Hey, umm, remember me? yeah, me neither.
Life has really done a job on me over the last month-and-a-chunk. Covid thoroughly wiped me out, even when I got back at work I felt fuzzy and slow for weeks afterwards.
More to the point it utterly excised whatever part of the cerebral cortex is that is responsible for balancing bits of Lego on LP covers and making smart arsed comments about records. No creativity or gumption left in my noggin at all, I’ve been trying to review More Specials for about 6 weeks now. True story.
Allied to that I lost my father-in-law to Covid which has been terrible and, more relevantly to this blog, my beloved NWOBHM uncle Alistair to cancer.
He was a gentleman, literally a gentle man, an endless source of fascinating war stories about life in the NWOBHM trenches. It was his funeral yesterday. I will miss him hugely, who am I going to send Iron Maiden books and whiskey to now? only a couple of days before he died I called him and we were laughing together about spandex* and a rock nightclub in Weston-Super-Mare called Hobbits.
Maiden were always his favourite band and Piece Of Mind probably his favourite album by them. It will be a good while before I can face playing it again because I know just how much it will break me down then lift me up when I do.
I used to love going up to his room when we used to visit my granny in North Petherton. She told me that when I was about seven I told her he was my third favourite person**. He never slipped too far down the charts from there.
The funeral, planned by him, was lovely, if that isn’t too weird a thing to write; these rituals we adopt really do serve a purpose. He was a much loved man and I am grateful I took my chance to tell him I loved him when I could.
In between all of this I spent 5 days in Rome over Easter and I loved it all. Especially Trastevere, walking the city at night^, Ostia Antica, frutti di bosco flavoured gelatos, the Palatine hill and wonderful meals sitting on little tables in the street.
But you’re not here for my travel blog^^, I also discovered the rather wonderful Radiation Records (Monti branch), a very friendly treasure trove of metal and punk. Which is how I ended up taking a Slayer LP into the Vatican last Wednesday.
But that’s another story. Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.
PS: Apropos of nothing much:
*which we both denying ever wearing, I have my suspicions though.
**she assumed after my parents, I personally suspect he came in third after Luke Skywalker and Spiderman. I may keep that from them.
^we did 71 miles walking in 5 days there.
^^try 1539. 1538 is my fashion blog, 1540 my quantum physics discussion site and 1541 is the subscription-only one with the spanking stories.
Hi. Remember me? I just arrived back from interstellar adventures and multi-dimensional tomfoolery. Wanted to give my condolences for the loss of your uncle. Sounds like a pretty righteous fella, and a big influence on you as well. Also, glad you made it out of the Covid clutches. When I had it in 2020 I was in the Covid “cloud” for a good month and a half. Okay, back to the US burning to the ground.
Hello and well met traveller. Thank you John. I still don’t feel right, I mean I’m working and functioning okay but writing is a REAL struggle for me; it’s a bummer (as our forefathers would have said).
Hang in there. The fog will lift eventually.
Glad your back . I enjoy the Yellow Guys words and not just the music thing.
Sincere condolences from our family to yours. It is good to have you back, though, this Community is here for you! “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think, indeed.”
I am sorry for your losses! Glad to hear from you again. Rome sounds like an awesome city.
Cheers Matt, it’s nice to be back. How’s life in Brazil?
The usual hell. =P
But personally I am fine. Thanks for asking! =)
Life really sucks when it throws you nothing but curves all at once. So sorry for your losses and the tough times.
Thanks mate.
Sorry to hear about your losses and the Covid issues. Sounds like a rough time. Great to have you back!!
Goodness, that’s an eventful few months. Condolences for your losses.
Oh dear. So sorry for all that has befallen you and yours. Good thoughts and all that stuff heading your way.
Hey man, I’m so sorry for your losses. I hope the music helps, as it often does. F Covid.
Thank you Mike. ’22 has some apologising to do.
Good to read your words again. Much like the others, I offer my condolences. Life can definitely be a rough ride and this pandemic thing (and all the other craziness) hasn’t made it any smoother. Glad you made it out to Rome though. It’s a wonderful place.
Cheers fella. Rome was truly amazing though, I really miss it already.
Aw heck I am so sorry for your losses. This just keeps hitting everyone in the nuts
Condolences to you, your uncle sounds ace. But as you can see, no matter how long you are away, we will still be here when you return.
Thank you and that’s nice to know. Uncle Ali was great, he saw everyone just as they were starting out.
Sorry about your family members Joe. Your Uncle had great taste in music I must say and that is a great memory to have.
Nice to see those pics of Rome. Wow. Picture perfect with blue sky included!
Covid for sure is a rough ride and I hope your past it and your family is now fine.
Cheers Pal
Cheers Deke. My uncle was a massive Rush fan too, right back from when they started out – he could never quite get me down that road though!
Thats a great Uncle for trying to get to down 2112 Avenue!
Been thinking about you often these past few weeks. Glad to read that at least a few neurones are rubbing the sticks together again. But not glad to hear about the deaths. I think it was John Donne who wrote the immortal lines “death fucking sucks”, a quote that still rings true.
I really did enjoy your words about your Uncle Al, Joe. Sounds like the kind of dude who would have taken a New Christs LP into the Vatican while wearing that cheeky grin in the photo. Vale.
Cheers Bruce. I think it was John Donne you know, him or that other poet fella.
He was a lovely man. Looked a little bit like a 6’3″ Angus Young.
Oh man. I am so sorry for your losses. I have to say that Covid has done nothing to curb your wit and wonderful story (storey?) telling. This is one of your best posts my spanking spandex wearing friend.
Great tribute. I will blast out some Maiden in Big Al’s honour.
P.S. Bringing Slayer into the vatican. As a Catholic I am apalled. Apalled that I wasn’t able to do it first. Hahaha.
You rule. Chin up bud. You will make it through.
All the best from across the pond.
Cheers Bop, that’s kind. I gave it a bit of Live After Death this morning.
Slayer? there’s no such thing as Vatican’t.
Good to have you back and sorry you’ve had such a shite time of it. And, as if things weren’t bad enough, you had to go and buy a Slayer LP.
Cheers. If they’d had a Deicide LP I might have taken that in with me too, I can imagine Glen Benton would have loved that.
When he’s really happy, the inverted cross on his forehead glows. True story.
Bright pink I bet.