I don’t know if it’s real or not, but Turning Tables, a blog written by a US soldier stationed in Baghdad, needs to be read by anyone who thinks that war is the solution to all the world’s problems.
When renting in Cambridge there comes a time when the owner wants to move back into the house and this brings the soul-destroying task of finding somewhere new to live. It’s amazing just what homeowners are trying to get away with in this town. I ended up looking at five houses and only two were habitable.The worst was a four bedroom in town which held seven people (not including two children). The window faced a wall and with a double bed in the room there was maybe a postage stamp area to walk around in. £200 a month? No thanks.
Another one seemed okay, if a bit grotty, but it happened to be in Arbury which is supposed to be a dangerous area. It’s not the nicest place in the world, but not a patch on the heroin-sodden Liberties where I grew up.
Finally settled on a place off Mill Road. A nice attic double room with enough space for me to sprawl and feel comfortable. Now it’s the task of moving the material possessions I’ve managed to accumulate over the past year up three flights of stairs.
Stress.
Last Saturday week the annual Cambridge Strawberry Fair – a free event that started thirty years ago – was on Midsummer Common. Being fond of music as I am, I signed up as a steward in the acoustic/beer tent and while it wasn’t the most exciting job at the fair I did get to listen to some good bands. Honorable mentions go to Flaming June, Rob Jackson, and The Broken Family Band.Flaming June
These are a four piece with a sound like The Levellers or The Cranberries. Very fiddle based but a touch of Gothic at the same time, I’m sorry I had to watch the crowd rather than them.
Rob Jackson
I’d already seen him play with another person singing but this time it was just him, a guitar, and his box of tricks. He doesn’t so much play music as evoke a mood and his work comes across as a soundtrack to a film which has not been produced. If you like Sigur Rós you’ll enjoy.
The Broken Family Band
They played another good gig with a fair amount of songs from their forthcoming album. Alt.country seems to be here to stay, even if the drummer still seems to wish he was in Slayer.