Looking For Music

Well, its a sunny day today. I cringed in bed most of yesterday with an awful hang-over generally feeling pretty sorry for myself. There is the Royal Albert Hall poetry festival tonight, its going to be a big couple of years for me in terms of my interests in the arts. This event tonight marks the fortieth anniversary of a poetry festival at the RAH, which for many people marked the public emergence of mid sixties counterculture. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of Destruction In Art Symposium, and so I must soon get in contact with Ross Birrell of the Glasgow School of Art who is a fellow Metzger-man. I'd love to be involved, deliver a paper, or join in the debate. Gustav is showing at the moment near Angel in London.

I went to sleep quite late last night, lots of funny though trains racing through my head. I wrote lyrics for a couple of songs. They feel quite raw, I've been missing recently the magic link of inspiration when I write something down and then the music just follows. Gut turning chords drop out of the guitar, and 15 minutes later you have the makings of an absolute classic. I figure that this is because I'm living out of a suitcase again. I'm missing my CD collection particularly, and some of the rare MP3s that I usually listen to everyday. Hopefully it will come together soon, I just need someone to give me a break. Fuck it! I've got a film degree and an arts masters, and I'm still pleading with people to give me work a runner or as a go-for. I even emailed Harvey Goldsmith, and he ACTUALLY replied...doesn't sound impressive, but what I'm trying to say is that there are a couple of hundred companies out there with HR directors on huge salaries who NEVER bothered to even acknowledge my approach. So, thanks for the dignity Harvey...you're a gent. Though sadly a fully staffed one.

I've found myself rediscovering an old song of mine this week. I stopped playing it for a while, I even considered changing the lyrics...but then the other day I though "NO!". James fucking Blunt would sing it like that, Tom Matchett would do it like this!

So, I've restored it...to its former glory and look forward to playing it live again soon. Its called "The Cancer Is Within". Its not about cancer, its about the poison that collects within us when we don't communicate. I wrote it as a plea to a friend, not to eat themselves up inside with life's problems, and if they do then to go find the coast, kneel in the sea and pray for a cure.

Speak soon,

Tom.

Here's a taster of said song:

The cancer is within my friend,
The cancer is within my friend,

In memories alone and untouched,
In the torment of lovers lost,
In a heart which is solid with frost,
In the jar, and all that pot.

The cancer is within my friend,
The cancer is within my friend.

Take me to the river,
Lord,
back to the sea,
Please take me to the beach,
Where I can kneel in the sea,
Cure this disease.