Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

November ended on a high with Shearwater delivering a blasting set at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar. They were mesmerising to watch and the energy coming from the stage was palpable. Many encores saw them run out of rehearsed material but founder Jonathan Meiburg carried on alone playing crowd requests until curfew. It was a gig which had me reaching for their album ‘Animal Joy’ the moment I got home. ‘You As You Were’ missed making the festive round up by a whisker but you can hear it and a little more here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBLB-_b3_Jk&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIVU2AHfdeQ

 

December saw my mood chill and slide like mercury in a thermometer. My soul entombed in the pointless struggle of the day to day; an endless snaking balance sheet with no double line. I call these becalmed periods a ‘Peggy Lee’ thanks to the song ‘Is That All There Is’ which perfectly expresses my frustration and miasma. This existential masterpiece was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller during the 1960s and covered countless times since by singers as diverse as PJ Harvey and Chaka Khan, but Peggy’s version has never been bettered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VscVP_Gt_s&feature=player_embedded

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is...

 

During these storms I struggle to see the positive and yearn to escape from a noose of debt and servitude. All my energy is spent on suppressing the urge to simply up sticks and disappear somewhere. Luckily common sense has prevailed thanks to the little things which bring respite from the gloom. This week the sight of a green woodpecker buzzing from tree to tree as I walked to my car was one such moment. Seeing the red capped streak in an urban setting was like finding a twenty pound note in the street.

 

On December 7^th a more prolonged break in the clouds came in the shape of the inimitable Martha Wainwright. Although stripped down in comparison she put her brother to shame with a repertoire trapeze vaulting between stomping indie, standards, Piaf and some Kate McGarrigle for good measure.  She was simply a wonder and the icing on the cake was meeting her with dear friend Marije after the show. I even managed to squeeze a Christmas CD into her hand which she seemed genuinely grateful for. Here she is talking about and singing from her marvellous Piaf tribute Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, à Paris. http://vimeo.com/12222663

https://www.facebook.com/My.Sundown/posts/10151122324506012?comment_id=23935786&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/media/set/?set=a.376231765799537.89083.263206980435350&type=1

And for the uninitiated here’s the first song I saw her perform years back in 2004 as support to brother Rufus at the Brighton Dome -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX-bIr8dr6U
She wrote the song about her father Loudon Wainwright III and in a 2005 interview said -

'for most of my childhood Loudon talked to me in song, which is a bit of a shitty thing to do. Especially as he always makes himself come across as funny and charming while the rest of us seem like whining victims, and we can't tell our side of the story. As a result he has a daughter who smokes and drinks too much and writes songs with titles like Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole.'
Tuesday 10^th saw another show in a church, this time by Patrick Wolf at St. Mary’s. However the space was freezing and the high vaulted ceiling had the sound lost in a muddle of echoes. A great shame really as the boy has a massive talent. Darling Amanda and I did our best to keep warm by huddling together, craning our necks for a view and sipping wine that anyone taking communion would have spat out. Not a great success really, but he did sing ‘The River’ as an encore which sent me home feeling a little happier. It is one of my favourite songs, perfect for a ‘Peggy Lee’ at Christmas and here it is - http://www.youtube.com/v/GpFudDAYqxY&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1

 

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
I'm going to make a lot of money
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

I made my baby say goodbye

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on