It's that time of year again, when people insist on the ritual of going around in pairs carrying flowers and eating in restaurants, squeezing out the rest of us to stay in our flower barren flats and chance our cooking skills for once. Which turns out can be a health hazard as evidenced by my bandaged hand in the picture below.
Instead I choose to express my love, by gathering all friends that will follow me on a trip to my mecca, Rough Trade, to see Courtney Barnett and the Courtney Barnetts. Despite claims from some that "lunchtime gigs are weird", I think if you love music you love it any time of the day, and clearly I'm in good company as the place is packed, so much so they had to lock the doors! Last time I was in such a post coital high with this city, was probably in my first summer here and my first trip to Rough Trade to look Kurt Vile in the eye.
Not really sure what to expect from Courtney live, I was happily surprised to find she rocks! And despite 2.5 years in London, transforming me from my pastels of the first visit to Londonite greys and blacks, I still like to express myself with more than the hipster head nod, and its hard not to, getting caught up in their shared smiles which each other, as they are clearly enjoying the gig and the turn out.
With beautifully crafted stories of mundanely simple everyday life its difficult not to smile as well. "Are you eating? You sound so thin" , "I got drunk and fell asleep atop the sheets but luckily i left the heater on." The highlight for me was her new song, Depreston. Inspired by a town in Melbourne called Preston, which she says really isn't that bad....it has a dumping ground....and a post office. The lyrics are even better and despite the sweet melody most of the crowd is cracking a smile. A shame I have to wait until April, when the song is officially released, to hear it again.
I love her lyrics so much, I'm inspired to buy my first record in years. I stay around to get her to sign it, on the inside where there is a picture of a washing line and its says, "Nobody knew whose socks they were, but they had been hanging there for weeks." Watching everyone get cheesy photos with her, I suggest instead we should get them to join us in the Rough Trade photo booth. And my friend is brave enough to ask. Score!
London I know we've had our ups and downs, but right now I love you!
Instead I choose to express my love, by gathering all friends that will follow me on a trip to my mecca, Rough Trade, to see Courtney Barnett and the Courtney Barnetts. Despite claims from some that "lunchtime gigs are weird", I think if you love music you love it any time of the day, and clearly I'm in good company as the place is packed, so much so they had to lock the doors! Last time I was in such a post coital high with this city, was probably in my first summer here and my first trip to Rough Trade to look Kurt Vile in the eye.
Not really sure what to expect from Courtney live, I was happily surprised to find she rocks! And despite 2.5 years in London, transforming me from my pastels of the first visit to Londonite greys and blacks, I still like to express myself with more than the hipster head nod, and its hard not to, getting caught up in their shared smiles which each other, as they are clearly enjoying the gig and the turn out.
With beautifully crafted stories of mundanely simple everyday life its difficult not to smile as well. "Are you eating? You sound so thin" , "I got drunk and fell asleep atop the sheets but luckily i left the heater on." The highlight for me was her new song, Depreston. Inspired by a town in Melbourne called Preston, which she says really isn't that bad....it has a dumping ground....and a post office. The lyrics are even better and despite the sweet melody most of the crowd is cracking a smile. A shame I have to wait until April, when the song is officially released, to hear it again.
I love her lyrics so much, I'm inspired to buy my first record in years. I stay around to get her to sign it, on the inside where there is a picture of a washing line and its says, "Nobody knew whose socks they were, but they had been hanging there for weeks." Watching everyone get cheesy photos with her, I suggest instead we should get them to join us in the Rough Trade photo booth. And my friend is brave enough to ask. Score!
London I know we've had our ups and downs, but right now I love you!
