Rise of the Moons with Wheels et al. + Robert Hunter RIP

Tuesday 24th September 2019
Bramleys Bar, Canterbury

Good to be back at Bramley's! We had a pretty good turnout for sets from Wheels (Neil from Lapis + two Medway friends, one with a remarkable gift for melody), Bonniesongs and Natalie Evans. Highlights of the evening for me were Wheels' last song, Bonnie's stick drumming on "Ice Cream" and Natalie's harp playing. Nice to get Adam back on the mic compering too.

Here are my mixes as DJ Professor Appleblossom. Mini-sets before/between/after each act:

Bonnie spoke to me afterwards about these, very enthusiastically. She'd been so focussed while setting up her extensive gear on stage (she plays everything and uses a loop pedal) that I'd assumed she wasn't paying attention to my selection, but apparently she either already loved every track, or wanted to know what it was. She lives in Sydney now, but turns out to be from County Wicklow. Oddly enough I'd played a little known Van Morrison album track from '74 called "The Streets of Arklow", Arklow being a town in Co. Wicklow where it turns out quite a few of her extended family live.

While setting up, I saw online that Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter had died. Sad news. When I got home I got into an appropriate state of mind and threw all the live versions I had of all my favourite Hunter/Garcia ballads ("Bird Song", "China Doll", "Ship of Fools", "Must Have Been The Roses", "Row Jimmy", "Stella Blue", etc.) into a random playlist, turned it up, lay down and floated away. Because I've always focussed on the instrumental layer of the Dead's music, Hunter's lyrics were always in the background, but focussing on them this time it became apparent just how integral they were.

Jeff Conklin at WFMU did a tribute show. Jeff understands and appreciates the Dead in a way I can fully related to. This show includes a cover of the Hunter/Garcia ballad "To Lay Me Down" by Meg Baird (Espers, Heron Oblivion), which is a great way in for those of you who don't get the Dead or their idiosyncratic vocalising : )