Not up so early today, rehearsing with Salim later, but no actual studio recording, so we’re off to find some records for The Archive. We’re going to the terribly named Half Price Books because (surprise surprise) they have an impressive collection of books and a reasonable selection of records. Olivia retreated to the back of this large space to continue reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child whilst I looked for odd records. I always find a few, including versions of albums I already have in The Archive, for example, Spirit’s Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, in a glossy cover. That’s odd, mine’s matte, and I’ve never seen it in a glossy cover, this is the madness of a record collector and I wouldn’t change it for anything, except perhaps a copy of the Butcher album, oh, too late.

It was so hot today and we had to be exposed to it because the three places we were going to were all next to each other (Half Price Books, the coffee shop, and a store to look for Blundstones). It meant waiting at a light to cross a busy road that separated them, the problem was that the light wasn’t changing and we stood there boiling to death. On the ground by the light, someone’s crashed helicopter drone, which drew our attention from the baking heat for about seven seconds. You finally make it to the air-conditioned shop gasping for cold air and then when you leave again you have to get into a hot car. On goes the A/C but you have to wait and you can’t open the window because it’s just as hot outside and it only makes the A/C slower to take. I’m not complaining, I’m describing.

We dropped off my new records at the accom and went off to the studio to rehearse. When we got there, The Deathray Davies had just finished. Somewhere between sitting down and setting up with Sarah and Salim’s help, I did something to my back – out of nowhere. So now getting up is a problem, it’s fine if I’m sitting down, so let’s hope I can sleep it off tonight. We rehearsed ten songs, just Salim and I. I’m just trying to get used to the chord patterns, I have three days to get it together.

Because we’re posh, we decided that tonight we would have dinner at Denny’s. There was no one in there and Brenda our server was an old American diner classic. I was looking out of the window at a motel and I told Sarah that if we tour I’d rather stay in a cheap motel that’s next to Denny’s than an expensive one that isn’t.

Music today has been Spirit’s Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (1970), recommended in both matte and glossy covers.

Music Of The Daze