eyedropper.co.uk

Saturday went to see Belle & Sebastian at Somerset House, and a splendid evening it was too. There’s something warm and fuzzy about seeing B&S; Looked around to see people hugging each other and nodding away to the music. Then once we’d warmed up a bit they turned it up a notch. Their own numbers were sprinkled with some relaxed cover versions, Stevie had three goes at working out the intro to ‘Waterloo Sunset’ by the Kinks. But it was nicely timed as the sun set.

And what a great place to see a band, here’s a lazily stitched together panorama photo [Somerset House]. The stone gave a real warmth to the sound I thought, though it wasn’t Donnington, it was clear bight and crisp.
All this from a space that has moved far beyond it’s original intention. Fountains during the day, ice rink at Christmas, gigs in the summer; art gallery, cafe, restaurant, bookshop. Somerset House is a true great London space - bravo.

Afterward mrs eyedropper, two friends and myself went backstage (actually the rear terrace) for a chat with our chum Richard the drummer , who was responsible with another mate for nearly killing me with booze at the Christmas Lunch at my house last year. Suffice to say it all got mellow yet messy as we went back to the bands’ hotel, to find the bar only open for another hour, then it was upstairs to deflower the mini bar, no TV through the window though…

Sunday was a write off.

mrs eyedropper and I had a ‘cassette off’ sunday night as we were rooting around in the cupboards in a pre move ‘that can go’ witch hunt. Ahhh, just look at that beauty above, WH Smiths own brand cassette, C60 I believe, masking tape to cover the wholes on the top.. . though some tapes had chewed up paper stuffed in them. What was on it? Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil, terrible sound quality, and not the Crue at there finest it has to be said. . . Actually I read their auto-biog, The Dirt a few months back.

Anyway, after that there were some compilations made by friends, a lot of brit-pop, anyone remember this? There were some oldies/motown stuff that I used to listen to with me dad. Some Cypress Hill, some stuff off the radio, ahhh. All of it terrible quality, and people whine about MP3s. Mind you back then I used to spill coffee on cassettes and all sorts. Everyone seemed to have a battered old tape to tape in their bedroom, nowadays it’s all shiny chrome and surround sound.

Anyway, nice history of the cassette at wikipedia

Radio 3 it to air ’silent symphony’ by John Cage.
Larry J Solomon has an indepth essay on the subject here
I imagine it’s something that you have to see performed rather than ‘listened’ to at home. It’s a bit like looking at a Rothko or Fontana on screen or in a book, rather than standing in front of them in a gallery.

Fontana’s work looks rubbish when reproduced, yet commands your attention when seen in the flesh. Much like 4′33′ I’d imagine. Or it could be shit; punctuated by retired colonels coughing in the audience or the fidgeting of the person next to you?

Silent Radio, or empty, but well lit galleries, blank canvas’. what next, minimalist webpages ?

Chas ‘n’ Dave, oh yeah!
ok, so after a few beers, mainly on my part, as the folks I was with were ‘detoxing’ for January, I hit upon an idea. Chas & Dave should release a concept album, Charles et David, produced by Jean-Michel Jarre. Lapin, lapin, lapin. . . billiards loopy nuts are we. . . but the piece de la resistance would be Joe Le Taxi duet with Vanessa Paradis with loads of ‘knowledge gags’. . . . I’m not going South of the Siene this time o’ night. . . etc.

it’d be great. . . plus it’d open up Chas ‘n’ Dave to Europe, and who knows, maybe next they’ll get on their bikes and colab with Kraftwerk?

can you tell I’ve had a few?