There is a grey heavy sky over Stockholm today. The good thing about that is of course that things can only get better (-Howard Jones). Or maybe we will just give up on this day and try again tomorrow.
Walrus once did a gig in Svalbard at a restaurant. We started the gig as we always do with a blistering A and then from there we just go. For 40 - 60 minutes of a mix between Kraut, prog and more cinematic stuff. Pretty loud, noisy, After about 30 minutes we had cleared the place. Everyone had left except the bartenders who loved our performance as it probably meant that the could close early that night.
Back in the old days I would have been devastated. Were we that Bad? Why did they hate us?
Nowadays I seriously dont care. I dont. Things become incredibly complicated when you let other peoples judgement direct you. Last year I recorded with an artist who was constantly thinking about his audience. "They like this song when I play it live. This songs lyric will probably appeal to people."
And the results became...less than great.
We have only a certain amount of chords and rhythms...so what makes Frank Sinatras lovesongs different from Miley Cyruss or Screaming J Hawkins? Its about personality and the choices those artists made. That makes it special and dare I say it....unique. Their standpoints, their outlook, their story. I have a hard time seeing Screaming J Hawkins pondering what a pale dude in a grey Stockholm new years day 2014 would think of "Hong Kong" or "I put a spell on you". And the idea that he would try to change something to suit that same pale dude is just ridiculous.
Im interested in you. Your views and ideas of the world. Your version of a broken heart. If you try to tailor it to my tastes we will have a problem. You are far more interesting than me. I know....I spent almost all my time with myself. We need your version of weird, odd and wrong. The mainstream is a very crowded place. But I know this great bar just outside of the mainstream. Meet me there. Ill bring microphones. You bring the music and the story.
What should we have done at that restaurant in Svalbard?
Broken up the Mekanik groove and played "summer of 69" instead?
I dont think so...I think Walrus should become the biggest thing since the four freshmen so that the Svalbard gig becomes a classic gig where everyone can say. "I was there and it was...amazing"
Its 2014, kids. Surprise me.
Now playing: American Music Club - The golden age
PS I lost my Nancy Reagan biography that I was reading at the gig in Svalbard if you have found it please email me at Rothhandlestudios@gmail.com and just tell me how it ends.
....and yeah Martin Gustafsson took the picture.
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