I'm reminded of the old 1950's BBC TV children's series which featured Harry Corbett and his glove puppets, 'Sooty and Sweep', whose magic incantation was 'Izzy-Whizzy, let's get busy' whenever they needed some extra power to aid whatever outcome they were seeking from a particular situation.
Childhood nonsense, of course, but I could benefit from such a fantasy right now. Making very slow inroads to the set list for the upcoming 'Plectronica' event, and not nearly as much progress as I'd like.
These Cherry Red Records Be Bop Deluxe reissues have come at a difficult time, especially regarding the pressures on me to get everything ready for 'Plectronica,' But I guess it's a commercially advantageous time for them to release the reissue, especially with the focus being firmly on my, (maybe,) last live concert. Whether it will be my final live performance or not is a moot point...If health grants me the blessing I desire, it will certainly not be my last...I'm railing against that with every fibre of my being.
Tonight burning several new backing tracks to CDR disc so that I can try improvising some guitar to them. Have to arrive at a final decision about which tracks to include in my live set. I'm keen to include as many newer tracks as possible, but also need to make sure some older favourites are in there too. At the end of the day, it will be something of a lottery. I don't know whether to pour obsessively over this stuff or to say 'screw it' and just arrange a random mix of my live material.
Whatever, it's sure to disappoint those old Be Bop Deluxe fans who have decided to attend the event, and who might be expecting me to dig into long forgotten tombs and exhume the decaying corpse of Be Bop Deluxe. I'm so sorry, but that's not going to be the case.
The set, (if it is indeed to be a farewell live performance,) will only feature the low key instrumentals that relate to my here and now, (and of which I'm most connected with and fond.)
This will be an event to celebrate my wider interests and reach, not to look back, but to look forward with renewed optimism and hope of fresh adventures.
70 years old is, for some people I guess, a milestone, a major event in their lives...but for me, it signifies very little. I have so much, much more, to achieve. I've only scratched the surface...
