On Friday I played a WaveForms set at the Salisbury Centre. By a curious twist of event management, they had me downstairs in the library droning and doodling and, upstairs, a film interview with Carl Gustav Jung from the 60s, followed by a discussion, with an ample sufficiency of cheese and wine. For most Salisbury Centre regulars there was no competition. I played my set to an audience of two – one who’d come specifically for it and one who worked at the Centre, dropped in to see what I was doing, and stayed. I just played my set, because I love playing this stuff and, it seemed to me anyway, that at one point it did all crystallise into one of those moments of beauty which are the reason I do this. Afterwards I was invited up to get some wine and see the film, which was being repeated (being short); that was quite interesting, and I didn’t get into any arguments with anyone about the lack of any science whatsoever in psychoanalysis. Coming downstairs to pack up, I found a few people chatting in the library and expressing curiosity about what I’d been doing – so much so they asked for a quick reprise, which I was happy to give. They helped me to the car with the gear and I set off happy.
Last night, fresh off a plane from Birmingham, I played at the Acoustic Brew club in Dunfermline, run by Stewart Bell in smart little independent cafe. Stewart’s band, the Johnstown Flood, opened – countryish, relying a lot on Ryan Adams covers but with a few songs by Stewart which I thought were better. Stewart sang, backed by dobro, mandolin and violin. I did a trio of Roadblock songs, then handed over to the main act, Kyle Cuthbert. Very shy, very talented. Using a lot of tapping to get intricate guitar rhythms, but less showy than others I’ve seen; a high, pure voice and songs that were very powerful in places and never less than interesting. One to watch.