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Monday, 02 February 2004 |
 What a month January has been. Firstly the Gaidhealtachd then Ma's
death then STRESS with work then the Folk Festival, which, quite
frankly has been the best yet. All the honourables were there. Brendyn and Finn, Bob, Mike Considine and Marcia and the whole Gaidhealtachd crew and basically everyone who's great craic.
Bob
rang me all abandoned at the airport so I picked them up on Friday and
whisked them to the festival (after making a wrong turn and taking a
scenic route through industrial Onehunga.) Within half an hour of
arrival the tunes were off, and that night produced the biggest session
orchestra I've seen in some time.
Saturday dawned with my friend
Gillan from Cape Breton arriving, so we got to play no end much to my
utter delight. Refuelling steadily with Hare Krishna cuisine (thank you
thank you universe for providing) I made it through the day and night-
not with much help from friend Robin from Scotland...last night in New
Zealand and we quickly became notorious throughout the camp. Sunday was
spent practising for two concerts- I played one with Mike (a better
accompanist I couldn't ask for) and the Blind Date, where I was
bedecked in a Morris dancers unicorn outfit busily trying not to faint
underneath the 200% polyester.
Brendyn won the Tui Folk Award. WICKED. The boy deserved every
shiny gaudy inch of the blunt instrument. It's shaping up to be his
year methinks.
Shelley has been here the last few days. (Shelley, close up of
feet photo) It's been pissing with rain and we haven't done much at
all. Last night however the cooped up feeling became too great, and we
had a dusk game of monsoon soccer. Today was far more constructive-
five hours in Kaikohe op-shopping. FIVE HOURS IN KAIKOHE! you cry. Alas
yes. But what a bounty we scored, descendin upon the stores cold and
calculating..unmerciful in our search of treasure....
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