are usually belted out with great enthusiasm. Saying that, as the set went on, I think the band began to win over the audience, and I could detect increasing warmth and appreciation from behind me, and for the encore, there was a definite push forward as people were eager for more.

I am always moved by Philip’s passion and emotion in his lyrics and delivery, combined with the raw energy and sheer noise that just 3 band members can generate. Josh’s drumming, once again, is awe-inspiring. I have seen him play….5 times now and still don’t know how he does it. He looks so uncomfortable and out of control, yet plays so precisely and with such skill. He frequently mended/reinforced his sticks with gaffer tape, and often tested a couple out to see which would hold out longest. I want him to come on with a supply of 50 sticks to see him through the set, but apparently, he prefers the gaffer tape method. Perhaps they don’t want to blow their fee on an endless supply of sticks. Amazes me every time.

So they ended on a high, with a proper encore – every time I have seen them previously they have just blasted through without adhering to the ritual of leaving, then returning to the stage. The crowd by this point was a crowd, had Philip felt the urge I’m sure he could have crowdsurfed without any prior audience instruction. The band have certainly won some new fans and proved themselves capable of headlining such a large, prestigious event. Even if I prefer the small sweaty clubs, it’s good to see them doing well and gaining recognition.

So out into the night, which was still light. A good not-quite-all-day.

PAWS, Hug & Pint, 22nd December 2016

23/12/201623/12/2016ruth4truth1 Comment

PAWS have been one of my bands of the year and their album No Grace is definitely one of my albums of 2016. I’ve been lucky enough to see them twice already this year, once in a headline gig and once as support. They have just been on tour with Frightened Rabbit including 3 shows at the Barras which I didn’t go to, but when they announced a standalone gig in a tiny venue I couldn’t resist another trip out to see them, even if it was just a few days before Christmas.

Getting there was, as ever, a challenge this time including misplaced earplugs and somehow managing to loose my car keys inside the car.

When I eventually made it to the venue I found the stage times were quite late and I had a good half an hour before the support was due on. I took a brisk walk up Great Western Road to clear my head then ventured on in.

The support, American Clay, were ok. They were good enough but didn’t grab me and I got a bit bored towards the end. Although frankly I was knackered and just impatient for PAWS to come on.

After what seemed like ages, they took to the stage. I had told a friend earlier that I had never seen a bad PAWS gig yet, and I’m glad to say this is still the case. I think I even enjoyed this one the most, now being more familiar with their songs in general and their live interpretations in particular. I still can’t sing along as much as the more enthusiastic fans, but I joined in where I could.

We heard a good number of songs from No Grace, a fair few older ones that I recognised and a few that I still didn’t recognise but enjoyed nonetheless.

The band commented on the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd, which was a shame because certainly everyone around me was having a great time, singing, dancing and cheering their favourite songs. It’s a pity that wasn’t evident from the stage.

Philips vocals are always strong and confident. One benefit of playing a small venue is that it is full of proper fans, so we were able to hear the quieter, unaccompanied lines without interruption. Drummer Josh is just incredible to watch, all flailing limbs and apparently on the verge of toppling out of control at any second, yet tight and precise. He breaks at least one stick every song and the others are held together with copious lengths of tape. I actually don’t know how he does it but it is huge fun to watch, if nerve-wracking and exhausting.

As a trio they sound epic. The difference between PAWS and the likes of the support is the ability to create variation, in expression, rhythm, texture and pace. The use of ebbs and flows in the music and lyrics and the clever insertion of build-ups and breaks. PAWS are an exciting, dynamic band and I was glad I waited to see them in this kind of venue, it was the perfect last gig of a year that had been full of good music and great live gigs. I hope to see much more of them in 2017 and beyond.

(Fret Photography were there taking pics, not sure they’re up yet but they are bound to be better and more plentiful than mine)

We Are Scientists, PAWS & some Disco Dancin’

03/09/2016ruth4truth1 Comment

Ok, if I’d known at the start of the year that WAS would eventually announce a UK mega-tour, I would probably not have gone to see them in Manchester, but hey, that trip was fun and I’m not complaining about a few more WAS shows. The Glasgow gig was in King Tuts and on a Friday, so there was no question that I was going to be heading along. Then PAWS were confirmed as the support and an after-show DJ set was announced, it promised to be a special one.

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I didn’t have the best run-up, with both girls being up all night the night before, so I was exhausted before I even got into town. I went straight from dropping the girls off at their dad’s, so got in pretty early. I then found out that the gig was going to be a late one – stage time 9pm for the openers PAWS. Oh well, decision to bring the car and ensure a passage home vindicated and it would give me some time to decompress and get into gig-mode.

I got a bite to eat and had a wander round town. I was due to meet up with some people but they were getting food elsewhere. Unfortunately, the rain came on and I wanted to conserve my energy, so after checking out the location of the after-show party, I wandered down to Tut’s. It was cool to see the board outside Tut’s, and the excitement of seeing my favourite band in the best small venue in Glasgow gave me chills of anticipation.

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The bar area was fairly quiet, so I ordered an “I’m driving” diet coke and sat reading while I waited for the others to arrive. Yes, I have reached the point of not-giving-a-crap that I will sit in King Tut’s bar with a soft drink, reading the poetry of Edwin Morgan while the bar fills up and people start to get annoyed with me. BTW you should also read the poetry of Edwin Morgan. I was lost in his Instamatic poems for a pleasant hour while I was waiting.

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The bar got really busy, with some really tall blokes. I was sensing that I would have to be down the front if I was going to see anything other than the back of someone’s shoulders all night. My friends arrived just as the doors opened, I was introduced to some friends of friends and we split into those who wanted a barrier spot and those happy to hang back. It was nice having some gig buddies for a change, it turns out we’d been to a lot of the same shows, so we shared stories and recommendations for a while as we waited for PAWS to come on.

PAWS were awesome as usual. Loud, raucous and energetic. Despite listening to their records a fair amount since I saw them a few months ago, I still don’t have a handle on their lyrics, so I was once again left showing my appreciation through dancing, jumping and belting out the occasional line that I had picked up. They were playing with a different bassist, but were still tight and held together well.

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In the near 45 minute wait for WAS to come on, I was seriously flagging. It was literally past my normal bedtime, I was beginning to wish I had brought an inflatable pillow to lay on the barrier and have a disco nap.

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It was kinda surreal seeing WAS in King Tut’s, but they definitely had the measure of the place. The setlist was liberally injected with older hits, Keith M clearly intended to get the place jumping and keep it that way. I think it was during Nobody Move that we felt the first rush of people behind us, and from that point onward we were crushed, squished and thrust upon. I could barely breathe at times, and my arms were pinned into position. It made signing along a more onerous task.

“My body is your bo-aahgh-ugh-dy”. “I’m gonna wai-gah-umf-hauaahh-t right here”

At one point I heard a girl somewhere behind me yell an apology to someone, “I’m sorry if my husband’s penis is against your bumhole!” Glasgow – classy as ever.

Adding to our discomfort were 2 spotlights that shone with the light and heat of a thousand suns, and regularly turned on us. Blinded at intervals and unable to focus for good periods of time. Did we care? Not at all. It is amazing the things you’ll put up with to see a good band storm a belter of a show.

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It wasn’t all oldies, thankfully, we also got all 4 singles (not sure if they are proper singles, but the ones with videos off of Helter Seltzer) and the usual suspects from Barbara and TV en Francais. I had myself a real moment during Sprinkles. Sprinkles is one of my favourite songs from TVeF (notwithstanding Don’t Blow It, d’ya hear me, Mr Murray?) and it sounded immense last night. I love that their newer songs are more expansive and deeper sonically than the older stuff, I don’t know how they do it with just 3 of them (ok, I hear ya Mr Murray) but Sprinkles last night just gave me that wonderful resonance in my gut, the hairs standing up on the back of your neck-type feeling and it was glorious.

We were in a central position on the barrier, but I kind of missed my usual Chris-side view, Chris’ facial expressions and sheer coolness are entertaining to watch. I was closer to Keith M, especially as he kept moving his mic stand over to the middle of the stage, but it was verging on that uncomfortable closeness where you feel weird staring that them. I spent a good deal of time watching Keith C, due to the less-weird distance, my newly re-discovered drumming activity and just because he is proving as entertaining to watch as Chris. Carne spent 95% of the gig with the most massive grin. I’m so unbelievably glad he’s still with the band and apparently having such a good time. The PAWS drummer, Josh, spent their whole set hunched over his kit, literally thrashing it as if his life depended on it, gripped by some rhythm-induced mania or seizure. Carne, on the other hand, is the epitome of control and composure. And grins.

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During Textbook, Murray took off into the crowd to locations unknown, his disembodied voice carried back to us through the speakers for the duration of the song. The tempo, energy and Glasgow spirits were all high for the near-hour of the main set, then they came back for a short encore, with PAWS joining in for After Hours. Too Late is a perfect set closer and I was pleased to witness a mass sing-a-long to the chorus of this newer song.

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It was over around 11.15pm and revitalised by the gig I decided to join some of our group and head over to the after-party. I wasn’t familiar with Firewater, the venue, but we soon found the small dance floor with Chris at the controls, playing Editors Papillon. Chris, it turns out, is a pretty hot DJ, the mix of songs got everyone dancing and singing and raised quite a few cheers. Keith M was dodging in and out of the booth taking requests and a fair few selfies with people. He said hi to me and we had a quick chat. Later, Carne joined the party, eschewing the DJ booth for the dance floor. We managed to have a quick catch-up chat too, before returning to the dance floor for the final few songs.

I haven’t been dancing in years. I was never much one for dancing, I was always too self-conscious. But I remembered something I had read Amy Poehler say – “No-one looks stupid when they’re having fun.” I took this to heart and had the most fun I have had in a long time.

It’s hard to convey just how much this band means to me. I have had a pretty crappy couple of years with one thing and another, and things like going out to gigs have been a saving grace for me. Going out to gigs, taking up drums again, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Dancing. I can’t explain how important it is to me that I am doing these things, taking time for myself and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. The trigger for this could have been anything. Some people in my position aren’t lucky enough to find such a trigger. For me, the trigger happened to be a rock band. I left feeling so much love for them, the people they had brought me into contact with and all they represented for me.

Next stop – Berlin!!

P.S. my phone photos are a bit crap this time due to aforementioned pinioning and lack of breath / sight. Luckily, my companion Fiona takes a much better picture than me, you can find her photos here.