Archive for January, 2006

Two nights ago we attended a David Gray concert here, and although he is not completely my thing I enjoyed it. Imagine what people like him have accomplished. There was a point in time, where he was sitting, maybe in a bus, maybe at home, maybe on the toilet, with a wine, beer, joint or friend (the combination of on the toilet with a friend is hereby excluded) and he started writing. Words, lyrics that were floating in his head. He crossed out some words because they didn’t fit well, he added some others. Then he added the appropriate music, maybe he did it himself, maybe his band. Now it is a song. He can travel the world, and as soon as the first chords are played of however his words are now accompanied, the crowd smiles, they feel what that song means to them, and they will know and sing the words he once so casually wrote down. These perfect strangers to him all have had a window into his thoughts, and now all have a sense of knowing him, all in their own language. And they will sing his thoughts for him, if he would let them.

I asked a musician-friend recently what he meant by ‘making it’ in the harsh world of music business. Although we could not quite answer it then, I think I won’t get closer than this. Maybe it is not even necessary on this scale. Did you make it when you gave one stranger goosebumps with your words, voice or music? I believe so. Or maybe it is less dreamy, making it might be money, groupies, tv, sex, drugs, 50000 people at your concert.

Nah, let me be dreamy today.

What a relief what a relief. How beautiful is this city! It’s good being back here, actually being in a place I love. Castings have been going on since yesterday, not sure how I’ll do, but as long as I survive without losing my path, I’ll feel fine. Been writing a lot, and considering dropping parts of it here. Travelling like this numbs me, but Paris always wakes me up again. I love it.