A week ago tomorrow marks the one-week anniversary of my gig in Paris at Le China. My second Paris gig, this one stood in stark contrast to last summer's psychedelic smoke-filled liquid-light porn-on-the-wall freakscene happening I did with Allyson. Le China is a slick-ass nightclub, as Paris as it gets. A piano bar, though way too chic for me to play up my Truffaut fantasy. I went on after Polo, former French punk hero, now singer of traditional songs. The room was filled and everyone was listening closely to his songs. His guitarist, Nicolas, was great - it was lovely stuff. But we'd been at the venue since 5, and Polo's set, with multiple encores really wore on me. I went on later than scheduled and of course many people had cleared off. Those that remained seemed happy to talk through my set. Now this is not weird for my by now, sadly! So many gigs are like this. The "cult hero's unknown clown companion" needs to be inserted somewhere. But I had Volvox boss Olivier Lebeau's words in my head from an earlier conversation. A combination of "I think you will do very well in France" and "Be crazy, more crazy, like the hair." Well there ya go! After almost losing my voice during the first few tunes, I drifted towards more of a rock set, at least by wimpy/weird acoustic hobo standards. Ah! Of course - the French can't rock and they need me to do it for them! All the cliches come true and in an instant I'm a national hero! Not quite, but there was a shift in attention from the crowd once I started to play with a bit of sticky juice. In typical Ant fashion, just as I started to get somewhere, I switched gears and moved to the piano for a few tunes. I'm doing more piano songs these days, as it makes me feel a bit more like I'm actually a musician as opposed to being a monkey in a flea circus, mannnnn. "Tie My Laces" was good, don't remember the other tunes I did, but there was a nice hush come down, innit. Back to guitar to finish up and I could tell I'd pulled some people in. My attempts at humour mostly failed. I found myself explaining that no, I really DIDN'T vote for Bush once OR twice! I dig a hole, then hit myself in the head with the shovel. The best comedy bit involved my red bag. Specifically, me holding up my red bag and saying "Red bag" or something. Jerry Lewis loved it. SPEAK SLOWLY DUDE - THEY'RE ALL FOREIGNERS. They sang "Drug Free" in French, they didn't know why I kept saying "mercredi" in such an appreciative tone after each song. "Banana" went well, and they helped me finish "Crucifixion." It was great to see the Volvox gang, and photo god Olivier Rodriguez. My dear friend Michal was at the gig and Lorna and I had fun crashing about with her. I was in moody "coulda been a..." rockstar mode much of the time, but bless anyone who enjoys my scarecrow antics! More please, mercredi!

No sooner had I bespoked the words to the wrong song again, I were off on the Megabus to Ox for a mad 2-day recording session at Shonk. Quick rehearse with Jon, Ollie and Rob, then to studio to rock it wiff Stuart for Goldfilling ep. We knocked click-trackless through "Swindon" and "On A Sunny Day (in Bb!)," then stuck the click onto a remake of "She Wears A Green Leaf." We hadn't planned to record this tune, but the session moved so quickly and the Stornoguys are, well, godly, so it made sense to go and keep going. Mang, monsta, it was good good meat on the vine we were swinging! They're such a brilliant band, and each of 'em super-talented on they own. Late night session, almost til 2am. Then up next morn for allllllllll day more. Stuart is a sweetie, and a breeze to work with. "What's this thing do?" "Don't know - let's record it and find out!" We moved through vocal overdubs, Solina strings (the real deal, in big lumpy/grindy machine form!), guitars and guitars, hand-played foot pedal bass. Now, I'm not making no big money, not on the cover of Q like Jesus said I'd be by now, but sessions like this, and the session at the Hangar in Sacto for Luxery Wafers - these things are handed to me and I'm out of my mind with joy. The recording studio is my favourite stage, and the people I'm working with are always heroes. I'm blown away by this. It's my pay for all the gruntery for years and years. The best, sweetest and most talented folks and we just get to hang out making sound and playing. I pause here to say wow and thanks. And now moving back along... the studio reunion of Ant/Su. We only did two gigs together last year, and one session. Not enough by many people's standards, but life is shaped funny. So, I'm happy to say this thing the other night went so well! Gotta admit that the slo-mo pre/post-German disco machine remake of "You can Move A Mountain" was an awkward place to begin, but once we hit "Green Leaf," yow! She stand there, I stand there, we sing. That's all it is, and it's perfect. And it was fun. Lots of fun. Su hadn't heard "Swindon" before, as the mp3 of the demo I'd sent had been lost in the post, but she seemd to quite enjoy it, bursting into hysterics throughout. That's our Su! And our Su also picks things up so quickly that "on the spot" is the same as "an hour's rehearsal." It was good, all of it. Rob came back to add drum fills and bits for loops for "Mountain." A kick (hey... a drum pun! Genius.) to ask him for "fills that go on too long and drift in and out of time." Find me anyone of the bunch of us at Shonk who didn't have a grand time and I'll find you all the seashells I lost in the back yard of 2928 Highland Avenue.