Last weekend was another ATP, my third one. The venue has moved to Minehead, it's probably twice the size as it was when it was at Camber Sands but it's bloody miles away! The chalets are certainly much nicer though. This has to be the politest festival I've ever been too, everyone is so meek and indy. Highlights included Shellac (so good I saw them twice), Les Savy Fav (exciting but not loud enough for my liking), Battles (guitars+laptops) The Notwist (is this pronounced NO-TWIST or NOT-WIST? Could someone let me know), and carrying Annalise in my arms whilst running and singing 'Holding out for a Hero' by Bonnie Tyler after she twisted her ankle. I thought this was a beautiful moment but she had no recollection of it in the morning.
I'd had this for ages but never really wanted to watch it, not due to any latent homophobia just because I thought it was going to be really boring. I was pleasantly surprised. It's incredibly beautiful and although the 2 leads are selfish, aggressive, self-destructive and generally not very likeable I still sympathised with them, and the fact that the affair between them basically rendered them unable to have any other form of life.
Devil's Backbone
By the director of Pan's Labyrinth. Pretty similar in tone and set at the same time, the Spanish Civil war. Set in a boys orphanage (or orphanarium if you prefer), which is haunted by the ghost of a small boy. I really enjoyed this, like Pan's Labyrinth the 'reality' part of the film is strong and not simply a bookend for the fantasy or in this case horror.
LoudQuietLoud
A documentary about the Pixies reforming in 2004. Pretty interesting if you're a Pixies fan. It all starts off well and I was surprised how well everyone seemed to get on. Things take a tragic turn for the worst when Dave Lovering, the drummer who has since given up drumming and turned to metal detection and magic, loses his Dad to cancer. He attempts to distract himself with copious amounts of valium and booze and buying an ipod. Kim Deal still seems to find it surprising how adored she is by young and insecure indy girls!
Thought I would try and start posting again as I'm sick of opening everyones blogs at once into tabs in Firefox and seeing mine first with a post written ages ago. I wonder if anyone still looks here, I guess I will find out..
Not much of interest to report really. I've started learning guitar, well I say started, I've had a guitar for several years now but it was only when Annalise bought me a second one that I decided I should really learn a chord other than G, so I've started getting lessons. It's like being back in school. My teacher does a seemingly huge amount of preparation for each lesson. Finding songs I like, transcribing them, and even recording himself playing the simplified version. I've had 5 so far, currently learning the Johnny Cash version of "I see a darkness" by Will Oldham. It's got some barre chords in, who invented those? I've definitely improved my strumming but my chord changes still have a way to go. I've started reading 'Guitar Man' by Will Hodgkinson, a journalist who gets to his mid-thirties and decides to learn guitar, but rather than going to a teacher round the corner, he gets lessons from his favourite guitarists, including Johnny Marr and PJ Harvey, hmm, I wonder if there are room for 2 almost identical books on the market, I'd love to get taught by these people.
If only we could perfect Matrix-esque downloaded learning, man, I'd be so good at guitar and samurai swording by now!
