3.. 6.. 9 seconds of light

In December 2002 we made a short trip to Glasgow to visit our new Félicité recording artists Ulric Kennedy, who put us up the two nights, and Roy Moller. Glasgow turned out to be a wonderful place with very nice people, especially Ulric and Roy. We were also lucky with the weather, as Glasgow welcomed us with a bright sunny winter day that let us enjoy the Christmas fever on Sauchiehall Street. After visiting the chocolate section at Marks & Sparks, The School of Art, Hillhead Underground station, the ex-Equi Café (the unofficial Postcard Records office), and Alan Horne’s former house on West Princes St. were on our sightseeing list. Of course we also saw what Glasgow in the night looks, as Ulric took us into the 13th Note Café, and the next day we met with Roy and his friend Stef in Nice N' Sleazy. After Tom drank one "Heavy" he knows what the "Reinheitsgebot" is worth. We also went into the King Tut, where legendary concerts have happened. We have never been in a bar where the music was louder!

On our way back to Germany, we had an evening in London, where we rushed to meet Simon Fisher Turner without having the chance to put our luggage into lockers, because our flight was late again. Eros Statue, Piccadilly Circus on Thursday December 17, 6.30 PM - Not just an extraordinary meeting point, but we soon discovered a waving King Of Luxembourg from a long distance. So walking with our luggage like real tourists, Simon showed us "his" Soho and told us interesting stories, for example that his first band was him singing, with guys named David Bowie on piano and Iggy Pop on drums; or that he once had to support Wings after Linda McCartney asked him; and everything he has done since is throwing a dog on stage. Of course he showed us Paul's office in Soho Square, and before that, we had a coffee in the famous Bar Italia (known from the film "Caravaggio" and the Pulp song of the same title). There he handed us the master for his new single. After that he led us over to Carnaby Street and the next underground station, where the little tourists headed off for Buffalo Bars, where Stuart Murdoch and his girlfriend Tracyanne Campbell (Camera Obscura) would DJ. First we were supposed to meet with Pete from TweeNet in "Wig'n'Gown", but that was the only date in our fragile planning which failed, because he ran out of time. We reached Buffalo Bar right when doors opened, and had the chance to give away our baggage. Thanks to organiser Ian Watson, we saw ourselves standing on the guest list in a row with Harvey Williams of Another Sunny Day. Buffalo Bars was a small but nice place and of course Stuart finished with "Last Christmas". After the end at 2 AM, it was a long walk from Islington to Liverpool Street Station to catch a train to Stansted in Essex (county of hidden treasures), and then to fly to Hanover Airport before we finally could find sleep in the afternoon of the next day.

b/w Buffalo Bars photos courtesy of Ian Watson / How Does It Feel To be Loved?

Stuart Murdoch

Simon Fisher Turner
on Carnaby Street