concert, poetry collection, publication

another concert, another artist added to my "seen live" list: katie melua, this time, the georgian-born (that is georgia the country, not the u.s. state) english singer. she's cute, she's got a terrific voice, and i enjoyed the concert. so did gudrun, who came along - it was her birthday present from birgit, sepp and me.

i thought katie was much more lively than on cd. her voice is no worse than it is on cd, in fact, i think she brings out its potential much better live. her set list included such diverse songs as just like heaven (one of my favourite cure songs, also on katie's latest cd piece by piece), lucy in the sky with diamonds, 19th nervous breakdown, on the road again (also on her album), and a goosebump-inducing georgian folk song which she performed alone with her guitar, especially for the georgians in the house. there was blues, and pop, and folk, of course her tribute to her idol eva cassidy (sadly passed away much too young), and her hits. i like it when artists talk with the audience, involve them in some way, and she did. she seemed to enjoy herself too.

i think her band drowned her out a bit too much occasionally, while at other times they might have been a bit more lively, a bit more daring perhaps.

but it was an evening well-spent. and that was good, as anything less would not have justified venturing outside on that chilly night.


i received ros barber's poetry collection how things are on thursday yesterday. i am about one third through it (have not had much time), but i was in love with it after about three pages. terrific stuff. i'll have more to say some other time.

two of my poems have finally appeared in the new issue of MindFire:

Behind Cupped Hands: Hanna and
Coffee Day

either click on the european section and then on my name or poems, or you can go there directly. i'm very pleased. :)

and i need to send out more subs - i only need time! sigh.
day 24 at the 30/30 forum, a poem about vienna's central cemetery. i wonder where that came from. an excerpt:

As sun starts to paint shadows in nooks
behind half-hearted crosses, hangs little
lights on branches too tired to dream in
colour, the sky turns blue with mood.

song of the day ... hmmmm ... lazy line painter jane by belle & sebastian (with monica queen), i think. yep.