Feeding the Dutch

When touring with music, theatre, whatever travelling you do, food becomes paramount. We had our brilliant friend Bas Pfaff bring his band to Norwich to play at The Playhouse Bar last night. The gig was great...really loud guitars Queens of The Stoneage-esque growling stuff! Our meals together were the wonderful accompaniment to the show. Sharing food is the best way to connect. I am a poor example when it comes to sharing food, as my favourite habit is walking along the street and eating at the same time...I was reminded this weekend that food holds the key to friendship. Jon made a massive stew and then this morning we treated the Dutch/French to Norwich Porridge...reluctantly they agreed to sample it....they said they would need something to join them on the ferry journey...the storm hit last night and the channel will be choppy! Well...they couldn't get enough of it....sail safe Dutch-Frenchie...keep that boat afloat with yer Norwich porridge ballast!

Klang Haus x 8

I didn't write about Klang Haus, I think I was too in it, to reflect. doing 4 shows back to back and then another 4 shows back to back the next day was all consuming. What a privilege, being looked after but 6 crew/volunteers/friends so we could invite strangers safely into our home, plunge them into darkness, roar load music at them, recite extraordinary text through an Ulsterman and listen together. Looking into the darkness then shape-shifting the room with Sal's exquisite slides and films. Doing 8 shows in quick succession allows you to live in it. This is what folks said in response to coming.... 'It's so strange how the room changed once it began. It felt bigger, huge in the dark - but a sitting room all the time. A room full of hypnotised strangers.' 'There was one moment when Jon was at the piano, that a blue projection lit him up and I felt very moved, very beautiful.' 'I wouldn't say I had expectations, no, but I knew it wouldn't be normal.' 'This should be happening more, but I don't know who else could.' 'At times we had to focus to be sure we weren't missing anything..... the darkness sharpened me up..... the pitch black, yes. I heard my heart beat. I didn't want to miss anything. It was so rich. very rich, yes.' 'Was it loud? I got really caught up in it, I couldn't tell.' 'I jumped at the loud bit. Then couldn't keep my eyes off the red guitarist in case he did it again'. 'It's the loudest thing I have heard in a house.' 'Are they German?' 'That was really beautiful, that intimacy.' 'I have a confession to make, I am a foreign man....but I hear you have had great sound in your house.' 'You had to be here. I'll find this hard to explain now, after tonight. You had to be there, inside.' 'It was my favourite gig this year. Does your home have ghosts? I felt someone walk past me in the complete darkness.'