Blasphemy, life

First off, I have a feature on the black metal band Blasphemy in this week's Straight. They play the Rickshaw on Sunday night, alongside Finland's Archgoat and a few other evil-sounding metal bands. I've been interested in Blasphemy for awhile - wanted to learn how a black metal band (or war metal, or bestial black metal - I tried to keep the genre labels simple in the piece) got started in the mid-1980's in Vancouver. It was a slightly unsettling interview (I had no idea that grave desecration was a real thing in the world of black metal) but it shaped up into an entertaining read, I hope. Thanks to Mike Usinger for taking the piece!

Secondly, there have been odd developments. After - after! - selling off a big chunk of records, I've received a couple of very touching and substantial "gifts" - conceived of either as help to get me through a hard time, or, in the second case, as a wedding present - one coming from family, one from a friend. These will help things be vastly less stressful over the next few months, and guarantee I will be able to rest easy while I recuperate. Someone had offered to help start a Gofundme or such, but I don't think that's going to be necessary. (Though other friends have mentioned events and ideas I might go for - but let's see how the next few months hold up).

I don't think I'll realy need to sell off any further belongings, though I may still part with the remainder of the stuff that I have culled already. It feels a little like a self-defining gesture, to get rid of some of the weight you carry - it can feel quite liberating. Then you can go buy new stuff to take its place!

I don't have much else to say. I was going to put some pieces of writing into the world - my big Peter Stampfel interview of a few years ago, maybe - but there's lots to do to prep for first the wedding, then the surgery, all coming up in the next couple of weeks. Not sure what else I will be able to do on the blog - we will see. I may not feel like writing much when I'm healing, I have no idea what to expect.

But it's hard not to enjoy the days, when you add an element of fragility to them. Used my LP sale cash to take a buddy to see the new King Kong movie today, and had a lot of fun watching it - though perversely, the detail that impressed me most involved a scene where an LP dropped onto a turntable and the first song started. The label was old-school Elektra, with the butterfly, and I had this total cynical moment, because they NEVER get this shit right: what were the odds that the album would actually be something released on Elektra, and the music they played would be the first song on a side?

It was the Stooges' "Down on the Street," first song side one of Fun House, on Elektra. Like I say - I was impressed. The film itself is what you get in theatres nowadays - disposable but highly entertaining, with no real lasting interest - another movie I will never bother to own on disc; but I might drag Erika to see it when she's back from her trip. (She had to do some wedding-related running about this week).

Meh. This is kind of a meandery piece of writing. I want to go to bed. G'night.