Today was Brian Jonestown Massacre day, band and crew (and friends) came to visit. Ricky and Ryan from the band (Ryan was also in The Asteroid #4), Jordan and Franck from the crew (Franck played guitar in Piano Magic, another great band that slipped through the cracks) and Daisy Rickman, a friend, finger picker, and singer who has released an ethereal debut album. We spent quite some time here in The Archive with all its distractions, the enticing paint job, the guitars, the records, and even the room with all the boxes enticed as potential hovers in the air above all the things that have to go into storage. We listened to one of Jordan’s tracks and Daisy’s latest tracks from a second album, works in progress, nice to have all these creative people in this creative space.

We went out to Chico’s secondhand record shop where Ricky made me buy The Eighteenth Day Of May collection (2019), The Left Outsides – The Shape Of Things To Come (2014), Alison Cotton’s solo album (she played viola in The Eighteenth Day of May), Thomas Leer – The Scale of Ten (1985) and World (1994) by Shady, this was David Baker’s band, he was the original singer in Mercury Rev (Adam Franklin, Martin Carr, and other luminaries appear). Ricky shoved €15 into my hand as a contribution, he knows The Archive has to have these records.

From there we went to Tubitek, they had Martina Topley-Bird’s Forever I Wait (2021) for me. I thought I might have missed this one as it’s two years old. Ryan bought two classic Brazilian records whose names escape me, and Ricky bought the Bowie – Ziggy film on Blu-ray. From there we made our way through the throngs of tourists down to the river to see the sights, see the bridge, and get a look at Porto’s beauty, which we could almost see through the surging bodies. We decided to make our way back up the hill to somewhere with fewer humans. We met Olivia on the way and made our way to the Thailander for an early evening dinner, a friendly place.

Back through the ancient streets, up and down steps, over cobblestones, and past derelict houses and larger abandoned buildings. I wonder how long before the whole of Porto is renovated with its newfound popularity. We made it back to The Archive, where we listened to the records Ryan bought and discussed the universe. Time went by, and they all had to leave as they were getting picked up from their hotel at 4 AM for a flight to France where they will be playing in St. Malo. Olivia and I decided to watch one episode of Star Trek – Strange New Worlds, as you do.

Music today has been Daisy Rickman’s Donsya a’n Loryow (2022), Cornish for Dance of the Moons, coincidentally she’s from Mousehole, close to Penzance, I’m surprised we hadn’t crossed paths before.

Music Of The Daze