Life seems to make sense when sitting in a slightly dark room, preferably with friends and loves ones, lulled into a silence by the enhanced acoustic sounds of singing and guitar, and if you're lucky - some piano or chilled drums.
Live music takes me to my happy place every time. Without fail.
It was a special occasion on Thursday 17 March - not because it was St Patrick's Day - nor just because the lead singer of Mann Friday was in town and playing at the Half Moon in Putney. But more so, because we were there. Kellz, Haz and Sooz - the three Living it Live girls - as Kellz and I had decided spur of the afternoon to head on down to join Haz and do one last Mann Friday gig while we were all in London.
As we sat outside before the gig, it dawned on us - not only our last MF gig together, (nor the fact that it was warm enough to sit outside), but the fact that we have all come so far since our days of managing, media-ing and helping to market the gigs of Mann Friday. We were now there as guests, merely there to reminisce in the songs that have made so many memories richer and more rounded, songs that have been soundtracks to stories, heartbreaks, sing-a-long road trips and our London lives.
We sat on the carpet for the whole gig, a rare and extremely intimate live gig pleasure - one only to be topped by being in one's own bed or tucked under a duvet - listening to tunes as comforting and familiar as one's favourite childhood toy.
Classics abounded. All acoustic and introduced with snippets of stories. They played Heal, with a line that rang home, 'You can't blame London for the rain... ". It was fitting. And it was final in the most gentle of ways. And then a new song touched all. Pulse was its name. The chorus along the lines of 'I feel alive, some times'. It was good. It was classic Rob Burrell, but current decade Burrell. I can't wait to hear it again.
By Friday, I created a Susi Northam quote - a mantra to live by if you might - "Sometimes we must create space to inspire ourselves before we pressure ourselves to output!"
So it was on midday on Friday that I decided to watch a recently recommended film. 'Once', the story about an Irish singer songwriter busking on the streets of Dublin, was an ideal for Friday afternoon inspiration - the kind of film that had me scribbling notes the whole way through, much the same was as the Half Moon has inspired me over the years - especially when sitting at a table at open mic night Mondays. The Half Moon has been the setting for so many amazing memories over the years. I salute you Half Moon, south west London's best little venue, and to Carrie Davies for all the love she's put into that place over the years!
But back to the movie. 'Once' was my toast to St Patrick's Day, a storyline with a built-in soundtrack of original acoustic tracks by the Damien Rice-esque Glen Hansard. And the song that stuck in my head the most was 'When your mind's made up' - a song name of the repetitive chorus which I found myself singing repeatedly for the rest of the day. It was this combined acoustic affirmation of not blaming London for the rain and realising that my mind is made up that I was left with on Friday. Yes, I am going home. And I don't blame London for anything. I will miss her dearly, but for now, my mind is made up.
Rock on acoustic message affirmation,
x
It was a special occasion on Thursday 17 March - not because it was St Patrick's Day - nor just because the lead singer of Mann Friday was in town and playing at the Half Moon in Putney. But more so, because we were there. Kellz, Haz and Sooz - the three Living it Live girls - as Kellz and I had decided spur of the afternoon to head on down to join Haz and do one last Mann Friday gig while we were all in London.
