Lapis back Damo, equinox party

21—22 September 2019
Ramsgate Music Hall and Perry Wood

Well that was quite something! One continuous set, about 80m I think, with Lapis Lazuli backing legendary Can vocalist Damo Suzuki as his "sound carriers". This is how he tours these days, working with bands he's never even rehearsed with, hardly spoken to. I ended up on a child-sized plastic chair in the middle of the front row (everyone else standing — thanks Lila!), at Damo's feet, as he dripped sweat, eyes closed, and moaned, murmured, gurgled and whispered his way through an indescribable sonic landscape. The jam started with just Neil and Martin on guitars, then joined by Adam on drums and Luke on bass — apparently he'd used random numbers to make this decision.

The Sunday before I'd hosted a woodland musical "avant-picnic" with Sam Bailey and co.'s "Ways of Being" project (several dancers inside a large gold blob, and Sam on melodica, harmonium and synth drones) before Lapis attempted a run-through with me in the guise of Professor Appleblossom taking Damo's place. I downloaded a few recent mathematical physics preprints from arxiv.org and, behind the protective layer of my labcoat and distorting little vocal amp, read the most exotic sounding passages in a kind of improvised way, attempting to interact rhythmically and texturally with the band's jamming. That went on for about 70 minutes — I got really into it! As an "encore", I asked them to get a Krautrock groove going so I could deliver the lyrics to The Fall's "I Am Damo Suzuki". I don't think any of them had ever heard it (or listened to much Fall), but they ended up sounding surprisingly Fall-like, and with the distorted vocals, I sounded a bit like Mark Smith shouting through his megaphone! Here's that:

Immediately afterwards I got the last train to Faversham and then cycled out to Perry Wood for an autumn equinox party at Lewis's place. He was playing a mellow psychedelic electronica set when I arrived, which I enjoyed while spending a while catching up with old friends. Not much of a dancing thing going on on this occasion, everyone was super-chilled. Lew's girlfriend Rachel did a little live set (acoustic guitar and vocals) before he played a bit longer, then handed over to me. As far as I can recall, I DJ'd about eleven hours from 3am—2pm: spiritual jazz, dub, all kinds of mellow, spacey sounds for the hardcore few who stayed up by the fire for sunrise (The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun" got an airing, of course), then more lively sounds for the various people emerging from their tents for breakfast/lunch — proper Sunday morning party vibes that just kept rolling into the afternoon (each tune suggesting the next) before I realised that I'd better cycle off before I fell asleep. So I threw on this Love track, said my goodbyes and then wobbled home through Blean Woods to sleep for fourteen hours...