...slightly crumpled but now almost dry!!!

It has been a strange few months.  I lost my wonderful, beautiful VerdIGris to a major tumour from which she just wasn't able to recover.  She died peacefully in my arms four days later.  I am much poorer and sadder for her passing.  Many people think that loving an animal and grieving for its passing is somehow unhealthy or unimportant...to all of you I say...you are heartless and I would feel sorry for you but you don't deserve my sympathy.  I have never, ever trusted people who don't like or are cruel to animals.  They are the lowest of the low!

I miss her dreadfully.  Her contribution to this household was exotic and primeval and she always smelled of clean vegetation after a spring rain.  She was intelligent and graceful and curious - she loved strawberries, pasta and toast oh yeah and After 8 Mints - the rustling of the paper envelopes she could hear from far, far away!  All good indiginous South American foods!!!!!!! and, of course, an intrinsic part of Iguana diets everywhere!

I buried her in a warm blanket, in the cold soil of Wales and planted Rosemary for Rememberance in a colourful pot over her.  I miss you Verdi you will be in my heart for ever and I shall miss you for just as long xxx RIP

Onward...

After passing my first year PGCE, I embarked on a very different journey - the journey of music festivals.  As a festival go-er from way back, the festivals here in Wales were a very different scene.  As a youngster I inhabited the world of Donnington Monsters of Rock festivals...going to other big gigs elsewhere, including the ONLY gig ever held in the OVAL where I saw Genesis, Wishbone Ash, Jeff Beck and Emerson Lake and Palmer as well as going to gigs in Swansea and meeting the bands as most stayed in the hotel in which I worked.  I have met David Essex, Queen, Roxy Music, Mott the Hoople, Groundhogs, Medicine Head, Golden Earring, Argent, Leonard Cohen and 10 years after -  to name drop but a few!  Then I have also met the Glitter Band (sans Gary!!!), Alvin Stardust and yes...the Bay City Rollers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hmmm!  Let us not dwell upon the last few!

I have now worked as steward at the Small Nations Festival and the Pontardawe Festival and life has suddenly become very different for me.  There is seemingly something very beautiful about being coated in mud from head to toe; there is a cameraderie that cannot be found in the alleged sophistication of Leeds and Reading.  There is something very levelling in being coated in the primordial gloup in that, no matter what social sphere of society in which you glide ordinarily, you are all equal when it comes to the lowest common denominator of field festivals in Wales - WELLIES!!!!!

BUT, it isn't just about that.  After all, Glastonbury is no tidier than these local Welsh festivals...even if it is a myth that it is actually held in Glastonbury (instead of 25 miles away at Frome!), it is nevertheless famous for mud.  It appears that Glastonbury wouldn't be a festival without the mud anymore!  So it is with the Welsh music festivals.  I have to say -I have met people that have enriched my heretofore (seemingly) rather poor life.  I can honestly say I have never met such a wonderful group of people who work voluntarily, incredibly hard, with a common goal, whilst still holding down full time jobs - to create an atmosphere where others can come and enjoy music, dance, buy at stalls, party, get drunk and chill out, whilst not taking any time out themselves to just enjoy.  Enjoyment time for the stewards comes at the very end of the festival...when it has gone without a hitch, has been a rip roaring success and they can indulge their own passions for music where individuals or groups can get up on the stage after the gates are closed and perform brilliantly themselves, the music that they all love - many of whom are talented enough to warrant main stage!!!!

As an ageing rock chick, I have to confess I was somewhat dubious at working a folk festival, particularly a 50/50 Welsh speaking folk festival, even though I am a fluent Welsh speaker - yet, I was bowled over by the talent exhibited by some of these bands, given their combined ages were less than my own!!!!!!!!!!!!! and who were keeping the Welsh music scene very much to the fore.  To my shame I have always said - I like Wales but don't like the Welsh much!!!  I take it all back.  The Celtic Folk scene in Wales is being kept alive by youngsters - I bow to them and have NO shame in posting links to these incredibly talented youngsters.  To them, I dedicate a glass of Bordeaux Claret a la Co-op!  CALAN...You rocked Pontardawe 2009 - you were a fitting act to end the whole 3 day festival. You had everyone up and dancing...not a sat on seat in the whole house!!!!

I will try and embed but likely I will only end up with a link so...bear with me! Aha...seem to have managed it - it gets faster after 2.50 on the counter...music they wrote themselves - fantastic!!!

 

I would like also to say a very personal thank you to Rory McLeod who can only be termed a 'genuine' musician...who made me several cups of tea!  He was the first to arrive at the venue and the very last artist to leave.  He had impromptu jam sessions, played over and above his allotted sets, loved my cooking and is an all round 'nice guy' and really gorgeous as well!!!!!  It wasn't the money for him, it was the sheer pleasure of just being there.  He above all, has probably made me different!!!!! or at least less cynical!

 


Another band who had the whole place bopping was Taran!  Yes, I know, Taran and Calan and all else...worse...both Welsh speaking bands!!!  I can only seem to find footage of them at the Lorient Celtic Music Festival but hey, better to show off their skills than not!!!!!

I should of course mention the winners of the 'Road to V' - the Last Republic - a local band and a thoroughly nice group of guys with innovative uses of loud hailer and despite winning the competition and opening V festival - still down to earth with no ego in sight!!!

So, there you go...a full update on my disappearance from blog...my continuing sense of unreal-ness and an adjustment period back to normal life which has frankly taken time to get used to again - er, never, ever thought I would say something that um...frankly - sounds SO VERY silly!!!!

SERIOUSLY though, if you have time, become a steward at a music festival...I have found it quite life-changing, refreshing and wonderfully un-cynical!!!

Pontardawe Festival 2009 rocked - to all the stewards, back stage crew, chefs, site security, site managers, site nutcases...you know who you are Gav - THE MARQUEE MONKEY...musicians, roadies, sound and light engineers - my gods...you are something wonderful.

More can be found on facebook - well, of course!!!!!!!

As usual long post - if you've read this far...good grief - why?

:))