The most striking image I've come across during the week has got to be the one above of Tolstoy's grass mound grave at his Yasnaya Polyana estate (about 120 miles from Moscow) which I came across accidentally while just surfing the internet.
The grave which is set next to an old tree in some woodland ('The Place of the Green Wand') at Yasnaya Polyana seems to have a profound simplicity, and, for me, provides a worthy resting place for one of the greatest writers that has ever lived. Just read that Tolstoy wanted to be buried here as most of the trees were protected and over 100-years-old.
In my late teens and early 20s, I read 'War and Peace'; 'Anna Karenina'; 'The Cossacks'; and 'Resurrection' by Tolstoy (all translated into English, of course). Also read about the Christian Pacifistic Anarchy-type ideology that Tolstoy formulated in his later life.
But all this seems to be a couple of lifetimes away now, as I struggle to remember much of the specific content of each novel I've read, so I guess it may be time to reacquaint myself with the work of this great literary giant (for me, he stands at the very centre of the Western Literary Canon alongside Shakespeare).
Would also love to go to Russia to visit Yasnaya Polyana (as a kind of pilgrimage to Tolstoy) one day.
Don't know that much about The Young Gods other than a few tunes like 'Skinflowers' (below), and the fact that their work is admired by, amongst others (including David Bowie), Mike Patton of Faith No More above (singing 'Did You Miss Me' with the band). Thus, having already been to three concerts over the past week, what made me go and see another band, one that I'm not that familiar with?
Well, there's a simple answer to this: PURE CURIOSITY. Just wanted to see what The Young Gods were like live, as they have a kind of cult-like status as musical innovators.
So what about the concert itself? Well, beforehand, I'd heard that the band would be mainly doing their Francophone stuff from the first two albums, and this is what they seemed to do.
Did I enjoy the gig itself? Well, I'm not that sure, to be honest, as the (post-) industrial kind of thing isn't really my scene, but, having said this, a few of the tunes did resonate well in my head after the concert (causing me to look them up on Youtube), such as 'Fais la Moulette' and 'L'Amourir' below (live from Geneva in 2012):
Thus, despite not being sure as to what to think about this gig, some positive kind of vibe has grown from Sunday night, prompting me to further explore and become more familiar with The Young Gods' music on Youtube (of course, it may've been a good idea to have done this beforehand, but, on the other hand, this may've made things too predictable).
Went seeing Polish band, Sorry Boys, at Warsaw Basen last night, my third gig in six days. So, how did I discover Sorry Boys then? Well, a couple of months ago, I saw that they were playing the Basen, one of my favourite concert places in Warsaw, and decided to give them a spin on Youtube:
Upon doing this, the title track of the 'Hard Working Classes' album reminded me somewhat of Manchester band, Lamb, as I found Izabela Komoszyńska's kind of gentle 'shrieky' vocal style similar to that of Lou Rhodes of Lamb. Really like Lamb, so this similarity was fine by me.
Anyway, to the concert itself last night, Sorry Boys did my favourite track by them, 'Salty River', two songs in (the video below is from a Polish TV concert some time ago):
For me, 'Salty River' is an interesting track, as it shows there is a harder edge to Sorry Boys, and, thus, cannot be just pigeonholed in some kind of 'dream pop' category. Indeed, at times last night, the band even gave me the impression that they could possibly evolve into some kind of Prog-type format if they wanted to, such was the clear enjoyment they got from the extended instrumental parts of some of their tunes.
Do genuinely like the 'Hard Working Classes' album, but didn't quite know what to make of the band's new material (drawn from their second album, 'Vulcano') last night, such as the very poppy 'Evolution (St. Theresa)':
Yeah, it's good for a band to experiment and avoid being static, but this tune isn't really my cup of tea, to be honest. After the concert last night, I overheard an Australian guy saying that he was left a bit confused as to what kind of type of music he'd just been listening to, and I kind of think that Sorry Boys are in that common early album stage of not being quite sure what line of music to follow yet (of course, this is not a bad thing).
So, which tune seemed to get the best reception of the night? Well, that would have to be 'The Sun' from the 'Hard Working Classes' album (below, a good person has put a video on Youtube of the band doing 'The Sun' from a gig in Wrocław earlier this month):
Finally, last night at the Basen, the band did about an 80-minute set including two encores, and had a healthy-sized crowd purring for more, and, for me, they should've seized the moment by coming back on to do another couple of tunes, but they didn't, possibly missing an opportunity to absolutely nail rather than just entertain an audience.
Still, all in all, this was a good concert and it'll be interesting to see in what musical direction Sorry Boys go in the future.
Saw Tricky at Warsaw Basen on Monday night, this being the third time I've seen him over the years. The first time I saw him was at his legendary early Saturday evening appearance at Reading Festival in 1995, when the whole 'Maxinquaye' thing with Martina Topley-Bird just seemed to perfectly soothe and relax everybody: it was a really fantastic experience, so I still clearly remember it now.
So, after a full day of EFL teaching around Warsaw, why did I go to see Tricky on Monday night? Well, I'd seen him about three years ago at Warsaw Palladium, and hadn't been that into it to be honest, but after repeatedly playing the recent 'False Idols' album, mainly as background music while working on the computer, it just naturally grew on me, and I quite naturally decided that I must go and see Tricky.
About the concert itself Monday night, well, Tricky and his band did a really great 2-hour set, obviously doing the 'False Idols' material, but mixing it in very nicely with older stuff, for me, noticeably tunes like 'Overcome'; 'Black Steel'; and 'Hell Is Round The Corner' from the 'Maxinquaye' album (for me, 'False Idols' is a good album, but still not as good as 'Maxinquaye'). Below, there is a kind of picture of the controlled bedlam when the party-piece version of Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' was being done (still remember seeing Motorhead as a 14-year-old schoolboy on the 'Ace of Spades' tour at Manchester Apollo):
Yes, Tricky and his band, especially the elfine-looking Francesca Belmonte with her impish-like dance moves, were excellent, but the flip side was that the Basen was badly overcrowded with, unfortunately, a few 'knobheads' scattered here and there amongst the majority of normal people (e.g. I saw a couple of 'knobheads' optimally goading a smallish doorman and pushing a much older guy, about 60, to the ground, although the latter was also a 'knobhead'). Also normally don't get (or only get lightly) searched going into the Basen, but, as I'd expected, there was a heavy search for this, and I was even asked to turn my pockets out, although this may've been a wise move given the obvious small number of 'knobheads' amongst the crowd.
Maybe also the first time I've seen a makeshift metal barrier patrolled by security at the front of the Basen stage. Really hope that this doesn't become the norm at the Basen, as the usual lack of barrier between band and crowd makes the Basen a pretty special place, as noticed by Icelandic band, Mum, when playing there in early October.
Anyway, despite a few venue discomforts (in fairness, the first time I've experienced them at the Basen), the concert was really good, at times positively hypnotic - the desired concert effect, and I guess that's the main thing.
My favourite track from 'False Idols'? Well, that would have to be 'We Don't Die' which is genuinely sublime:
A couple of weeks ago, I saw that a band called Planet of the Abts were playing the Klub Progresja in Warsaw, checked them out on Youtube; discovered they were the drummer and bassist of Gov't Mule joined together with another guitarist (T-Bone Andersson); liked what I heard on Youtube (especially the Black Sabbath cover 'Who Are You' above); and quite naturally ended up going to see the band on Sunday night.
First up, I arrived halfway through the set of all-female Led Zeppelin tribute group, Lez Zeppelin, who were more than okay:
Found 'Stairway To Heaven' a bit hit and miss, but the band did rousing versions of 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Heartbreaker', so I was glad that I arrived in time to catch them.
As for Planet of the Abts, well, having seen Gov't Mule at the Klub Progresja earlier this year, I already knew that drummer, Matt Abts (in the picture below), and bassist, Jorgen Carlsson, are seriously talented musicians, but this was my first look at T-Bone Andersson, and must say that I really liked both his guitar work and slow drawling-type vocal style.
For many in the crowd, the highlight of the set seemed to be when a young Polish lad called Darek got on stage playing his violin alongside the band, especially T-Bone:
What I also like about T-Bone is that he seems to be a throwback in appearance, reminding me a bit of both Rory Gallagher and Fast Eddie Clarke:
Yes, like Gov't Mule, I really like Planet of the Abts as they remind me of Rock music the way it used to be done years ago.
How would I describe them? Well, I find them pretty difficult to categorise, but thoughts like 'raw prog with a touch of psychedelia mixed in' spring to mind. Just one small disappointment, the band didn't seem to have done 'Circus' while I was leaving for my last bus home at 10.50 (of course, they could've done it afterwards).
I found the picture above, showing some Polish youths setting fire to the controversial rainbow frame at Plac Zbawiciela during a Patriots' March on Indepensence Day last Sunday. Of course, this action was routinely condemned as wanton vandalism or hooliganism on the part of Polish Nationalist youths, but an important question remains of what might've prompted the youths concerned to burn the rainbow frame as they did, and why flowers are now being placed inside the rainbow frame:
Could it be that some of the youths viewed the rainbow frame as a symbol of Western politically 'correct' imperialism? In Poland, there is some deeply felt fear about politically 'correct' ideology being imposed on Polish society, as the failure of Western multiculturalist experimentation is clear to see (acknowledged by Angela Merkel, amongst others, of course).
Having said this, after speaking to quite a few Poles, very few of them seem to be aware that the rainbow, as a symbol, has been hijacked by the gay rights lobby and other politically 'correct' causes in the West. Thus, the burning of the rainbow frame at Plac Zbawiciela remains something of a riddle for me.
All in all, just can't understand why a Western-style rainbow symbol has been stuck up in the middle of Warsaw.
Love this old picture of my late mother when she was a child. Today, it's the second anniversary of my mother's death, so having these kinds of pictures means a lot to me.
When I'm thinking about places caught in a time trap, 'The Spotted Cow' on Bell Lane in my hometown of Bury, Lancashire, immediately springs to mind. For me, this place doesn't seem to have changed in any way at all since the early/mid-1970s (my earliest memories of the place as a young schoolboy).
Yes, long gone are Bensons Toffee Works (for me, the heart of the East Ward community died when this was closed down); the Co-op across the road (where my late mother used to work), and 'Sally's Pie/Cake Shop' just round the corner, while the 'Horse & Jockey' is now 'The Old Crow', and many other Bell Lane pubs ('The Fleece'; 'The Grapes'; 'The New Inn'; 'The Brewers' etc.) have long disappeared.
However, caught in its own magical time trap, 'The Spotted Cow' just trundles along, seemingly never running out of energy, just effortlessly providing the pints for local punters.
To be honest, I've only ever been in 'The Spotted Cow' a handful of times in my life, but would be genuinely sad if it were ever pulled down. But why? Just pure nostalgia, I guess, as the pub is one of the last standing cultural symbols of the old East Ward area of Bury where I lived as a child in the 1970s.
Was at Warsaw Sała Kongresowa to see Randy Crawford last night. The last time I was here was about 5-6 years ago to see PJ Harvey, while I've also seen Yes; Kraftwerk; Tracy Chapman and the Gotan Project here over the years.
As can be seen in the picture above, the Sała Kongresowa is a gorgeous, Classical-type building. However, the place can be a touch pompous, for example, last night, I was ordered to leave my light jacket in a cloakroom before I could enter the theatre.
Anyway, Randy Crawford (just about visible on the right below) was fantastic doing her most famous tunes: 'Rainy Night in Georgia'; 'One Day I'll Fly Away'; 'Street Life'; and 'Almaz'. However, as 'Almaz' was the first encore, I had to sacrifice half of it so that I could retrieve my coat (just didn't fancy battling it out with 2,500+ others after the show).
Besides the more famous tunes, I was happy to see that I recognised quite a few of the more Jazzy songs from the 2011 'Leverkusener' concert video:
As for the Joe Sample trio, well, in the absence of Joe himself, I've got to say that son Niklas Sample is one hell of a bassist, while both the drummer and pianist are also top notch:
Another word about the Sała Kongresowa and it's not a bad one: the sound is really good there (still find the ambience of the place difficult to like, though)
Also really like the incredible alcoves and ceiling at the Kongresowa:
And the last word about Randy Crawford? Well, she's got such a beautifully soft and yet measured, and, in its own way, powerful voice, and she makes it all look so effortless. Thus, she has a great God-given talent.
For years, I kept passing this old chapel (called Park Chapel), just before you turn left into Ramsbottom - near Stubbins, and it was really black, almost dilapidated-looking, so I feared that it was going to get pulled down. However, during my last trip to Bury in late May this year, I was really pleased to see that the building had been done up, and it even looked like it was still functioning as a chapel. In particular, I find the front window (below) really eye-catching:
Of course, a big well done to whoever has taken care of this place, as we need to keep on preserving such aesthetically pleasing buildings.
When I lived in my hometown of Bury, Lancashire many moons ago, I would simply walk past something like the slated, rear-end wall above, which is near the top of Walmersley Road, without thinking about it. However, when I go back to Bury now, having moved away from the place about 17 years ago, such distinct features as the slated roof above now stick out, as I now more recognise the uniqueness of my hometown, and start to value the place where I was brought up a little bit more. Having said this, I'm not trying to say that Bury is a great place to have been brought up.
Had a thoroughly enjoyable time at Warsaw Zoo on Saturday afternoon, although I never got to see some of the animals, such as the rhinos above (on a picture at the zoo entrance), because it was either too cold for them, or they had already retired sleepily for the day. Indeed, somebody explained to me today that it's much better to visit a zoo in the morning when all the animals are more likely to be up and active, and I guess that this stands to reason.
Anyway, the first thing you see as you enter the zoo are the pink flamingos:
After this colourful start, if you turn right, there is the exotic-bird section, where you can see quite a few different kinds of large 'parrot-type' birds (you can see that I'm no expert on birds):
Only caught glimpses of the monkeys; elephants; and giraffes from a distance, and never got to see any of the big cats, but did manage to see several small kangaroos/wallabies, like the one in the picture below:
Also got a nice shot of the zebras as it started to get dark after 4pm, which was weird, almost safari-like, photographing such creatures in the dark:
Managed to get a nice shot of these storks in the darkness as well:
The storks are a celebrated bird in Poland, as in spring/summer, they fly in from Africa to resettle in their huge nests, which have usually been built on top of such things as telegraph poles.
However, the small (red) panda, advertised in the picture below, was the creature that really gave me the runaround, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get a decent picture of the thing, so I guess that I'll just have to try again some time:
Anyway, there was a happy ending as I did manage to get some decent shots of the small sloth below, seeing this animal being the highlight of my visit to the zoo for me:
Up there, happy and comfortable on his perch, the small sloth reminded me of a wise little Buddah, as it was amazing how human he looked.
Spent a very pleasant late autumnal afternoon at Warsaw Zoo today, where I met my good friend, the sloth. As expected, he was very tired and a little bit shy, but also very friendly towards all his visitors. Of course, as usual, he was more than happy to keep still and pose for people's pictures:
Yes, must say that the sloth looks very wise in the picture above, giving people the really wise message to take things easy and not get stressed out.
For the first time in a few years, I went for a walk round Warsaw Powącki Cemetery on All Saints Day this evening. I would guess that the cannon-type grave above is that of an important soldier. Love the Polish (Catholic) tradition of putting candles on the graves of the dead on All Saints Day. Masses of people walk around the cemeteries remembering their dead relatives in a far from morbid way.
The grave above caught my eye, because the cross is very realistically carved like a tree. In contrast, I was interested in the grave below, because breaking away from general Polish tradition, it's really colourful, so I guess that it must be the grave of an artist.
