In which our writer, who can barely hear at the moment, goes to a Record Fair and a Music Festival.
Confession time, I haven’t been feeling very well for well over two months now. Meaning that some of the larger events from this summer in Liverpool have gone entirely unobserved by this blog. I just about made Africa Oyé, though I didn’t really see all that much of it. And I missed the Giants altogether, though I might have missed them anyway as some things are always likely to fall into the category of ‘Couldn’t be arsed’.
But music, as I’m sure you will have gathered, means a great deal to me. So this morning I doughtily set off to do my best.
And the trouble? Well, annoying rather than ‘anything for you to worry about’. A stubborn chest infection, moving through to a rather vicious throat infection, followed by clogging sinus congestion and now, joy of joys, a middle ear infection which even my doctor winced and called ‘Nasty!’ when she looked down my ear and diagnosed it. All the same infection? How would I know? All I do know is, despite a few runs and some work, I’ve been feeling well under the weather, fairly depressed and recently and increasingly, barely able to hear. My left ear, the infected one, is playing me only the tinnitus symphony of my rushing pulse. And the other one, still sinus impaired, is hardly the finely tuned hi-fi instrument I usually so delight in.
Ideal person to go out and do two musical things then? Well I’m the only writer ‘a sense of place’ has and anyway, being English, I firmly believe that ‘getting on with things’ will somehow be good for me. Let’s go.
In fact this second annual running of the Liverpool International Music Festival is already well underway. There was an opening Classical evening with the Liverpool Phil and the Lightning Seeds and then a full day’s programme yesterday. And I wasn’t well enough for either – though to be honest on last year’s underwhelming (from my point of view) evidence, the Phil evening would have fallen into that ‘Couldn’t be arsed’ category anyway.
But before the Festival gets going, I’m off down Lark Lane for something else.
Despite Adrian, my most frequent supplier being missing today (even record dealers are allowed holidays) I spend a happy hour flicking through every LP in the place to select my vinyl haul for the day. These are mostly old vinyl so I already know what everything I’m buying sounds like. Just as well given the hearing situation. The vinyl all looks ok anyway.
Like “Goldie was just saying to me…” Why couldn’t Goldie say it to us himself? Well, here I am with a middle-ear infection, maybe Goldie’s got laryngitis and we’re both here making the best of things?
This is ‘Yabba Funk’ – Africa Oyé’s contribution to today.
G4S, followed everywhere by people handing out leaflets righteously protesting about what their company are up to in the Occupied Territories of Palestine. Though all of these, of course, are friendly enough Liverpool people taken on for the weekend.
Very glad to see the Park so happy and very glad to see things going so seemingly well for the Liverpool International Music Festival. I loved it last year and am only sorry I couldn’t get more fully into it this time round.
Then I come home for a look at my new LPs.
And soon, I hope, I’ll be able to listen to them.
Off now then, to put the kettle on, get the Olbas Oil, and see what another steaming might do for my long suffering sinuses.
The Liverpool International Music Festival is still on tomorrow, Bank Holiday Monday. And at other venues for the rest of August. See what’s on here.
Sorry to learn about your ear infection, Ronnie. I hope it clears up soon; it’s a bugger when these things linger on. Still, a couple of great albums to look forward to there.
Thanks Gerry. I think it was good for me to just get out there and get on!
I didn’t think I’d worry about a bloke from Liverpool that I’ve never met. But I do enjoy the blog and feel as if I, sort of, know you as a result. So, I’m glad it’s nothing to worry about. Take care Ronnie.
Thank you Sally, I’m much encouraged by knowing you’re enjoying the things I write. And I’m taking care to take everything easy enough to recover. Yesterday was good, but I’m glad I came home as soon as I did.
Very good to hear from you.
What a rotten run oif illnesses…espcially sinus and a middle ear infection.
Still, you did get out for a really good day…i’ve very much enjoyed seeing through your eyes.
What a fun trip to the park and festival! Thank you! I can see one reason you might love Peggy Lee — she is almost a double look-alike to your lovely Sarah! They could be sisters. I also really like the City Bikes. I do hope people don’t abuse them and return them intact. Around here, in our city of Salem, Massachusetts, anything like that would disappear the instant they were put out! It’s a shame but I love it for Liverpool.
Now I have a record player in my living room that I use occasionally, and I happen to have an old album that I acquired not long go called “Tina Turns the Country On” – Tina Turner… hard to find but I found it. I love her version of “Long Long Time” especially.
I also suffer from that nasty tinnitus and I’ve learned to ignore it for the most part by now but it’s always there!!! Rrrrrrringing away!!!
Yes, I can see the resemblance to Peggy Lee now you mention it. As for the City Bikes, I don’t know for sure, but they seem to be much cherished by everyone and carefully cared for. A truly fantastic idea and a wise piece of local government.
And sorry about your tinnitus. I’m glad to say mine’s gone now and the hearing in my left ear does seem to be slowly returning – though for now it’s just as well a couple of our Peggy Lee albums are mono!