A silvery mist lies across the fields. The brisk winds of the previous week have taken most of the leaves now and the trees are wintery bare. Our three tall ashes are empty now. Every morning I look up into the naked branches and wonder whether next spring’s new leaves will carry the blight that threatens to destroy millions of their kin.
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I’m reading Barry Miles’ biography of Allen Ginsberg. I’ve just reached an account of the 1965 Wholly Communion poetry event at the Albert Hall. A hoard of feral poets milling around in the pit of the auditorium barking verse at the surrounding audience. Dick Hughes, Wes Magee, Pete Ellis, Andre Alvin and I up in the cheap seats in our donkey jackets and turtleneck sweaters plugging into the energy. Looking back now, that was the single event that for me marks the beginning of the cultural revolution of the ‘60s. Nothing was ever quite the same after that chaotic evening. (And all these years, Wes, now a highly successful poet, wrote me a short and sweet cover review for Ancient Lights. Irrelevant, but an opportunity for a puff for the book).
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A surprisingly large number of my ex-Drama students have become singer/songwriters. Such is the proliferation that I feel that somehow I have to take some of the credit. When I finally analyse and distill the nature and substance of my curious osmotic gift, I shall bottle it and make it available via this blog. Meanwhile, here are four of my creations:
Lucinda Barry, aka Lucinda Belle
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Reuben’s been in full kit since he got up this morning at 05.30. He had his first football tournament match this morning. The team came last, but not without a handful of goals, one of which Reuben served with a fine pass. I played Soccer Dad, bawling unheeded advice amongst my peers from the touchline.
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A few gigs are creeping in for next year. Two of them I’ll play with Sonny Black and my old friend Doug MacGowan. Here are both in contemplative mood. We can also drive like the clappers, which I hope to be able to demonstrate with some clips from the upcoming gigs.
Sonny Black demonstrating a resonator guitar.
Doug MacGowan with 'Tell Me, Baby'.
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