Everything I fretted over, every 3am of the soul was there in Michael Gira.
Perhaps it is just the time of year; perhaps it is my age:
It seems very glum and dull these days.
It has rained for over 35 days.
Could be more now. I have not had the heart to check.
I heard that in Canada, one in 6 people lives in Toronto.
One in 6! No wonder they think so highly of themselves.
According to the CBC half their population was born elsewhere.
It would not surprise me to learn our population here has similar demographics.
More, more, more.
Go home already.
What? This is your home?
No way: this is MINE MINE MINE!
As Paradise disappears under asphalt and vinyl it seems only the very rich can afford it here. We are becoming beggars in our own palace. The majority of Canadians seem to be very spoiled and self-centred. Sure we give to charity and donate to Tsunami relief and such but when it comes to future planning we just don't do it as a Nation.
We all want everything NOW.
As the forests get felled, and the fish disappear, now the resource of note is water.
There is an Indian band near Port Alberni who want to get into the bulk water sales business. They are sad because they can no longer make $ from trees and salmon. Is getting into the water business really the answer?
Everyone, even our First Nations, are looking for the almighty $.
Have I ever blogged about Michael Gira?
He made an indelible impression on me in Redding, England.
He was playing with his band of the time,
The Swans.<
Michael was wearing a necromancers cap ala Merlin of Excalibur.
(that's Nicol.. NOT Michael)He had presence, cap notwithstanding, but when he spoke he intoned doom.
His lyrics were dark and deep. That terrible beauty again.
His message was the dying earth.
He was very powerful; that deep voice of sorrows.
He was speaking with some music industry types who were trying to pigeonhole him, and instead they came away shaking their heads to dispel the implanted cobwebs.
Michael saw the future. The unprettiness of all this consumption.
The wastelands we are leaving our children's unborn who may never be.
That was over ten years ago. Possibly 12!
Where are you now Michael? Have you found hope?
Actually I know where he is, digitally anyway.
He has his own wipipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gira
Hilariously, it is in the category Pysch Folk Musicians.
yeah thats him.
http://www.younggodrecords.com/
There are lots of posts about him on gothtronic
He is the sort of person cults revolve around.
There is a cool review of Angels of Light on the creemonline website.
The writer sees what I saw in Redding so long ago.
Visionary.
"Now I've Got Nothing To Look At
And I've Got No Pain To Deny
And I've Got No Body To Bleed For
And I've Got No Sun To Pull Down From The Sky
But I'm Saved, Yeah I'm Saved
And I Don't Understand It, I'm Saved
If Mercy Were To Hold Me Closely
And Hide Me In Her Place Of No Pain
The Angels Would Throw Down The Water
They Cried From One Hundred Million Eyes
And I Have A Feeling That's Growing
Somewhere Behind My Sleeping Mind
Yeah I'm Saved, I'm Saved
Yeah I Don't Know Why, But I'm Saved
When Sunlight Falls On Your Shoulder
You Look Like A Creature From Heaven
You're Holy When You Open Your Eyes
And Look Up Inside That Sheltering Sky
And You're An Angel, I'll Never Betray You
But I'll Always Be A Lonely Child
Yeah Still I'm Saved
I'm Saved
Yeah I Don't Deserve It
But I'm Saved " swans... Saved
(still my favourite, there is a mote of hope in there I think)
