…Spending time still devoting way too much of my thoughts to a band that had been the ultimate reason for this blog existing – and not enough time on actually focusing on other things. It’s hard to remove that focus entirely as I am still yet to complete the book. I know! It feels like a noose around my neck. I need to finish the thing so I can just step away from it all for a while. In the meantime, I can’t even objectively write anything here in case it bleeds into what I’ve written for the book. So, yes…for one reason or another, talk of Simple Minds will be limited on here for at least the next few weeks.
But what do I talk about in the meantime? Do I even worry about talking about anything? I’m trying to give myself a positive boost. I want to try and talk about things that are making me happy right now, for it sure as hell isn’t really anything to do with Simple Minds that’s making me happy right now – so that is now OFF TOPIC!
I think what I’ll talk about is what I’ve been listening to this week.
Firstly, I have been listening to Field Music and exploring more of their back catalogue. I listened to the whole of Open Here, their album from 2018 (coincidentally released on the same day as Walk Between Worlds) and I really enjoyed it. I don’t remember giving it too much attention at the time, but I was certainly hooked by their next release, Making a New World. That is the beauty of music being released to the wider world, it gives those the chance who missed it at the time to seek it out and get into it. It’s a magical thing. I also gave Juanita Stein’s album The Weightless Hour a listen and enjoyed that. Definitely need to get a ticket for her gig at Nice n Sleazy.
On Tuesday evening I went into the city to attend the short acoustic gig that Alex, Bob and Julian from Franz Ferdinand put on. They performed several tracks from their newly released album, The Human Fear, as well as a couple of golden oldies: ‘Darts of Pleasure’ and ‘Walk Away.’ It was a lovely evening. Alex was very chatty and the three of them were on great form. I enjoyed it so much that I am actually contemplating going to see them at SWG3 in August – but we’ll see. I may keep an eye out for any resales that might happen for the Barras gig, in the event that someone who has a ticket cannot make the gig. If none of that happens, at least I made it to Mono/rail. It’s a great consolation. I’m yet to give the album itself a listen but am planning to do so very shortly.
Podcasts have featured this week too. Real Dictators has been covering Mussolini and it’s now up to the years of WWII and Italy’s involvement in the conflict. The podcast even referred to Mussolini and Hitler’s relationship as “a bromance.” How very modern slang of them! The other podcast series on heavy rotation at the moment is Here Comes The Guillotine. Last night I listened to the Christmas episode, so I am pretty much caught up having not really given it much of a listen since the summer. I wish I could go and see the live show that they’re putting on for the comedy festival but … there’s only so much money. I have at least got myself a ticket to see Christopher Macarthur-Boyd do a WIP show at the Flying Duck in the middle of March.
Also last night I gave another recommendation from the Electronic Cafe YouTube channel a listen. The artist is called Humanist and the album is On the Edge of a Lost and Lonely World, which has guest vocals for the tracks including those of Ed Harcourt and Dave Gahan. It has a obvious conceptual thread running through it. I really enjoyed it. I will definitely been giving it further play. Lastly, I went a bit retro and got all nostalgic as a result. I listened to Warm Digits’ album from 2011 Keep Warm … with the Warm Digits. I miss Steve and Andy so much! I haven’t seen them since the summer of 2023 and although it doesn’t sound like a long time – it feels like an AGE, I tell ya! I know Steve hasn’t been well lately and his father recently passed away so I know that has been playing its part in things being quiet in the Warm Digits world. Listening to Keep Warm was doing just that for me. It was bringing on many happy memories of gigs and hang-outs with the guys and what a joyous time I have every time I catch up with them.
Come the spring it will have been five years since the release of their last album Flight of Ideas so I am praying and keeping my fingers crossed in hope of some Warm Digits news soon. I know Andy has been doing some shows as a solo artist under the name of Distance Learning but I’ve not had the opportunity to see him play yet. He’s done a few shows around Newcastle but I just haven’t been able to make it work to travel down to see him. If he continues to do so while Warm Digits remain on unofficial hiatus – I hope I can get to see him.
