Friday morning: It has rained overnight which is welcome
because it has been too hot the last few days. I have not been able to do
anything. We British cannot operate in hot weather. The air feels a lot fresher
this morning, let us hope it lasts. I am listening to a CD which arrived a
couple of days ago. It is called Space Ducks by Daniel Johnston. I
bought it on a whim. I am not sure if I like it yet. This is my second listen.
I think it might grow on me with a few more plays although I suspect that it
might not be his best album. I bought it because I liked the title. I do not
know all that much about Daniel Johnston except Wiki told me that he was an
American singer-songwriter and visual artist regarded as a significant figure
in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. He died in 2019 aged 58 from
a suspected heart attack. He also spent long periods in hospital due to mental
illness. He has a cult following that continues to grow and his work has been
praised for its ‘pure and childlike qualities’. He was also a visual artist
whose work has been exhibited around the world. In 2012 he released a comic
book called Space Ducks – An Infinite Comic Book of Musical Greatness and
the album tied in with this release. The CD also contains a 24-page comic book.
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| Bradford On Avon. |
Anyway, I have not done a lot the last few days because of
the heat. Bike riding was out of the question. I went over to Bradford On Avon on
the train last Sunday for a bit of a family gathering which was nice. We sat
under the shade of a tree in the country park. Bradford On Avon is a beautiful
little town to visit if you ever get the chance. I sold my signed Alex
Higgins book yesterday. I got £19.00 plus postage for it. Not as much as I
hoped, but still a nice little profit. I will try and reinvest the proceeds on
something interesting.
Yesterday I went on an online virtual tour of Belfast which
was interesting. It visited all the areas which influenced Van Morrison. It
brought back some great memories of five years ago on Cyprus Avenue. Also,
Hot Press magazine has been sponsoring daily cover versions of 75 Van
songs on YouTube to celebrate Van Morrison’s upcoming 75th birthday.
I especially enjoyed watching Bronagh Gallagher singing And The
Healing Has Begun. There is a lot more to come including the President of
Ireland Michael D Higgins reciting Rave On John Donne. That
should be quite something. Also, last night I enjoyed a live concert
online by Cara Dillon from Coopers Hall in Frome which is just down the road from here.
Cara is from Northern Ireland, but she lives in Frome now. In the absence of
any gigs these days it was great to watch some live music. Anyway, that is
all for now. If anything exciting happens I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.
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| Cara Dillon. |
