Tuesday 11th June 2024

Woke at 0915...Aki brought me a mug of tea, and I read some Dickens in bed before rising and porridging. Sat and read some Ondaatje before Aki headed out the door with it...she's got a JCUK meet early afternoon. Rehearsed some Bowie songs before making my way to Kings Cross. Took a No.91 bus there, and walked along the Regents Canal, stopping off at the Waitrose cafe to grab a toastie, which I ate on a bench overlooking the canal. Wandered on down to meet Jim Lister off the train, and walked him around Coal Drops Yard...showed him the community radio studio that Barney's girlfriend Genna uses, and we poked our heads in at Samsung, before buying tea and coffee at Waitrose. We sat on the canal bank chatting, then headed for the No.91 bus back to Sussex Way. I served up the mushroom and coconut curry I'd made yesterday, with rice, daal, and roti, followed by panettone French toast with peaches and dark chocolate, accompanied by a dollop of raspberry spoom. We took a No.29 bus to Tottenham Court Road, getting off at Cambridge Circus and walking to The Lower Third in Denmark Street. It used to be the 12 Bar Club, but has been re-configured and re-fitted as a cocktail bar, plus two gig rooms...Barney's band, MRCY, were playing in the basement venue. We were just about the first there, and stood at the bar listening to the reggae tunes the DJ was playing. Barney's school friend, Louie, was the support act, looping his cello to create subtle textures, and delivering his idiosyncratic songs. MRCY did a nine song set...they are working on writing material for a second EP due out later in the year. By the time they came on, the place was packed, and they stormed through a moving soul-inflected set. The young guy standing behind us knew all the words and sang along! Guy Garvey was hanging at the back somewhere. Great night. We said our goodbyes and left the young 'uns to their after-party, catching a No.29 bus back to Sussex Way.