some top 3s (I don’t think I did anything 5 times at Greenbelt except brush my teeth…)
Top 3 music highlights
- Spearhead
- Nizlopi
- Lleuwen Steffan, Huw Warren and Owen Evans
Top 3 non-music things from the program
- Jude Simpson’s poetry/comedy gig
- The Northern Ireland discussion
- Paul Powell’s Liquid Lunch, with Jude Simpson, Gareth Higgins and Cole Moreton.
Top 3 eateries
- the new Burrito van (definitely a favourite)
- Nuts
- the Burrito place again (didn’t go anywhere else really)
Top 3 things I wished I’d seen
- Clive Stafford-Smith
- Alistair McIntosh’s seminars
- Bill Drummond’s interview
(fortunately loads of the seminars and talks can be bought here)
Top 3 people I vaguely knew before but got to chat to lots more
- Gareth Higgins
- Paul Chambers
- Joe Fisher
(very nice to make your further acquaintance, gents)
All four of the me-playing moments went really well, so can’t pick favourites there, and everyone I got to play with over the weekend – Julie McKee, Steve Stockman, Simon Jones, Mark..? (fab poet whose surname I didn’t catch, sadly), Huw Warren, Andrea Hazell, Harry Napier, Juliet Turner… were all fab. The poetry and bass stuff (Stocki, Simon Jones (‘is unwell’) and Mark) was a whole lot of abstract fun, and the Recycle gig continued the tradition of Recycle gigs resulting in some of the loveliest music I can imagine. All good, nothing bad.
Greenbelt really is my favourite weekend of the year, and selling lots of CDs and T-shirts is kind of a lovely icing on the cake.
It speaks volumes that I took no photos at all over the weekend – was far too busy having fun to faff with a camera. But there are squillions of great photos on the Greenbelt website.
If you weren’t there, put the last weekend in August in your diary for next year now. It’s magic.
Hi Steve,
Last Sunday I bought 3 CDs at Greenbelt:
– your ‘behind every word’
– Julie McKee
– Lleuwen Steffan
and then I accidentally bumped into the Recycle gig and found both yourself, Julie and Huw Warren on stage at the same time! Magic!
So thanks a lot, really enjoyed getting to know your music.
cheers, herman
Thanks, Herman! Really glad you enjoyed the gig and the CDs – playing with Huw and Julie was such a fantastic experience. Two really amazing musicians!
Steve
Magical it all was…
You were one of the bright lights of my little world this GB – look forward to seeing where the connection will journey friend
Paul
Sorry I missed your gigs at GB..missed so much I wanted to see on account of working 18-20 hour days…mmm some rebalancing needed methinks!!!! But I take comfort in the fact that I can catch you in London soon…lvoe Sallyxxx