The work doc says I am allowed four sessions of half an hour a day on a keyboard. Which is quite rubbish especially as that’s just about enough to function in my job. Mind you it’s better than nothing… this post has been lashed together in downtime, 5 minutes here and there at the end of a session.
After being a bit depressed about RSI I’m now quite busy with non-keyboard related projects for a little while. Some of it may surface here. I’m told things will get better.
You can write to me at:
John Eden, BM Box 3641, London, WC1N 3XX, England, UK.
The Solution Sound benefit for Spirit was excellent – all sorts of people skanking inna Homerton, just round the corner from Jah Tubbys place.
BASH was even better than the amazing debut. More people, more vibes. I spent most of Seamus’ set chatting with Martin, but he played some stormers. Mala was great – he played Ding Dong and that track that Loefah kicked off with last time. I have no idea what it is but it sounds just like a Disciples tune from about 10 years ago. I mean that in a good way, it made we want to check out some more of this young people’s “dubstep” music, heh heh.
I was looking forward to Digital because I assumed that someone who had released tunes like “Natty Dread” would really know what they were doing. It was a good set of dancehall classics, “Greetings”, “Police in Helicopter” etc – all played off CD. Not that that should matter really, but it still seems to, especially as he seemed to be playing them a bit on the quiet side to my ears. I went and accosted Pokes about it, that’s how strongly I feel about things! “Can you make him turn it up?” “apparently he’s going to – later!”…
YT, the white MC, was on top form. Rodigan has been caning YT’s “England Story” which is version of the 85 riddim that covers the history of reggae in the UK- nods to Saxon and Shaka and all that. Needless to say, this got an outing and went down a storm, as did an anti-paedo vocal also on 85.
The low point of Digital’s set was a selection on Drop Leaf, which I felt was a bit out of character for Bash. Can we have a “Drop Leaf moratorium”, please? Like guitar shops and “Stairway to Heaven”? 😉
Loefah didn’t play back to back with The Bug this time cos Digital was late. Damn! So Kevin came on last with Warrior Queen – who wasn’t there last time cos she’d lost her voice. The volume was ramped up. WQ got to business with some familiar stuff like “Aktion Pak” – she always looks like she’s really enjoying herself, relaxed and On It. My vocal chords got a working out when I heard her coming in on top of the instrumental to Papa Levi’s “My God My King”. Yeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssss!!!!
At some point the lights came up completely unexpectedly. We all blinked at each other and then smiled big big smiles. Another triumph.
wait
im confused (which is nothing new)
Martin DJs???
who played stormers–Martin or Seamus?????
Martin gave the impression on his blog that there were a bit lot of digi-dub??? really??? that shite is still around????
all the same, this wld be reason # 58690348698396809218602809825707206702760270620682098608 why i wished i lived in England
fuckfuckfuck, if i thought i cld find work…………….aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
I shall take the liberty of replying, since John Eden is currently using his RSI as an excuse to laze around on the sofa all day (though his wrists seemed to work fine when he was lifting bottle after bottle of Bud to his lips) ; “I spent most of Seamus’ set chatting with Martin, but he played some stormers” – ha ha. Yes, it comes across like John was at the mic shouting “Standing ovation…lick wood!” while I DJ’d. But I actually have only ever DJ’d once and it was an unmitigated disaster, I got as far as dropping the needle all over 4 records before being asked to stand down, hence ever since I have maintained that all DJs are snobs and, like the freemasons, the ones in London have conspired to keep me away from the decks. Hope this explains!
Also I may have been wrong about the digidub, it was more like Ariwa style stuff at one point (I think). I can’t even remember getting home though.
Ive just checked, and Its true Martin, youre on the DJ blacklist!
I can put a good word in for you at the next lodge meeting, but Its gonna take at least 60 hours of trainspotting, 2 well mixed (but boring) internet mixes, and a testicle (or equivalent body part) to get you back in…
Come back John – all is forgiven!
John is SO going to love dubstep by next Xmas.
Assuming it doesn’t go shit, that is.