Tuesday, June 29, 2004

I am being woken up at the moment to the music of Vasco Rossi, the lovely Italian crooner, and building works that are making me want to cry. I can't go on.

Saturday, June 26, 2004

Oh, and buy the new PJ Harvey album if you can. She rocks hard. I'll be able to tell you more about her as a person when I've done my collaboration with her, Bowie and Robert Smith next year.

Very sorry about the lack of posts, but the guys from sunny Bedford have been here this week, and there really has been no time in between going to shot bars, guitars breaking, glasses breaking, little bastards called Sergio stealing wallets, films on frescoes, and eating lots and lots.

It has been a good week. Exams are over.

I got a cd from Benoit with 2 new songs on it which I am working on for when I come to Bordeaux. They are excellent, and I can't wait to get to work on them.

The essay from hell needs to start moving.

Love to all, and keep checking the blog, I'm back. With the shits. I ate mussels.

Monday, June 21, 2004

I've finished all the studying I need to do out here. The essay however is still to be done.

Tom Gav Dan and Andy arrive in Rimini today, and I'm about to go and meet them at the airport.

Fiorentina are back in Serie A after 22 months in football purgatory.

I promise to write more soon!

Ben x

Thursday, June 17, 2004

Trying to study and write music at the same time. I hope to turn up to Bordeaux with some stuff that we can use together. I've got 3 or 4 songs, all unfinished, that each have something good about them. The last one uses some lyrics that Francesco wrote. It's got a cool shift that the Pixies and Jef Buckley use that's quite unexpected at that point in the song. Just missing vocals for the last part of the song.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

I had the interview with Ennino Cottafavi yesterday. He was very helpful, and gave me some good ideas as to how I'm going to progress with ye olde essay. He also gave me a small book with lots of statistics about the food industry in Modena which looks like it'll be invaluable.

Slightly less good news is that he lost his job last night. The election (from 2 days ago) results came out, and I just bought the morning paper (like gold dust for some reason), and Ennio lost out.

Bastian left last night. We saw him off at the train station with all his bags. It's strange to think he's not around anymore. I'll think of him when Germany play Holland tonight. And don't even talk to me about the England game. Now I know how it feels to suport Bayern.



Saturday, June 12, 2004

This morning I got out the shower, and there was a pigeon sitting on the kitchen table. Then it flew out the window. I think it has a message for me, but I don't know how to get it. Maybe it had a little bit of paper on its leg. Hmm.

Friday, June 11, 2004

I managed to get an appointment with Ennio Cottafavi, the deputy mayor. Am going to talk to him on Monday about food. A good catch for the old essay anyway.

I have a soon to be homeless duvet and 2 pillows in Bordeaux. Dan can't get them back because he is going en avion. I hope one of the guys picks them up. Hint hint.

Oh, and I stood on a banana skin yesterday. I remember having a chat with Daniel Smith of Bedford a few years ago when he told me that if you stand on one, you don't slip, and it's just the Beano shitting with you. But I saw one in the street yesterday, stood on it, and slipped. So Dan, you were wrong.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

We had a last supper last night. Clare is off tomorrow, so it was the last time we (the english speaking bunch at least) would all be together. Clare made a courgette tagliatelle dish which was very good, and yes Clare, you can leave the recipe in the comments if you read this. Bastian made a Jamie recipe. Or was it Jamie making a Bastian recipe? I get confused these days between the two. I just expect to see Bastian on a little scooter dashing through London to Sainsbury's to try some pickled eel offal mousse.

He made an excellent roast pork dish anyway with potatos and beans. Who peeled the potatos? that's what I want to know.

Today I'm going to write a song. And it had bloody well be better than the last one.

Monday, June 07, 2004

Hello.

Today is the start of a new week. I had a thought on Saturday night that I would really like to go to China, to learn Chinese, and to just get to know the place. I'm going to think about it more this week.

The weekend has been quiet, but that has been of my own making. Saturday was ok, but the night was a disaster due to my inexplicable inability to work out how much my body can take. Sunday was therefore crap, and I feel particlarly annoyed about that. My bed is very comfy though, and Clare kindly lent me Roman Holiday which was great. I think I'm in love with Audrey.

I think I need to go on a day trip. And not to Bologna.

Ben x

Saturday, June 05, 2004

Very strange thing just happened.

I typed in

www.beninmodena.blogpot.com

and Aaron's Bible appeared.

Maybe it's a sign.

Good day to you.

Friday, June 04, 2004

Playing with Manu Francesco and Lucio is turning out to be good for me. We don't play as a band really, not in the proper sense anyway. We just try things out. Manu plays lots of chord based riffs, based on Muse to Pearl Jam, Francesco keeps a steady bass, Lucio thunders out some of the best drums I've ever had the pleasure to hear, so I get the chance to experiment with the guitar. It leaves me with lots of room to try bits out, things I've never been able to do with the old acoustic. The limits of my rented amp aren't spectacular, but it does create some fun sounds.

Tonight I'm going to watch the Motorcycle Diaries with the Gael GarcĂ­a Bernal as Guevara. He was in Y tu mama tambien. I hope the film is good. The book isn't well written, but then I don't suppose he thought it was going to be published since it was his diary. He keenly observes everything around him as he travels, and opens up South America as it was and in parts still is, to those of us who haven't had the chance to travel in that region. I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to hearing some Spanish too. Definitely the next language in the pipeline.

Thursday, June 03, 2004

J.S. Mill and Rousseau.

Nature and Man. That is what has been happening over the last few days, so nothing that interesting to report I'm afraid. I bought a strange thing today. It was like a calzone, but deep fried in batter. With tomato and mozarelle inside. A bit heavy, but good all the same. Won't have it again for a while I think.

This afternoon I am going to Lucio's again to practice with Signore Locati and Manu. I've written a new song that is ok, but maybe sounds a bit like the Vines. Which isn't a terrible thing since this time last year I'd have bitten my leg off to write a song like that.

Last night I had a proper study session with Catherine, and we learnt about Mill, and it wasn't so bad. Then we went to the pub to celebrate and abused our bodies with all kinds of drugs, and then came back to the flat after the most amazing rainstorm. We proceeded to watch the Young Ones, and see Madness.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Argentina in the World Cup Qualifier at 5 this morning. Two penalties. Good game. He is very quick.

If you plug my guitar into Manu's little amp while Manu has his guitar plugged in as well, it creates this surge that results in a really weird overdrive that has a type of ticking phaser on it.

Back to work.