If You Have A Light To Shine…

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If I ever did have one in the first place…it has currently been extinguished.

Oh, beautiful Sarah, you keep shining your brilliant light, though…

That’s Entertainment – AND Inspiration!

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Wow! What a story, Lesley O’Toole! Your first professionl journalist’s interview being granted by Jim…and from there?! I’ll let Lesley tell the story herself in these two wonderful posts shared on Instagram.

Thank you for sharing the story, Lesley.

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Jim Kerr and me: December 8, 1982 at London’s Lyceum. In 1984 when I was still a law student at Bristol University, and still wild about Simple Minds, I wrote my first ever professional magazine piece – an interview with Jim. All the Scottish bands and loads more used to stay at London’s (in)famous Columbia Hotel so I wrote to JK c/o the hotel, asked him if he’d do the interview, and included a stamped addressed envelope. He wrote back saying: “Yes, 2pm Sunday.” I already had my own fanzine but this was the start of my “proper” career as an entertainment journalist. I still wonder if I’d be a lawyer now were it not for this. I certainly wouldn’t be as blessed and happy as I am living in LA. So thank you Jim for saying yes, and thank you Simple Minds for 35+ years of pure joy. Breathless with excitement for more of it at LA’s beautiful Orpheum Theatre later. ❤️🙏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎤🎸🥁 . . . . . @simplemindsmusic @gedgrimesmusic @cherissedrums #simpleminds #jimkerr #orpheumtheatre #thewaywewere #myfaveband #columbiahotel

A post shared by Lesley O'Toole (@lesleyotooleinla) on

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#FBF Simple Minds have been my favourite band for too long to mention – since I was a kid anyway. Jim Kerr was also my first professional interview as a journalist and who knows if I’d even have become one were it not for that and him. Last month I found myself in the front row for their concert at LA’s gorgeous Orpheum Theatre. And then Jim spotted me and sang to me. Which song? Only my all-time Simple Minds fave – Someone Somewhere in Summertime. Gigantic coincidence or no? No in fact – but some sort of conspiracy perpetrated by my friend Ged Grimes, their brilliant bass player, who somehow remembered my fave song, saw me in the audience and conspired with JK. I have no photos or video (these were taken later that night) but it will be in my head forever. Ged and Jim – thank you! I adore you both and this meant the world. And Happy St. Andrew’s Day to all my Scottish friends. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️🎤 . . . . . . . @gedgrimesmusic @simplemindsmusic #gedgrimes #jimkerr #simpleminds #orpheumtheatrela #orpheumtheatre #someonesomewhereinsummertime #magicmoment #standrewsday #scotland #lovescotland

A post shared by Lesley O'Toole (@lesleyotooleinla) on

Inspiration

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I always get very, very excited when previously poor quality video clips of Simple Minds TV performances seemingly get aired by the TV channels concerned…archived and preserved wonderfully and those clips get shown again to then be uploaded to YouTube in improved quality.
Most things back in the late 70s/early 80s were still shot on film rather than video so the are preserved well.
Take last week, for example. A clip of SM on Folllies (yes, I subsequently learned the show is spelled with THREE L’s) performing Factory was uploaded to YouTube in FANTASTIC condition. I watched it over and over. Not the BEST performance by the boys of the song…but just such precious footage…and Jim is just captivating and glorious. Just wow!
And it just makes me want to make art. Soak up every detail. Capture the best stills from the clip and experiment and just make things. Yeah, it probably just gives me the ultimate excuse to ogle. Lol
But I like to think it inspires and gets me being creative. Ignites the spark again.
It also allows me to make art whilst not having to spend a small fortune, or fear infringing photographer’s copyright.

And how I still wish, that just for ONE SHOW, I’d be allowed to take my uber semi-pro cam with me to shoot a bunch of really great photos of my own that I could use. Dream, dream, dream…

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Only The Inspirational

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Jim’s words within his post today (upon seeing Radiohead last night in Glasgow).

Ah, well…that’s me out the window, then! To surround yourself with people and things that inspire? How would I ever fit that bill? I won’t. I am so full of self-doubt, I’m amazed he even gives me the time of day in the capacity he does.

He inspires me no end.

I wish I had the talent (or believe I could conjure it up) enough to just…amaze him. For him to want to be in MY presence as much as I constantly crave to be in his.

And so, I will work at it. I will work at my art. I will strive to improve…or at least be the best version of me as an artist as I can be. 

Create with the digital side, and the “hands on” painting. Straddle those two differing and conflicting worlds (at least in my own artistic endeavours). 

As the Stone Roses song title goes “I Want To Be Adored”…but only by one.

I don’t want to be a Jackson Pollock…