Punk vs Roots vs My Cold, plus Rob Frith in the news!!!

It's funny: twice now, Erika and I have failed to catch COVID off each other -- once her managing to avoid a case I had, once me managing to avoid a case she had. But I've definitely caught her cold this week  -- one of the first times in recent memories where I HAVEN'T worried a cold was COVID; it's just a cold, but it's still annoying, and -- having watched her progress through it all week, or, I guess having watched it progress through her, it has now definitely spread to me. I might be recovering, but who knows? My cough only just turned productive this morning, and between that and some Nin Jiom in a tea with honey and lemon, I'm starting to feel a BIT better... but I still think I might elect to stay in tonight... 

You shouldn't, though. You should go out -- go see a Quebec hardcore band, maybe? Tonight's gig at the Red Gate is going to be a smasher. It's also going to be packed and very loud. Puffer bandcamp here. 

Packed and very loud -- with a $30 at the door cover -- might be a bit much, however, if you're old, tired, and broke like me... 

Digression: what's that corny old Triumph song, "Magic Power?" With the "I'm young, I'm wild, and I'm free" line? (I had Allied Forces back when I was 13, actually. I'm a bit embarrassed that I can still enjoy this song). Maybe the lyrics could be rewritten, do a song called "Tragic Power" with the line changed to "I'm old/ I'm tired/ and broke..." Rhyme it with something about life being a joke... but it's not funny... I'm sore... I'm sick... I'm tired of the constant barrage of terrifying news... the world's a mess, and I need a vacation... or at least a few more hours' sleep...

HOWEVER, there's another cool gig tonight more appropriate to my condition: the Gravel-Aires. Mark hasn't gotten back to me yet re: my email interview questions, and who knows if he will -- maybe he's agonizing over getting everything just right, or maybe he's busy preparing for the show elsewise -- but his band is playing a roots music gig tonight at the... Dayton Boot Factory? Who the hell puts on gigs at a boot factory, and why does this seem like such a great idea?

Who knows, maybe I'll have an "Introducing the Gravel-Aires" post up later today... 

But in other news: I love, love, love that Rob Frith has a) found a rare Beatles demo and that b) he's offered to just give it FOR FREE to Paul McCartney, on the condition that he comes collecting it in person. I don't know my Beatles that well but this is a delightful local story, so much so that Rob's in the news over it (not every day you see that). 

I do have questions, however: the Decca demos apparently have been long bootlegged and available in some form or other -- there's even stuff on Youtube from the sessions -- so what exactly *IS* the tape in question? How many copies of the Decca demos were made? What's the cash value? One copy of the tape, described as the "original safety master" on the Wiki, sold for 35,000 pounds to a Japanese collector in 2012 (missing five of the songs from the session, so there's some dispute about what that tape actually was). There is also an "original master tape" that has unknown whereabouts, in addition to copies and copies of copies and so forth. 

Whatever exactly it is, I hope that Sir Paul gets the news and comes to town. Rob should make him do an in-store!!! 

Heheheh.