I just returned to Auckland for the first time in nearly six months and am revelling in the springtime, the scent, the light, the hint of melody in the landscape and the sound of the trees. The studio here, Roundhead, is buzzing with music and talent. At a time when so much is amiss in the world, I feel pretty blessed to have good people around and that positive energy to draw on.
Our European shows were incredibly enjoyable with so many memorable moments to savour. Elias Dendias, our dear Greek friend, assumed a new character to open the show every night, in overcoat and hat, the kind of man that hangs around under lampposts with a mysterious case in hand... is it a gun? No, it’s a bouzouki. The two beat intro of Weather With You that followed brought the O2 to its feet and they remained there for the whole show… what a beautiful sight!
We get a chance now to put all that energy, warmth and goodwill into our NZ and Australian tour, determined to bring you folks the very best we have to give. It remains a mystery the way music works but we are devoted to the alchemy of it, it might just save the world one day or at least save one day for a troubled soul.
It’s hard to not be drawn in to the American Election... I do find it baffling that many Latinos would give their vote to Trump when he is talking about roundups of illegals. That means dawn raids, suspicion and intense scrutiny of all Latinos. NZ had a period where the police set about looking for overstayers from the Pacific Islands. They mounted dawn raids into households to search for these overstayers. It caused a huge amount of misery and resentment amongst the whole community and was abandoned and now condemned as a sad chapter in NZ history. I wish someone could pass on the sum of that experience to those who face the same potential in the U.S.
Just on a side note, I don’t mind who plays my song, it’s free to travel wherever it pleases.
Some random thoughts upon my return… a bit woozy from the jet lag.
With respect to all
Neil
