24 october 2019

Last day in Stockholm

After thinking about this for a year I have to conclude it says 'My Vegina', not (the only other possible option) 'Mr. Vegina' - there are no lower case Rs anywhere else on the sign. Just go with it. 

The national library:

 

23 October 2019

I know, I know you wanted to know what happened on 22 October 2019. I think it might have been some of the things I said happened on 21 October. Does it matter a lot to you? If so, I apologise. I guess you could just count yourself lucky I'm being so generous as to share all this with you, my last few days in glorious Stockholm. This big skyscraper is where the conference was being held, and a key argument. The rest of the pictures are Java Whiskers, the cat cafe I went to. 

 

21 October 2019

That's the Swedish National Library there. It's very nice inside. But I would also say the Finnish National Library would not allow a 7-11 on the corner. 

Above is the liquorice I bought, as I head towards an actual dedicated liquorice shop which I didn't actually go into (I can't remember where I bought the liquorice above, but it wasn't there). I didn't see the need to buy books in Swedish on liquorice (only the deep desire). 

Hello old friend. Water damaged singles outside a junk shop on the way to the conference I was on my way to. No, I did not buy it. 

The conference

Below: the only reason I am pretty sure I didn't steal this book, which was in the fancy upstairs cocktail-reception area in the conference venue, was that I would then have to carry it back to Australia with me. 

What are these? Seriously, I don't know

Hello old friend - again

I did buy this. It's pretty good

I kind of wish I'd bought this

Meanwhile, Ginger Baker had recently died and his funeral was about to happen. Rant in peace Ginger

 

20 October 2019

Got to love those Scandinavian breakfasts. Although I'm surprised by what I took on, as today I wouldn't be eating any bread or cheese (maybe exceptions have to be made for holidays). 

The dining room. I was up before anyone else. It was delightful in there and I highly recommend the Park Hotel, if that wasn't clear hitherto. 

Getting the ferry to Stockholm

Is this Åland? 

In the bar / lounge area of the ferry

Fucking hell. I don't remember what I was reading here. 

I was going to say I didn't indulge but actually I think I had a little bit of eurocent to get rid of. 

After that strenuous day, for some crazy reason I felt like drinking a beer. I also felt like eating curry and I did but it was bland, to Swedish taste I suppose (that's probably a slur). 

 

80s

I remember reading about one of the Futurama festivals, possibly the first, which I think had the Human League and Soft Cell at it, breaking out as it were. It might have been assumed by the Futurama organisers that the brand was the main thing and that the acts they presented would go on naturally to be the next new, um, wave. My lame comment on the above post by, I gather, the person who used to edit, run or own the magazine Flexipop was that I'd only want to see Dislocation Dance and the Icicle Works and then I'd be home by late evening (never miss a chance to give a backhander to New Order, etc)* although I would also be interested to see the Stockholm Monsters the next day. But when it comes down to it - my main thought here as always is - this is not about 'things were great then' but 'I was young then'. I see it all the time, people on fb (obviously I choose to be in these groups) lauding music of 30+  years ago when all they're really saying is, 'I was just out of short pants and what a time that is to be alive', whether it's 1210BC or 1983. 

I thought about this because I was playing the Summer Flake album that came out last year and thinking how not one track on it misses the mark. I saw Summer Flake, or at least Stephanie solo, last year and it was amazing. I wouldn't swap that for any of this bullshit. 

Incidentally I'm surprised that the Futurama festival doesn't have a wikipedia entry because it was quite a thing in its day but maybe it's better this way. 

* I have integrity on this, kind of. I saw New Order when they came to Australia for their first tour in 1983 or whenever. When they played G-Mex in 1986 for that 10 years of punk festival I left before they came on. 

I don't know what my problem is with New Order actually and it's petty because they had some pretty great songs, and were really innovative in lots of ways, and I admire many things about them, but I just can't. I guess I feel that deep in my heart they feel the same. It could have been so much better.