is this everything you need for a cultured city?

last night, as i was waiting for the bus to go to laura's flat, i was feeling a little homesick. i think it's the fact that i have so little confidence here--- simple things like taking the bus or getting tarted up for a night out which would always be a breeze in toronto seem like terrifying tasks here, like everyone can see that i'm a tourist and i have no idea what i'm doing. but i made it to laura's flat in southbank, and we had some wine, and then we headed out for the last show at the london astoria before it's knocked down to make way for a train station.

i'm very sorry it was the last show, because it was basically the coolest venue i've ever been to. it was also the coolest show i've ever been to... i was like a drooling kid in a candy store, except the candy was whisky and cokes and excellent rock and roll music and hundreds of pretty boys with british accents... that's right, just like in heaven.

cajun dance party played on the mainstage and they were incredible-- i definitely like them more for having seen them live. the lead singer had black eyeshadow under his eyes and looked like vampire # 2 from the lost boys... but he was also wearing overalls with his cigarettes in the front pocket. he had this hunchy theatrical manner when he sang which sort of made me think of drew.



my only lament all night was how much i wished some of my friends were there... when they played the clash i thought of jake, and late of the pier made me think of drew, and when the set ended and the libertines' horrorshow came on, i thought of the many times in toronto when we had begged the dj to play it for us. but i was elated that i was actually in a place like that. i'd never seen anything even remotely like that party in toronto. it was like my dream party. maybe when i get back i should start throwing parties for a living... i could be bigger than the jons!

after the set we ran upstairs to catch good shoes on the smaller "stage"-- more like a glorified hallway that was so packed to the gunnels, with no raised stage platform, that the band was constantly begging for the crowd to step back so they had room to play, and i never actually saw the band over the dozens of sweaty heads in front of me. the set, and especially the vocals were much more raw than on the album, but it was great, and they played four new songs. the feeling of euphoria and place and history seemed to be running through the crowd, or maybe just through my head, but the band announced that they were playing the last song ever at the historic london astoria-- good shoes' morden-- and as we screamed about the london borough, i felt like i was a part of something... or at any rate it was a lot of fun.

the trip back was considerably better than there... i was riding high on a good night and a double decker bus. and when i got to my door i met a new friend... a little red fox! he looked at me. i was still grinning when i woke up this morning.