Failing to soothe the savage breast

[shewhomust]

Last night we took ourselves and our coughs to the Sage to hear Aly Bain, Ale Möller and Bruce Molsky: a Shetland fiddler, a Swedish multi-instrumentalist and an American old-timey musician ("from a little village south of New York - it's called the Bronx"). Three fantastic musicians, and a rich mix of traditions. Sometimes it sounds like this:

The video (of a show at Lerwick's Mareel) seems to be using a fixed camera; last night Aly Bain was wearing bright white trainers which shone in the spotlight, as if they were dancing of their own volition while he listened to the other two playing. But you can tell from the video that they are really enjoying playing together, and responding to each other's input. Which is why, for example, Bruce Molsky, very apologetically ("it's just a pop song - something I'd been singing in soundchecks - but Ale said I should sing it..."), sang Abraham, Martin and John, and why they paired it with a tune from Fetlar, because it seemed to be a good fit.

So, anyway, the music was great, and I wasn't. I felt less guilty when I realised, from the amount of coughing all round the audience, that I wasn't the only person there who had decided that they weren't going to miss this show, cough or no cough. But it wasn't pleasant, and I did seem to be coughing constantly (more than I am tonight, for example, though tonight is still not good). As we left the hall, durham_rambler suggested that the drying effect of the air conditioning had been adding to the problem, and that's quite plausible, both on the face of it and because of how it accounts for symptoms of which I'll spare you the description. And although I felt a bit better as soon as we were out of the building, I had a pretty rough night.

Which is why durham_rambler phoned S. and invited her to accomkpany him to tonight's Ewan MacColl tribute concert in my place. I had been looking forward to it, and I'm naturally disappointed, but right now I'm just glad I can cough if I need to, and take some cough linctus, and go to bed when I'm ready -

- which would be now, actually.

Comments

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

..."dancing of their own volition" is the most poetic epithet I ever heard about a garment, I think. Maybe you should write for fashion? I can(!) see this happening albeit maybe not tonight, then.

The music isn't my usual thing just as little as I assume you normally listen to Reverend Leg or Left Lane Cruiser but I do love seeing people playing, as it seems; for enjoyment, mainly, and, together not as with some bands (I've known; say Psychotic Youth at Roskilde;) where everyone keeps turning the PA up to hear themselves better than their co-members. The result of that attitude is seldom satisfying.

Coughs are mean things and air-conditioning can make them worse, I almost died once in Vienna where we had 37°C+ outside the new hm shop and a freezing stiff breeze on the inside that rendered not only me ill with bronchitis for two months (half the team had to be sent home and new workers flewn in from allover ürop, must have cost hm a fortune). I'll never forget the flight home (first class, for hm spent it all on new openings on then new markets such as Austria, it was the first shop ever there back then but by keeping normal wages just above law level because they got sued to do so) where every single passenger anywhere near my neverending fits tried to serve me cognac with fresh hankies, etc.
Once it stopped I naturally asked for...wine but simply nodded out of pure exhaustion when my seat neighbour insisted on my having champagne instead and as I learned, this was paid for by my company store, it did make me feel all that much better and gal, did my seat neighbores seem relieved to be spared the noise for a rare moment of peace&quiet...although I was not alone; I could hear fellow sufferers farther off getting into the mood.

Maybe, the doctor is an option if it keeps going on for longer? Til then, the classics of tea with milk and honey can work wonders, I sometimes take it just to fall asleep evenings and if only one does sleep, it usually gets better but whom am I telling...so do have a rest while durham_rambler is out partying.

Here, I'm looking forward to a Short People free weekend (the last week was exhausting and I'm not even ill or anything) and the first day in a while on my own as M. Cro Magnon works walls further off the premises. (*phew*;=)) There is something to be said for a piece of quiet on one's own, at times. Just mentioning; to make you feel better about yours!
*sorry about the traditional, multiple edit*

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I can't see me writing about fashion. About clothes, hmm, perhaps, but fashion? No.

I, too, love the interplay between musicians having fun together. And live music in general.

The pharmacist says, if it isn't better in two or three weeks, see the doctor. Two or three weeks seems like a very long time, but Monday will be the end of two weeks, and if there is no improvement by then, I will go to the doctor. But although it is unpleasant, it isn't anything very special - I'm hearing lots of coughing around me wherever I go!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Last night was bonfire night. The fireworks made a great noise, but I saw nothing. I remembered our evening with you and M. Cro Magnon in your ringside seat for the fireworks...