I know what you are thinking, dearest readers, supposedly I am not blessed by broadband and yet I post - long story - to cut it short, I will refrain from elaborating on this. Another thing, my dearest readers must be thinking, oh dear, she is back to square one with her pathetic camera phone, oh why. There is only one answer to the last question, my camera's memory card was full and I was in a hurry and so I missed the unique chance of capturing the magic of Joan Wasser in London Union Chapel on 4th October 2009, what a shame, as she is the most beautiful lady of music and I cannot express the joy of seeing her live and experiencing the most starstruck moments of my not so short and getting annoyingly too long life.
Let me explain, London Union Chapel, as some of you may well know, is a little church. Coming from a land where having imposed religion on myself in my youth I would go to church every day for the joy of it, staring at tainted glass and medieval pictures of the suffering son of god hoping to be the chosen one, I did shudder sitting in the wooden benches. So real. And then, after a supporting act which was not bad or good but my excitement did not let me record anything of it, she came. She came on stage. It was Joan as Police Woman with Timo Ellis performing songs from the new album 'COVER' and original material. For some reason, I had somehow, stupidly, thought that she sometimes was struggling to sing. Not at all, her Start of the Heart live was breathtaking - up and down down and up, a captivating creature with a magnificent voice. And yes, dearest readers, I was crying, it was so beautful. Once again, I wish I was a proper reporter, to give you details of the cover versions and original material that were presented, but, inadvertedly, I simply flew away.
Needless to say, Joan as Police Woman is comprised of both utter sadness and goofiness. She is constantly joking and goofing about, which makes you want to hug her and never let go, but at the same time you get the feeling that she is totally overwhelmed by the human condition, which brings back memories of a Human Condition song, a new one, very sad, oh, and now I remember another song Flash - which, she reported, a slightly tipsy Italian fan had requested saying play Flesh - very much like me, non-English. I find het utterly but utterly charming and some of my readers may think I am praising her too much. Maybe I am, but Joan Wasser replaced the Kate Bush daily slot and it means a lot.
Which brings me to my final anectode. Some readers may ask what brings me to the final anectode and I must admit - the Italian boy. Imagine this, I decided to get myself a souvenir on my way back so I ended up scanning the products on a desk display and concluded I could only afford two postcards. Everyone was buying the COVERS CD, which I could not afford, so I was a bit ashamed and still being under the spell of the gig I did not have the confidence and will to fight for my turn at the proverbial till. Proverbial? Some may raise their eyebrows at my choice of phrases. Anyway, suddenly, Joan came and stood right in front of me with a couple of markers ready to sign the album, ticket or whatever. I was star-struck - she smelled of old attic clothes, which I assumed was her vintage attire, very sexy I must add. She is a true beauty, I was looking at her lovely face and still trying to get the postcards, for the first time I had thought that she was his girlfriend, which should never cross anyone's mind as she is the real jewel and definitely does not need any post or pre-mortem endorsement. When I got the postcards I was stupidly pushing them towards her and after millions of light years of my staring at her and thinking that she was tall and beautiful and that I could not speak English and I would never ever parrot this plain 'Joan, can you sign it?'. In such distress was I that she finally asked 'do you want me to sign it?' - and I said 'yes, please'. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life. But then I started complimenting her and I like to think she realised I was not English and could not properly ask. No dignity.
Let me explain, London Union Chapel, as some of you may well know, is a little church. Coming from a land where having imposed religion on myself in my youth I would go to church every day for the joy of it, staring at tainted glass and medieval pictures of the suffering son of god hoping to be the chosen one, I did shudder sitting in the wooden benches. So real. And then, after a supporting act which was not bad or good but my excitement did not let me record anything of it, she came. She came on stage. It was Joan as Police Woman with Timo Ellis performing songs from the new album 'COVER' and original material. For some reason, I had somehow, stupidly, thought that she sometimes was struggling to sing. Not at all, her Start of the Heart live was breathtaking - up and down down and up, a captivating creature with a magnificent voice. And yes, dearest readers, I was crying, it was so beautful. Once again, I wish I was a proper reporter, to give you details of the cover versions and original material that were presented, but, inadvertedly, I simply flew away.
Needless to say, Joan as Police Woman is comprised of both utter sadness and goofiness. She is constantly joking and goofing about, which makes you want to hug her and never let go, but at the same time you get the feeling that she is totally overwhelmed by the human condition, which brings back memories of a Human Condition song, a new one, very sad, oh, and now I remember another song Flash - which, she reported, a slightly tipsy Italian fan had requested saying play Flesh - very much like me, non-English. I find het utterly but utterly charming and some of my readers may think I am praising her too much. Maybe I am, but Joan Wasser replaced the Kate Bush daily slot and it means a lot.
Which brings me to my final anectode. Some readers may ask what brings me to the final anectode and I must admit - the Italian boy. Imagine this, I decided to get myself a souvenir on my way back so I ended up scanning the products on a desk display and concluded I could only afford two postcards. Everyone was buying the COVERS CD, which I could not afford, so I was a bit ashamed and still being under the spell of the gig I did not have the confidence and will to fight for my turn at the proverbial till. Proverbial? Some may raise their eyebrows at my choice of phrases. Anyway, suddenly, Joan came and stood right in front of me with a couple of markers ready to sign the album, ticket or whatever. I was star-struck - she smelled of old attic clothes, which I assumed was her vintage attire, very sexy I must add. She is a true beauty, I was looking at her lovely face and still trying to get the postcards, for the first time I had thought that she was his girlfriend, which should never cross anyone's mind as she is the real jewel and definitely does not need any post or pre-mortem endorsement. When I got the postcards I was stupidly pushing them towards her and after millions of light years of my staring at her and thinking that she was tall and beautiful and that I could not speak English and I would never ever parrot this plain 'Joan, can you sign it?'. In such distress was I that she finally asked 'do you want me to sign it?' - and I said 'yes, please'. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life. But then I started complimenting her and I like to think she realised I was not English and could not properly ask. No dignity.
Please, do go and see her live.
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