A spot of psych swamp grooving

Flash a-ah he'll save everyone of us! Lorraine sang repeatedly in my face in bed this morning, along with a mad sort of musical laughing. Both from a Queen song her choir are singing for their forthcoming show called 'un.sung'. Lorraine in the bowels of a cold church hall for five hours this afternoon in rehearsals. Having returned home to bask in the warmth and feed Calliope, I did little and loved it. After a text from Matt, like a salmon skipping upriver, I headed to The Basketmakers where John was with half a dozen members of his family, plus Matt and Ma and Pa Pollard. John and his family left fairly quickly. But later Wayne and Lorraine joined us after six when she had finished her singing. Then up the hill to Brighton Tavern for another quick drink and for Matt and Dave, his dad, to be seized by a drunken young woman.

Lorraine and I cabbed to Hove to see Steve Cartwright in his band Sumerian Kyngs. We were late for the first act which was Tim's Wild Orchid Slideshow. I was sorry I missed this as what I saw was intriguing. A man projected images of wild orchids, to the accompaniment of freeform improvisation. The lead instrument was a saw, which when we entered was being rubbed and banged on the floor to the accompaniment of strange soundwashes, and then bowed.

A good crowd, mostly in their fifties (as were the bands) and beyond, but with some young folks too. Before he went on stage Steve pointed out the writer Robert Rankin in the crowd, who is a fan of the Kyngs. 'Psych Swamp Groove' was exactly right for the grooves were swampy, with washes of various psychedelic keyboardy treatments, cut through with some excellent guitar work, mouth organ, and from Steve some authoritative and exploratory saxophony. Their frontman was quite charismatic and, like Jesus, moved in mysterious ways. Wild freeform music.

Lorraine and I then slipped off home. The moon at apogee, closer to the earth than at any time in the last 18 years, and looming huge and beautiful in the cloudless sky over Brighton. Home in time to watch Match of the Day too.

Below The Sumerian Kyngs... Just found this on You Tube. The band has a different line up now, but gives you an insight into psych swamp groove. Steve is the one barking in German, and playing sax.


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