It seems that when i was a young man there was no fear and the streets seemed empty, today its an upside down World a tumble of emotions. I remember the milkman being the only person who left our street busy, today I’m stuffed. New York was always busy but on this visit it seems […]
It seems that when i was a young man there was no fear and the streets seemed empty, today its an upside down World a tumble of emotions. I remember the milkman being the only person who left our street busy, today I’m stuffed. New York was always busy but on this visit it seems so overrun with people and cars, i feel trapped by its movement like we are all in a big bag trying to get out. The East Coast is so busy, traffic and people. At the shows people seem happy as ever, although there are more people with mobile phones taking film and pictures. Some texting. The whole experience of a live show has taken on a different nature, one in which people like to be there but also record their visit for their friends or social media, which is lovely. Or is it. Its sometimes distracting to watch people holding up phones, and sometimes even i pads. Its been a long tour and its been the trojan horse that allows Squeeze to return at a later point, next year i would imagine. We have loving fans and they are our friends, as we all get older the memories linger a little longer between us. People say, i saw you in 1982, i saw you at Jones Beach, i saw you when i was at collage in 81. And so it goes. Our grip on the good places still hold, and the West Coast still seems to slip though out hands a little, or maybe just saturation of self. Radio has changed, its gone in so many ways, and the loyal stations we have sway little hold. TV is rare but we are lucky. If we have toured over 50 times then we deserve our latitude, and this tour proved we still have more heat under the pan. America is such a bloody big place, there is much to do but in smaller slices. I feel slightly suffocated by our five week tour, we have achieved so much and been in the same dressing room for many hours at different shows together, chewing small pieces of cud Sushi and small plates. The beds are deflated now, the props put away and I’m home, far from the madding crowd. Back here at home there is Gardeners Question Time on the radio and there is mud all about the fields. Its quite, my internal dressing room is clean and tidy, the nibbles are all gone, its just the turning of another page a view into a window where i once lived. And on my doorstep the future, which can sod off, at least until Santa pops round with his sack of good will. I ended up with Jaw joint dysfunction, Self-help says, your dentist may advise you to do one or more of the following. Eat soft foods so you don’t have to chew food for too long. Stop wide yawning, singing, chewing gum and biting your nails. Yikes… but what about the heavy heart, tears over microphones and fingers and wrists creaking, and yes Doctor i lost weight too. Mostly though, we did it! we achieved so much more than many years before, but now its time to put up the old feet and nod in the direction of sleep while the rocking chair slowly comes to a stand still. Travel and day sheets, prayers and the noise of it all, all cradled in the hands of satisfaction. At the coalface more coal. At the pit head the daylight i have been longing for.