When I was 20 years old I read "crime and punishment", which affected me at a personal level. I think it was around this time that I saw the film "natural born killers", and also got obessed with Nietzche. After some contemplative thinking, I came to the conclusion that killing was a part of nature, a type of "will to power", so I decided I would kill someone. It had to happen in a way that I would not get caught, and to someone that deserved the capital punishment.

At this time I lived in Argentina. It was not difficult to get a gun in Argentina; even the little 12 year-old punk who lived up the street had one.

One day I a bough a gun from the drug dealers on the other side of the river. But now that I had the gun, the appeal to kill someone suprisingly dimished. Eventually I lost interest, and forgot that this idea had ever entered my head. 

One day I decided to go on the road for a few days traveling. For whatever reason, which I still don't know till this day, I packed the gun with me.

I went to Cordoba's bus terminal, got there in the evening, and took a bus to some obscure city a few hundred miles away. When I arrived it was dawn. I walked around the sleeping city looking for a hostel or something similar. After much walking, I found an obscure alley way that led to an isolated area with some warehouses.  There I saw a sign indicating a hostel. There was nobody around, but there door was opened so I walked in.

When I walked inside I met two young people working behind a counter. The building was a bit run down, with tall ceilings, scrapes on the walls, and old furniture. Both the girl and the guy working behind the reception seemed friendly, though they were busy folding towels and sheets, and writing on calendars.

There was nobody else in the reception room. The girl, writing something on a notebook, and without looking at me, asked me for my passport. I reached into the pocket of my bag and instead found the gun.

I had fogotten that it was there. Suddenly, time moved much slower. I watched the male receptionist concentrated in his tasks. Then I saw the girl looking down towards her notebook. They both looked very distracted. The whole situationg seemed very distracted. There was nobody around, and if I decided to kill these two people in front of me, I might easily get away with it.

I did not ponder on it twice; I took out my gun and shot the male receptionist on the head, and almost at the same time I shot the female receptionist twice on the chest. 

Before I saw them hit the ground, I ran out and lost myself in the alleys. The first thought that came to mind was to go back to the bus terminal. It might take some time for anyone to find out about what had happened, and I could be already somewhere else by then.

I walked towards the bus terminal, and then I realized what I had done. I had taken the lives of two people.

To make a long story short, this was a dream I had some time ago. It did seem real though.

Good night,
A.

About a year ago I broke one of my ribs doing Jiu-Jitsu.  I did not notice it broken until it had healed badly.  I did not mind this. As long as it didn't do any harm I did not care.  A couple of days ago it did do some harm, it poked one of my stomach (six pack) muscles while I was doing Jiu-Jitsu.

I went to my local clinic to have it checked. They gave me an appointment to come back later, so I did. When I came they wanted to check my blood preasure and get an urine sample. I told them that I was there for other purposes. This pissed the receptionist off for some reason.  When I finally saw someone, they said I had to make another appointment (in a week's time) to see the doctor, who would then give me another appointment (which would take several weeks) to see a qualified doctor.

Am I the only one who thinks this is not an effective system?  All I needed was for the receptionist to just refer me to a qualified doctor, but no, this would be too easy.

Just making a note...

The night is full of stars,and the stars, blue, shiver in the distance.

The night wind whirls in the sky and sings.

I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

How could I not have loved her large, still eyes?

I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.

What does it matter that my love couldn't keep her.

We, we who were, we are the same no longer.

I no longer love her, true, but how much I loved her.

Someone else's. She will be someone else's.

As she oncebelonged to my kisses.Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, true, but perhaps I love her.

Love is so short and oblivion so long.

Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,my soul is lost without her.

Although this may be the last pain she causes me,and this may be the last poem I write for her.

Pablo Neruda

Last night we played at a wedding in Surrey.

It was a nice drive down there. The wedding was in a barn-like venue; nothing posh, but nice, and very nice people.

We set up our instruments and went outside for a drink and a smoke (I don't really smoke anymore, but it's hard not to with these guys around).

This was when Maurizio proposed the "Tombolino Irresponsible Tour 2010".

He suggested we take our van and drive out for three months; where, not important.

We thought of going to South America, but found some complications in terms of transport for 6 of us.

Then we thought of Japan. I don't know if any band has driven from the UK to Japan before, but we liked the idea.

The plan would be to just put our instruments in the van and drive to Japan, playing wherever we can on the way, and sometimes offering josef to the locals when music cannot pay for petrol.

The plan is now on the table, lets see what happens..

I've recently stoped playing with Victor Meance, but this is not what this blog is about.

This afternoon I watched "given to fly" by Pearl Jam on youtube. They've gotten old.
I remember when they first came out; I was 16 years old.

That same year I went to live back to Argentina after 5 long years of having lived in Canada. This changed all the angles of my life at the time.

I became good friends with Victor. We hung out all the time, both played guitar and talked about interesting matters. We also looked like eachother a lot, people thought we were brothers.

Victor was a year or two younger than me, but his mind developed very quickly and became very aware of things, to the point he taught me many things.  I have never written about him before, but he is one of the people I have admired the most in my life.
He had no shame, he had no social boudaries, because he knew something that everybody else didn't. We based our casual friendship on discovering life in such spectrums.  It was the best truth I have known.

I came back last year to Argentina, after having been away for 11 years. I had come back mainly to see Victor. I had heard he was in trouble, that he had become "strange". When I saw him I could not recognize him anymore.  His eyes had changed, too many drungs had changed him into a completely different person..

I am not going to judge him, this is not was this blog is about.  He should be written about, and so excuse my words here in mentioning him.

My brother Victor, wish you are keeping well, and that you will come back.

This is a special blog to advertise a fantastic opportunity for you:

Have you ever wanted to have a Tombolino near by, in your friend's home, or better yet, in your own home!

Then there is no better time to act than right now!!

Our handsome and still virgin accordionist Maurizio is looking for a room where to live.

Preferences will be given to rooms in South London, but all offers will be considered.

Please reply with info on rent price, location, and how many people he would be sharing with to this email address:  palamaurizio@gmail.com

If you're a pretty girl please also send a picture, this may heavily influence the decision.

Thank you all..

Last night we played our last gig with Augustin at the Small World festival.  Josef and Maurizio could not make this festival, so it was just four of us playing. Though we pulled it off and had a great gig and a great time, the absence of Maurizio and Josef was felt.

It was an interesting experience playing at the Small World festival - this seemed to be the core of all UK festivals. It was difficult finding a space in this small field, and just managed to take the last spot near the main stage.

People seemed to really like the music, even though there was only four of us on stage. I anounced Augustin's departure from the band, and then we played the last song. 

This morning we drove him and his girlfriend, Juliette, to the train station, and that's it.
We are sad because we will miss him...

We just came back from Neuchatel; it was nice there.
We spent the last 4 days in the sun, and the lake, and all else that was in between.
I wish it would never stop; that I would have endless energy and endless liver capability to drink, and that we would play music in the sun, like we did in neuchatel, always.

We played a gig yesterday afternoon at the Croydon festival. Even though he left his home 3:30 hours before the gig, Malaka could not get there before 5 minutes before the gig. The same for Jozeph, whom I had to call to find out that he was coming so late.  I wish these things would not get to me, but they do change my mood I have to admit. Regardless, shit happens and the next day all is back to normal and I love my brothers whom I make music with, just have to find a way not to get this to happen.

Regardless, this is not why I wanted to write this blog, I wanted to write this blog because on the last gig someone complimented me on my voice.  Not only that, on a gig the week before that, someone else complimented me on my voice. I love my sax and I love to play this instrument, but when someone compliments me on my voice it feels so good...

so, lets see.. it's 1:40 am.  I'm alone at home trying to write my thesis submission and watching south park at the same time. I just woke up from a 6 hour nap.  This weekend was tiring.  We had 4 gigs in two days - two at secret garden, a wedding, and another gig with continental drifts at the Ealing festival.  There was one gig at the Secret Garden where I got so drunk that I could not sing nor play the sax, nor stand up for more than 5 minutes at the time.

The week before that we bought a van; this took a lot of time and work, but I am happy we have a van horse.

The week before that we recorded and mixed our upcoming CD. We have yet to finish the mix, which we should do next week.

Times are busy, but good.  Soon we'll travel to Italy for a private event, then to Switzerland for a festival we did there last year, and maybe to Greece in September, which I would really like.

This summer is finishing quickly, but in comparison to last year the band is at a completely different level. We're also doing better gigs, but we need a break with some kind of tour manager to just take over cause I'm tired of doing the admin stuff. 

Life is good.
a.