There’s so much I would like to say about this travesty of democracy, but since I’m too annoyed right now to be the slightest tactful, I suggest you go read what someone smarter than me has to say about this sad ordeal instead. Hats off to Robert Fisk and Glenn Greenwald for expressing what I feel but lack the skill to write. Oh, and thanks to Vash, of course, for pointing me to their articles in the first place.
Just one thing, though; I’m not one to sympathise with dictators, but those morons on CNN and their endless gloating make it pretty hard not to. This isn’t the first time they’ve made me feel bad for the guy, either (the link I intended to put here didn’t work for some reason, but I’m referring to the humiliating cavity search footage). I was rather happy to see Pinochet go the other day (apart from the fact that his crimes were never officially recognised), but then again, he wasn’t murdered in the name of this so-called democracy we’re all supposed to worship unconditionally.
If this really was a murder to end all murders, I could possibly let it slide, but I think we all know that this is not the case, nor will there ever be such a case.
I’m just going to have to accept the fact that I won’t have time to keep this thing updated for the rest of the month, so this is where I say Merry Christmas and all that. No matter how you celebrate it, if at all, I hope you’ll have a good one. As for me, I’m just going to my parents’ house for a nice old secular dinner, hopefully without any major conflicts. Like most Swedish holidays, Christmas, or “jul” (as in Yuletide) as we call it, is more pagan than Christian. At least it has always been so in my eyes.
I’ll return around new year’s with a bunch of “best of 2006″ lists. Speaking of which, I think I actually may have stumbled upon the album of the year today. Fucking awesome.
Woven Hand at Debaser Medis, Stockholm, December 4. (photo from rockfoto.nu)
It’s a rare but wonderful thing when you can see the same band several times and yet be offered very different experiences every time. The first time I saw Woven Hand, it was just David Eugene Edwards alternating between a guitar and a banjo. The second time, he had found himself a drummer, and now, the third time, he was accompanied not only by his drummer and a second guitarist, but also by bassist Pascal Humbert from his old band 16 Horsepower. So as an old 16HP fan, I was in for a treat. And they didn’t disappoint. The sound was heavier than ever before, which gave the highly suggestive songs from the latest album a real edge. The only downside was that the massive sound drowned out Edwards’ vocals at times, and the real highlight for me was, after all, the first encore with just Edwards on stage, playing a couple of 16HP songs. The photo above does well to capture the mood of that part of the show. The only thing that bothered me was that some people got the idea to clap their hands through the intro to Black Soul Choir. I mean, seriously, despite the relative catchiness of that tune, this is not the kind of music you clap along with. Somebody posted a video of that first minute on YouTube in case you’d like to have a look. Anyway, all things considered, this was a terrific gig. I’ll be eagerly awaiting their return.
If you’re not already familiar with Woven Hand or 16 Horsepower, you’re missing out on some of the best music made since Joy Division were around. And don’t let yourself be put off by Edwards’ deeply religious lyrics. His approach is entirely different than that of any other Christian musician you’ve ever heard, and even I - the ultimate atheist - think it adds to the experience. For an introduction to 16HP via YouTube, check out this and this.
Sorry about the long silence. Two essay deadlines are fast approaching, plus I have a bunch of other stuff to finish. So, you can expect more posts some time next week. In the meantime, I would like to offer you a little taste of what I’m going to see on Sunday. That’s right; it’s concert time. Haven’t been to one since the Bob Dylan gig last year, I think. Anyway, enjoy:
