THE DEEP POOL - JUNE 2003

Just arrived home from Oslo via Amsterdam - there was a mistake on my original ticket which Scandinavian Airlines could have graciously overlooked, but, now that they are locked in a dogfight for customers with a new low-cost Norwegian carrier, they told me to bugger off, which i did, to KLM, hence Amsterdam. No doubt Scandinavian will survive without my 12 flights a year, but really - then again, i've long ceased to be amazed by the thinking of airlines - maybe it's because they never fly as real passengers themselves, if you see what i mean: it's like wine waiters in upmarket restaurants - they are the only people in the world who don't seem to understand that you don't want your wine placed out of reach, where only they can pour it, if indeed they remember you exist - i feel better now.........

Other than that, it was a great 6 days in a beautiful country - it's a long time since i've worked in Norway in the summer, and i'd half forgotten the unique quality of the warm months here. A long slow dream of still waters, hazy mountains, endless eau de nil light and beautiful women eating hotdogs (can that be right?).

My new colleague and friend, Frank Ostewold travelled with me, and we took a train from Drammen in the east of the country to Bergen on the west coast - a long journey of ridiculous beauty - for a long stretch, the train climbed so high into mountain that the landscape was one of frozen snowy lakes and glaciers - the friendly man-in-charge-of-train let us get off at one particularily remote stop to admire an end of the world kind of glacial vista with a hot sun beating on us - a smell of freshness that made you feel cleansed just by breathing, and a spectral blue, dazzling sunlight. Then back on the train for some decent french wine, and a long laugh, complete with mimickry, about how crap Eastenders is. (For those who may not know, this is a British soap opera that is so terrible it hypnotizes domestic pets.

Have you heard a song called Scarlet by William Hut? He's my new Norwegian fave of the moment, a real original - try and get the album... So now it's goodbye to standing on ferries, leaning on jetties, lolling in saunas, reading in bars (in particular Jacob's in Bergen, and Kampen Bistro in Oslo, where i also played my last show) until i get to Scotland later in the summer to do the same things.

I've got a new thing i keep saying to myself and everyone else, which is 'you can't worry about everything' It's tempting to try, isn't it? 'I've got a few hours to myself - now what can i worry about?' It's no way to live, but we all do it, or do we? If you don't worry, please come and tell me about it if i see you somewhere - i'd be genuinely intrigued to hear about it - maybe i can put you right on the subject - are you sure you've been listening to my songs in the right way? - i don't want to worry you...

David Thomas used to have a great message on his voice-mail: 'Hi - oh, it's YOU!!! - if only i'd known - well, never mind, leave a message'... I'm writing a new album - tum-ti-tum-ti-tum


jl