A few years ago, The Real Tuesday Weld were touring Europe with The Magnetic Fields. Being rather partial to exotic spirits, I asked for a bottle of Absinthe to be put on the rider in Copenhagen. It was duly delivered but unfortunately, it was the cheapest, greenest, most vicious looking version imaginable. It went straight into the fridge on the tour bus and remained there, virtually untasted as we criss-crossed Scandinavia and Germany.
A few months later, I received a letter from Toon the driver of the bus who told me that after our tour finished, the next band on was Michael Schenker - a famous heavy metal guitarist from a German band called The Scorpions. After his first show, Michael found himself alone on the bus without anything to drink as Toon drove him through the night. On investigating the bus fridge, he discovered - and downed - our bottle of Absinthe in its entirety.
Mistake. Apparently, he turned completely green himself and had to be hospitalised for alcohol poisoning - thus missing the rest of his tour. So imagine the headline: "Monster of Rock unhorsed by fey English dreamers." Apologies to all the Michael Schenker fans.
Anyway, these circumstances have never put me off the drink itself and I was pleased to work with maverick director
Ronni Raygun Thomas on his new spot for
Le Tourment Vert absinthe - a very classy film for a classier drink altogether.
Bottoms up.
The recording of the final Valentime's eve pre-apocalypse concert at The End of the World Club is finally released in Europe today through Antique Beat. As ever, it comes with beautiful artwork made by your friend Catherine Anyango - including a free Last Will and Testament form for you to fill in to mark the end of your own world (or that of a loved one) should you choose to do so.
