3/28/014
Tonight was undoubtedly one of the high points of our journey. We roadied for The Barrow Band to Greenoch, Scotland for a children's performance. Let's get one thing straight. The children were being performed for, not doing the performing. I have watched the genesis of the Barrow Band for a number of years now. When we were here five years ago my friend Malcolm LeMaistre had written all of the songs that The Barrow Band now performs. He had just recorded them, and he gave me a rough mix of the songs, so I'd heard it before. I had played Bob the Beaver with Malcolm, and he tried to teach me the Bob the Beaver dance, which in spite of my enthusiasm for the idea, was unable to entirely grock the dance. Well, it turns out that Malcolm has been a serious modern dancer for most of his life.
Now I have been known to write silly songs. I have written a song sung by a seagull who is singing the great pleasures of eating garbage. I have played, and sung a song that is a pig singing the joy of dancing the polka. I can understand going in this direction, but I was never as smart about this kind of songwriting as my friend Malcolm is. He actually incorporates important information in the songs, and part of the act is getting children to answer questions based on the songs. When I first heard them, I was probably less than enthusiastic having been made a fan of Malcolm's other work. Tonight seeing Malcolm perform for children, seeing him dance, sing, act the character that sings those songs about fruits and vegetables, I was entirely taken with it all.
The Barrow Band itself is all younger than Malcolm, and they are all fine performers and musicians in their own right. I got to meet them, although I didn't really have any meaningful conversations with any of them I heard them sing, and play with Malcolm. I think that was enough. Kristi and I helped to move gear in and out of the venue, and I did a live recording. I would have videoed their performance but it turned out that it would have been illegal to have done so as we would not have had the permission of all of the parents involved so I didn't do it. I did a little bit of video before their performance, before there were children involved.
It is great to be here. We have great conversation, and it feels like more simpatico than almost anyplace else we go. Kristi and I both feel a little bit like we are going home when we come here to Scotland. It is the "Outback of Bohemia" here, and we all understand each other perfectly. Malcolm, like me, is very environmentally concerned. He expresses a great deal of horror at some of the attitudes that are in public view in the USA, like gun rights. The truth of the matter is that a lot of the things that are wrong in the USA are wrong here as well. One of the other big ones about the US in his book is our corporate medical system. He, like me believes in basic human rights (food, shelter, medical). It would probably involve a minimum income as well. Call it what you will, it would be a more egalitarian world, and it would leave the world room to solve some of the problems that we all share, like global climate change.
We are about to head out on the road again, this time back to Blyth. From there we will be finding our way to Syston, a suburb of Leicester (pron. Lester). It is the final legs of our journey. Last night we went out for Indian dinner and said our farewells to Malcolm and Mary. It feels a lot like coming home here. The entire experience has felt a lot like coming home in some regards. It’s not over yet. Tomorrow night we’ll play with a band, which should be a kick for us, and I hope for the guys. It definitely isn’t about money. Gotta get on the road now. More later. Steve N.
West Lothian betsanbobs ADDENDUM :
Mename isna Kersty et's KRESTY! Aye, Malcom has a crackin' sex piece band. Et's a wee bet culd aroon here.
Tonight was undoubtedly one of the high points of our journey. We roadied for The Barrow Band to Greenoch, Scotland for a children's performance. Let's get one thing straight. The children were being performed for, not doing the performing. I have watched the genesis of the Barrow Band for a number of years now. When we were here five years ago my friend Malcolm LeMaistre had written all of the songs that The Barrow Band now performs. He had just recorded them, and he gave me a rough mix of the songs, so I'd heard it before. I had played Bob the Beaver with Malcolm, and he tried to teach me the Bob the Beaver dance, which in spite of my enthusiasm for the idea, was unable to entirely grock the dance. Well, it turns out that Malcolm has been a serious modern dancer for most of his life.
 |
| Malcolm setting up |
Now I have been known to write silly songs. I have written a song sung by a seagull who is singing the great pleasures of eating garbage. I have played, and sung a song that is a pig singing the joy of dancing the polka. I can understand going in this direction, but I was never as smart about this kind of songwriting as my friend Malcolm is. He actually incorporates important information in the songs, and part of the act is getting children to answer questions based on the songs. When I first heard them, I was probably less than enthusiastic having been made a fan of Malcolm's other work. Tonight seeing Malcolm perform for children, seeing him dance, sing, act the character that sings those songs about fruits and vegetables, I was entirely taken with it all.
The Barrow Band itself is all younger than Malcolm, and they are all fine performers and musicians in their own right. I got to meet them, although I didn't really have any meaningful conversations with any of them I heard them sing, and play with Malcolm. I think that was enough. Kristi and I helped to move gear in and out of the venue, and I did a live recording. I would have videoed their performance but it turned out that it would have been illegal to have done so as we would not have had the permission of all of the parents involved so I didn't do it. I did a little bit of video before their performance, before there were children involved.
 |
| Malcolm @ home (the farm) |
It is great to be here. We have great conversation, and it feels like more simpatico than almost anyplace else we go. Kristi and I both feel a little bit like we are going home when we come here to Scotland. It is the "Outback of Bohemia" here, and we all understand each other perfectly. Malcolm, like me, is very environmentally concerned. He expresses a great deal of horror at some of the attitudes that are in public view in the USA, like gun rights. The truth of the matter is that a lot of the things that are wrong in the USA are wrong here as well. One of the other big ones about the US in his book is our corporate medical system. He, like me believes in basic human rights (food, shelter, medical). It would probably involve a minimum income as well. Call it what you will, it would be a more egalitarian world, and it would leave the world room to solve some of the problems that we all share, like global climate change.
We are about to head out on the road again, this time back to Blyth. From there we will be finding our way to Syston, a suburb of Leicester (pron. Lester). It is the final legs of our journey. Last night we went out for Indian dinner and said our farewells to Malcolm and Mary. It feels a lot like coming home here. The entire experience has felt a lot like coming home in some regards. It’s not over yet. Tomorrow night we’ll play with a band, which should be a kick for us, and I hope for the guys. It definitely isn’t about money. Gotta get on the road now. More later. Steve N.
West Lothian betsanbobs ADDENDUM :
Mename isna Kersty et's KRESTY! Aye, Malcom has a crackin' sex piece band. Et's a wee bet culd aroon here.
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