S*T*U*F*F* Reloaded

The Flow is what happens when your creativity starts to work. Take for example a little tiny piece of music that I wrote in Australia four years ago, maybe more. Just a high acoustic guitar thing with a foot tapping. I kept coming back to it as I liked the groove and the chord sequence, but could never get anywhere. But yesterday, I opened it up and just knew what to do with it - 20 minutes later it was layered up with a chorus, some bass, loads of BVs and a cool lead vocal idea… its all down to “The Flow”, which in my case has been stagnant for a couple of years (well, sort of). But the floodgates are open… like I said, its going to be a creative year. I’m working on a record for a friend - ie. writing and recording one for him, in return for a tea-chest which he is making me.

Local history… I was in the local cafe this morning, Sugahill on Kirkdale, Sydenham, which for my money does the best double espresso around (after a year with Air, its unrealistic to drink anything else). Two old guys were sitting there chatting away - I remembered one of them from the old incarnation of the cafe before it closed and reopened - anyway… he asked me where I got my shoes (a pair of Crocs) which proved to be the opening to one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had for a long time. Both of them were experts on local history, going right back to Victorian times, and in exquisite detail, such as informing me about the atmospheric railway that once ran through here. I’d never even heard of one. Its becoming a lost treasure, the art of spontaneous conversation with strangers in public places, but I would like to see it revived. I sat there utterly fascinated for an hour as I was given a full and colourful account of this area where I live.

Lastly chickens. If you eat chicken, and didn’t see Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s show on Channel 4 about chicken farming last night (its on Tuesday nights), then check out his site Chicken Out. Its basically a campaign for free-range chicken to become the norm, and for things like misleading labelling to be removed from supermarket chickens - a point with which I thoroughly agree.

We made a decision years ago not to buy supermarket meat and poultry, to take advantage of the fact that we live in London and can therefore source good meat from organic and traceable suppliers. Our current butcher is William Rose on Lordship Lane, which is fantastic… sure, it means spending a little bit more, but not that much, and the difference in quality is astounding. Not to mention the fact that its nicer to buy from someone who knows your face and gives you a smile when you come through the door, rather than a contemptive glare as they ask you if you have a Nectar card. Most of us buy food according to price, and in such a furious economic climate, I can understand that, although I don’t subscribe to that myself - I do think its a matter of priorities sometimes… two less vodka and cokes a week would buy a free-range chicken. Two packs of cigarettes is a mixed organic box of veg from Abel and Cole. Anyway, I’m not much of a preaching sort, so I’ll pack it in right now. Nonetheless, hats off to Hugh for creating an interesting programme for me that sums up what’s good about television - its informative, well put-together, political, provocative and actually means something.