Stay awesome, LCD Soundsystem.

Just because I know I won't have time to do a proper blog tomorrow, here's a video commemorating the fact that LCD Soundsystem will be playing their last gig. Ever. It makes me a bit sad when I think too much about it. So I won't think too much about it.

My last day working with them was almost 3 years ago to the day, at Le Bataclan in Paris. Apparently I was in Paris. I didn't see any of Paris. But everyone was speaking French, so I must have been somewhere in the vicinity. It was a rushed day, and James was throwing away his tour shoes, so I asked him to give them to me and I'd see how much I could sell them for at the merch desk (the answer was 2 euros). In Barcelona a few days earlier, the band had let me play with them during soundcheck which was fricking cool. It was the repeated piano part for a track called "All My Friends". That night in Paris, they started playing it, and I suddenly remembered they were leaving for New York, and I wasn't able to go with them, and I'd have to go back to my crummy little flat in London that I'd not even lived in yet, and I dissolved into a complete sobfest. It might have been considered pathetic, if only Amos the tour manager had not appeared out of nowhere that very moment and gave me a huge hug while they performed it. And when it finished, they all waved and yelled at me from the stage and hollered that they loved me, in front of 1500 sweaty French punk ravers. I stood on the merch table and bowed.

This was that song.

As a small aside...

...I wanted to say that LCD Soundsystem are now even more amazing than previously stated. They announced not so long ago that they are breaking up (really, this time. James told me in 2007 that they probably weren't going to tour again. Then they pretty much toured non-stop for the three years preceding that conversation. Which was awesome and I'm stoked they did. But now they're not any more. Fo' reals. It sucks. But, you know, good for them). So they announced a Last Gig Ever at Madison Square Garden (?!?) in NYC and it sold out in, like, minus time. Except then ticket scalpers started trying to charge thousands of dollars for tickets. THOUSANDS.

Anyways they've announced some more shows in the lead up to try and bring prices down and generally do the right thing by their fans. It's super noble. You can tell the whole thing has pained them. I read their blogs sometimes and James' voice reminds me that they were my friends before I knew they were famous people, because he writes exactly the way he talks. It got weird when I came back to the real world and suddenly saw them in context (or out of context, depending on how you look at it). And now they're selling out Madison Square Garden. Holy shit.

I'm sad there will be no LCD after April. But I am blessed to have shared their world for what was arguably the three coolest weeks of my life, when it could have just been 'another thing I did overseas' and potentially just another job. I did other tours. They weren't like that one. They just weren't.

Oh, and they're going to be on Colbert tonight (!!) so you should definitely watch it.

Flaming Lips = good for mental health

It feels different, being off on a weekday. I don't have the overwhelming desire to stab anyone, I can't feel the horrible sensation of my soul leaking out, I don't even need to discretely flee into the bathroom and sob! It's awesome!

Needless to say I have not achieved much today, although I did watch Yo Gabba Gabba and see Wayne Coyne wearing 2 hats at the same time. I have done some noodling on the guitar, but sadly my crowning achievement there was discovering that "I'm Never As Tired As When I'm Waking Up" by LCD Soundsystem has the same chorus chords as "Live In Sunshine" by The Rapture. I wonder if James has ever noticed this.

Choir was enjoyable yesterday as we got to sing inside the church rather than in the little hall off the side of it. The resonance seemingly made the group a bit nervous. We got used to it. I am coming to realise what a funny thing rhythm is, and how not everybody naturally has it (even people who can sing beautifully). Being inside a church again was an experience in itself. I wonder if Cadbury is aware that Advent had this purple business sorted out long before they copywrited it.

In short: I'm not making any progress, but at least I'm a little less insane.

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When you say 'snow'...

Cider, then vodka, then beer, then champagne? When was that ever going to be a good idea?

Thanks are due to the charming folks from Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem for their hospitality last night, even if I did cop abuse for being boring. James dripped with disdain. "Oh I get it. You're gonna bail. Who are you? I'm going to remember you as you were back then. I don't want to hear about your stupid boring office job. I was there when you first saw snow. You were running around like an infant. It was special."

A conversation then ensued where Ben interpreted the word 'snow' to mean 'cocaine' for its entirety, when what it actually meant was 'snow'. I don't think anybody noticed. It was funny in retrospect.

Here's a picture of the original moment as proof of my innocence, Munich, 2007:

The band claimed to be slack and still thinking of a challenge, but Pat promised to get it to us before the year is out. He asked if I knew how to surf, which I don't, which makes me slightly nervous.

I didn't get a chance to meditate yesterday, unless dance-meditation counts. According to something that popped up when I typed that phrase into google: "The goal of meditation is communion with the Spirited Self, and while in our body-mind we can feel this inner Spirit enlivened while dancing, as we hold positive thoughts and caring feelings for ourselves and all." Justification enough for me.

Dance Yrself Clean

Tonight: LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip go head to head at Hordern Pavillion. Excited, much? It'll be Ben's first time seeing a band at the Hordern and the first time I've seen the band play live since the three weeks I spent on the Tour Bus of Love circa 2007. Not sure if I'll get a chance to say hi, but fingers crossed. They owe me a challenge and while James already told me they were up for it, receiving such things as postcards while on tour, are a challenge in itself. Frankly, I'll take what I can get.

Lots of other things to say, but no time to say them in, so in the meantime just enjoy this ridiculous video of James, Pat and Nancy being beaten up and abused by evil pandas. It's a bit hilarious.