The fag end of an awkward August, after a July of unusual and interesting things (getting back from NYC, Buck House, Latitude, The Hague). Since then, as the song nearly goes, there ain’t nothing been going on ‘cept the rent. I’m still annoyed with the weird smell of mould (or damp, or drains) in my room, which is lingering for the umpteenth week despite my bleaching and cleaning everything in sight. And I now have a summer cold, so I’m snuffling, sneezing and battling through a oppressive headache, exasperated by the August mugginess. Right, moaning done. Thank you for the indulgence.
Am typing this in a pub on the Brighton seafront. As penniless as I am, I can just about afford to impetuously hop on a train if, like today, I’m desperate for a change of scenery, as long as it’s an hour or less away. Hence Brighton. Partly because the forecast was cooler than for muggy old London, but also because I like the sea, and piers and promenades, and you can suddenly nip off to see all those things in Brighton so very easily.
I am rather partial to Brighton, with its compact assortment of worlds: its famous gay scene, its New Age Goth and Eco-Hippy scene, its Aging Student scene, its English Slacker scene; and more, all jostling alongside the generic seaside town elements: elderly tea shoppers, football fans, and that certain strain of Middle England pub bloke whose game of darts would normally pause mid-flight if I entered the room. Brighton is not quite London On Sea, but neither is it an Everybloke’s regional seaside town. Somewhere amid this schizophrenic straining – confused and proud – I slip happily through.
***
Saturday morning on Archway Road: I pass a man out walking his cat. Not on an leash – that really would be strange – but the cat is trotting faithfully alongside its master all the way down the road, just like a dog. It even stops to investigate street lamps – or me when I pass – only to rejoin the man when whistled. I wonder if it’s a dog trapped inside a cat’s body, and whether it’s saving up to have the operation.
***
Recent outings: to the Tate Britain this morning for ‘The Lure Of The East’ show, on its last day. Victorian paintings on the theme of what’s now called Orientalism, the term coined in the 1970s by Edward Said. So the exhibition is a 2008 perspective of an 1800s’ perspective, guided via a 1970s theory. It could be subtitled ‘How Westerners Got Arabs Wrong’. Lots of glowing Holman Hunts and Lord Leightons, beautiful in any context. There’s a landscape by John Lavery of Tangier in the 1890s (‘The White City’), so that’s me happy.
Have stumbled upon the excellent ‘Leon’ chain of organic & ethical & generally groovy cafes. The branch in the Strand has a 1950s style decor (and tasteful with it), friendly staff, and free WiFi. Not too trendy, not too corporate (yet…). Somewhere to meet people now the New Piccadilly’s gone.
***
Nights out in August… Thursday eve was spent DJ-ing for Tricity Vogue at the Volupte venue in Chancery Lane. The Weds before that, I attended the Glam Racket night at the Boogaloo, saying hello to Delia S, whom I’ve known off and on for years, plus Sebastian G and his young friends, all of whom are regulars at Simon Price’s night, Stay Beautiful, which is still going strong.
Other August activity: attended The Beautiful & Damned at the Boogaloo last week, where I chatted to Taylor Parkes (now a doting dad), and enjoyed solo sets by Martin White (on accordion / piano) and Tricity V. Mr W has reached the kind of confident, audience-working level of showmanship only possible after hundreds of performances, squeezing in stand-up comedy along with the squeeze-boxing. His new EP with the Mystery Fax Machine Orchestra (featuring Fosca’s Kate D)Â is a joy, by the way: Tom Lehrer meets ELO (on acid… drops). You can get it here:
http://www.myspace.com/themysteryfaxmachineorchestra
While I’m in a plugging mood, here’s a YouTube video trailer thing for the new book by my NYC author friend, Tony O’Neill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNiXWMyKhUI
He also has a blog:
http://downandoutonmurdermile.blogspot.com/
