Monday 28th June 2004

Can’t really think of significant events, just been living.

Did have a fantastic time at my Auntie’s 60th birthday this weekend, meeting up with people who have known me since I was a babe and who I hadn’t seen for 14 years since she got married. It was also our first family re-union since then too.
Whilst others camped in the wet at Glastonbury we camped in the mainly sunny but a bit wet Cheshire.

She had asked me to sing. As I do this a lot in public you may think this should really have been easy – they were hardly going to boo me off. But I was more nervous than I was when Zion Train played to 40,000 at Glastonbury NME stage one year.
Sang 3 accapella tunes at the lunch and then really pissed off the celidh by doing a 20 min Zion Train set at the evening do – just me and a CD but it was a great laugh (not really nervous when it was that).
I pointed out to people that this was the point in the evening when they could express themselves freely through the medium of dance, rather than following the deafeningly bellowed orders or the celidh fuhrer…
I was subsequently asked by their bass player whether I wanted to join his 14 piece funk band from Stockport...

Tune of the day

How Sweet it is to be Loved By You

by Junior Walker (well it’s not by him but it’s his Motown version that I love)

Thursday 10th June 2004

Ray Charles died today which really upset me.
It’s funny but I realised when I heard that he’d died that he was one of the people I always expected to meet, not that I had any plan as to how or why, just a feeling. Weird. Maybe we’ll make music together in the afterlife. Not that I believe in the after life, I’ve always thought that it will be like trying to remember a time before you were born.
But I’m reading a book at the minute which is making me want to believe in some version of an afterlife – ‘The Lovely Bones’ by Alice Sebold.
I don’t think a book has ever made me cry quite as much as this book, it’s a very light take on the very dark and immensely heavy but in a sometimes flippant way. It just is. It’s going to be one of those books that you want to go on and on and you miss when you’ve finished reading it.

Not really sure what I’ve been up to but that’s the freedom of this, I’m not obliged to tell you anything!

Album of the day

Ray Charles Sings the Blues

by Ray Charles

Tuesday 1st June 2004

Dear Diary
I am truly sorry for my wanton neglect of the last 23 days.
I half expected to return to the Blog site and find my diary had been deleted due to lack of activity. I hasten to add this doesn't mean there's been any lack of activity on my part. I have mostly:

*Spent 10 days chilling out where my mum and stepdad live in the south of Spain.
*Missed most of a Welsh heatwave by being in unusually unsettled Spain.
*Stuffed my face on Spanish crisps, tortilla and Anton Mossiman's dark and white chocolate ice cream (which my divine mother makes for me every time I go).
*Spent some quality time with DJ Perch's brother and family - he also lives in Spain.
*Had a horrible boil which a Dr attempted to "lance" by sticking a bl**dy great needle into it at which point he was shocked by the volume of shout I was able to produce. The next time I saw him was at the Zion Train gig in Cardigan:-)
*Been on 2 courses of heavy duty antibiotics which messed up my digestive system.
*Spent some happy time chilling out with my sister and her husband in London. They got married in Vegas in March, which I feel is impressive both in terms of commitment and spontaneity/wildness.
*Been to one of my mate's from schools 40th birthday party in Brighton and seen some other lovely people down there.
*Loved creating and recording in the studio.
*Watched 'Best in Show' again and seen 'A Mighty Wind' for the first time.
*Seen my son grow taller, browner more imaginitive and surreal. His current favourite film is 'Microcosmos' but he calls it 'Michael Cosmos'.
*Had a heart stopping 2 minutes when realised aformentioned son was no longer in the play area we were in (later found halfway down Brighton beach).
*Seen my daughter get taller, sturdier, cheekier and get a tan at last!
*Grown to dislike immensely childrens television programmes in which the protagonists seem to spend the whole time whinging or upset - specifically 'Tweenies' and 'Angelina Ballerina'.
*Lost a relative - Ibikunle Taylor rest in peace.
*Spoken to my Dad on the phone for the first time in at least 8 years.
*Invented the word 'regrannification' when a lovely friend of mine became a grandmother for the third time.
*Watched Colin reverse into my car.
*Done 4 Zion Train gigs in London, Bristol, Cardigan and Exeter - thanks to all who came and continue to support us, each gig was a delight in it's own way. Respect due to Jah Tubby Sound who played with us in Bristol and vibrated every molecule of the venue and me (there is very little in life that feels as good as standing infront of a bass bin).
*Been re-embraced by the friend who rejected me (see 22nd April entry).
*Felt compelled to start my second ever remix - of Finnish Ylivoima/Soul Captain Band's track 'Babylon System'.
*Watched the Malcolm McLaren video of the 'Duck Soup' album - music that I loved as a teenager and is still beautiful, inspiring.

On top of all this shopped, danced, cleaned, sung, gardened, cooked, shagged, painted, sewed, DIYed, listened, read (Ricky Tomlinson's autobiography and Zoe Heller's 'Notes on a Scandal - both reccomended tho I've finished neither as yet) and re gravelled the drive!

Tune of the month

Vuli Ndlela

by Brenda Fassie (I only heard this tune for the first time about six weeks ago and already it's in my top 30)