1st Set: Damo Suzuki with Charles Hayward (Drums, Electronics), Makoto Kawabata (Guitar) and the Courtesy Group: Dave Baker (Drums), Dave Cochrane (Bass), Chris Cundy (Baritone Sax, Bass Clarinet), Saul Hillier (Bass), Al Hutchins (Voice) and Hidehiko Nagai (Guitar)
2nd Set: Damo Suzuki with Makoto Makoto Kawabata (Guitar)
3rd Set: Damo Suzuki with Charles Hayward (Drums, Electronics), Makoto Kawabata (Guitar) and Pram: Rosie Cuckston (Vocal), Harry Dawes (Theremin, Trombone, Stylophone), Matt Eaton (Guitars, Keyboards, SFX), Laurence Hunt (Drums), Sam Owen (Bass) and Max Simpson (SFX, Samples)
One break day, moved to Birmingham. Return to London Waterloo station to Euston then Birmingham, 2nd largest city in England. Picked up by young Pakistani taxi driver, a close friend of Al, he will take care about us this afternoon. Al have to work, so Al arranged him, every time I came to Birmingham, he attends me.
Walk through city center, we went to German Christmas Market. It’s strange…why German Christmas in Birmingham? Even this is biggest and longest (early November to December 23) German Christmas Market outside of Germany. I tried some German sausages and naturally Gluhwein, which you never miss at original German Christmas Market. Gluhwein is warm wine mixed with some herbs and sugar…it makes you warm, but I guess it’s easy to get headache if you drink some glasses, take care!! It’s not my drug…just I wanted to invite both friends for a bit of German Christmas taste. I bought muffler at the market. It was quite expensive. It’s silk. My Pakistani friend was claiming the shop about high price and after he advised me,” if you buy something first you have to ask me. Price like here is not really correct to tourist like you.” (Thanks) After I’ve got very easy answer why German Christmas Market in Birmingham…Frankfurt is partner city of Birmingham since some years. Oh, all those partner city stories. It’s only good for politicians who enjoy to be invited and visit those partner cities, no relation at all for normal citizen. (By the way Cologne has around 30 partner cities all over the world.) Makoto wanted to go to friend’s record shop that has released some of Makoto’s stuff. Anyway if I travel with musicians, they like to go to record shop…is this market research? Probably Makoto is one of busiest musician on releasing records. There must be any hundreds he has done. Creativity never ends.
I stayed at sound carrier friend Al, who has been arranging Network performance in Birmingham since first show. Makoto stay at the house with four or five young people, some of them is sound carriers tomorrow night. I guess he had good time drink together with them. At the venue, the performance day, beside our space there was also band playing. Some of sound carriers I performed already here like Hidehiko, who married to English lady (I’d never see her until now) with two kids. With Charles I performed several times, we said see you in January. On January 16th, we meet again in Reggio Emilia, he will perform his solo act.
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteashton/sets/72157610717158435/