Now, this may be a controversial thing but I love building, making and having fires. Maybe it's something to do with the fact I Like Gardening, perhaps to do with the paganistic rituals and pre-historic beliefs in the original four elements of earth, water, fire and air, or maybe just the cathartic process, like songwriting of reducing the past to a burning ember and embracing the future like a phoenix from the flame, either way I see it as a positive, sometimes necessary process.
This is the little fire I made last night, after a very busy week playing tunes and spreading the good Love I find it's the perfect way to unwind. Make a brew, eat some nuts and burn a few things, get back to your inner cave man and relax ...
I love a walk amongst the wildlife, and it is something that is relaxing. As you get older, wiser, take pleasure from the pastoral, you have to find things that help you be at peace; walk, watching fish, gardening, picking fruit and making a little fire. Very different from me being asked at the age of 6 what I wanted to be when I grew up? When I said "arsonist" there was probably some cause for concern, but I have never burnt myself, or anything; or anyone, my safety record is impeccable, although perhaps there may have been one incident at my grandparents with some candles, but I was only learning ...
Like all the things I like to write about on my blog there's some link to my story, past and make-up, and I think it's only right that I mention Mr. Steve Marriott. Reading his book; or the book about his life - 'It's All Too Beautiful' by John Hellier and Paolo Hewitt - I was amazed to discover he shared a similar neanderthal-like pleasure as a child and a teen, enraptured by the perhaps apocryphal tale of him burning down one of his school blocks. But then I was saddened to read of his untimely and ironic death at the hands of something he had derived such pleasure from. I can only hope I have removed this potential hazard from my life by pre-empting it and having not touched a drop of brandy for nearly 6 years, and never again intending to !
Only once in the past have I let my "hobby" come into my creativity, the original plan with ReggiiMental, a fellow fire builder, was to follow up the award winning 'The Deepest Cellar' album with a concept album called 'The Fire Pit' featuring much darker, funkier and jazzier pieces with loads of Massive Attack influence, unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances this never came to fruition and we released a wildly different sounding EP, and recorded this crazy little video, the night before we performed at Lovebox Festival for thousands of people !!
Enjoy, and I'll see you again sometime ...
Also, check out 'Burn It' by Mia and the Moon, those girls like a fire or two too ...
