A sudden rush of nostalgia has stopped me from this Australian pop phase I was going through. I’ve opened a time capsule finding the forgotten soundtrack of what I was listening to during the late 90s. It makes me remember Lima’s gray skies oppressing the almost 10 million people that only see the sun during the summer. That winter fog that blinds us while walking down the promenade. The dusty streets that never see a drop of rain. The monochrome clothed people, that like shadows, wander between graffiti and nightmarish traffic. The stray dogs. The shouts of kids playing football on the roads, two stones being the goal posts. The yellow flavored Inca Kola afternoons. Sunday’s at the ice cream shop. Tea time with coca leaves. Those were the days when the bleakness of the city couldn’t crush us. We were up to overthrow the president. We felt we were making history.

Radio days weren’t over. Spanish pop was my first love. Though it wasn’t indiepop clearly, I always enjoyed guitar pop. A pop upbringing that now I feel grateful for. And though this is a wild guess, I’m pretty sure we were the most 80s pop influenced country of the region. It’s still quite common to go to the clubs and listen to The Lightning Seeds, The Jesus and Mary Chain or even The Primitives. This doesn’t happen here in Miami, mind you. Spanish pop was popular, very popular. Till today people are passionate about Aviador Dro, Aerolíneas Federales, Décima Victima, and many more. You can tune radio shows playing these songs on FM. There are bands like Religión or Flash Strato that were more popular in Lima than in Spain.

It was 1997 when “Los Días y las Sombras” by Voz Propia was released. Voz Propia is a cult Peruvian band, they’ve been around since the 80s where they were part of a burgeoning underground movement in Lima. If you ask me a genre I’d say they are post punk. This is their third release and it is their best, which means it is just OK, nothing great. But I always had a soft spot for the opening, eponymous, track. Back then it was like opening a time capsule too: it was recorded in the 90s but it is a song that sounds, breathes, eats, lives, exudes 80s. Another surprise, or maybe a nod, was the album’s artwork, as it shares the same photo as The Pale Fountain’s Pacific Street. I wonder if Voz Propia liked them or if Michael Head would enjoy this record. Do you remember those puzzles, when we were kids, where you had to connect dots to make a picture appear? I like doing that with bands. Finding out how everything correlates, making the six degrees of separation a fact and not a theory. And then I realize, if it was a nod to The Pale Fountains, it could have been a hint to the Liverpudlian scene. And pondering a little more, I get this strong suspicion that this track could have been recorded by The Wild Swans after an intensive Spanish class. What do you say?

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Voz Propia – Los Días y las Sombras

Every New Year, in my country, we have a tradition of burning firework life-sized figures of people that have been bad during the past year. This will make things go great the next year, free of these illnesses. That’s what I want to do. I want to get rid of the bad stuff that troubles us now and start anew; see a brighter 2009!

So, before you continue reading please know: “this is not a love story.” Don’t despair.

// I refuse to do a best of 2008 list. Seems unfair as I’ve loved so many songs and bands over the year. Maybe I should write a book about it. That could be fair.

// All of the end of year lists kind of look the same. Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts and Cause Co-Motion are up there. I don’t get why they are up there. Some do deserve to be repeated in these lists like the fabulous Liechtenstein though.

// People don’t change. Our other favourite label will continue releasing series of compilations. Some bands have been asked four dollars so they can be part of it.

// A revitalized label that enjoyed praise on 2008 will start releasing records in digital form. One more goes down to the dark side. Are we all trying to follow the major label model now?

// Magic Marker once wrote: “Starting a record label at this stage seems moronic. I was pretty impressed with Cloudberry though. It is the now classic Long Tail business method. Selling a little of a lot of bands. That was pretty much genius. What a great way to make a name for yourself and raise funds.” – what does he mean?

// Again Magic Marker: “I am not really sure what I am trying to say. I guess that illegal downloading is illegal downloading please don’t justify it. I download stuff as well”. – again, what does he mean?

// Twee.net poll winners most probably will be (fill here), because they ask their bands to vote for themselves and their label. No wonder the first place last year. I love these ethics!

// A label releases a great tribute album. But I believe tribute albums should happen when people are alive. I bet they had good intentions, but it also feels like pure gimmickry. How do you feel about it?

// Bloggers shouldn’t take credit for “mixes” they do. Keep it to your friends like the old times, pass the tape, swap your CDRs. Of course back in the day fanzine writers did take credit for their tape mixes, indeed, but they made it happen, asking bands to be part, organizing it, and recording them! What’s so great of choosing 12 songs (which bands/labels are totally unaware they are being featured) and putting them on a zip file? Anyone can do that. Or is it that these bloggers have such an exquisite taste that we are all in awe?

// “How can you trust someone that sells a CD-R (with 3 songs) for $5 that costs about $2 to produce (an incredibly generous estimate on my part), does no promotion for that release, sells that release by building up a brand, like any good capitalist does, and then claims to be an anti-capitalist representing DIY ethics and the “indie-pop way”. – someone needs a calculator. Hopefully got if for Christmas.

// Procrastination is not something to be proud of.

// I will be called grumpy after this post.

// They will ask me to keep things private.

// That won’t be a New Year’s resolution.

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Yeah Jazz – This is Not Love

New York 2007. The Baskervilles, one of those underrated bands in indiepop, is playing their Popfest gig. They are doing such a fine job, Rob, with his new wavy haircut, is singing “I Danced With Kate Moss” and I’m dancing wishing Kate Moss was there. They decide it’s time to end their set. They will cover the TVP’s “I Remember Bridget Riley”. I’m thrilled. The Delancey is as hot as a cauldron but that won’t impede me to keep singing and dancing a brilliant song. And I keep going while the New Yorkers try to find a place to sit down.

New York 1965. Bridget Riley arrives to America and she is featured in the ‘Responsive Eye’ exhibition at the MOMA. Her work arouses suspicion. Her optically disorienting paintings had critics complaining of an unfeminine aggression. Abstractionists accused her  ‘opticality’ of being just pure gimmickry. But people embraced her, her motifs migrated onto dresses in shop windows. And god knows how pretty a girl can be wearing one of this.

Miami 2008. The Art Basel fair. Jennifer and me are going to the main event, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It’s a huge festival. There are so many tourists from all over. The amount of artwork under this roof is really overwhelming. Post-modern art has taken over. It’s all about the concept. The prices for any of these pieces is exorbitant. We stop at a Rauschenberg painting and Jennifer doesn’t like it. We stop at a Bridget Riley monochromatic illusion. Jennifer wants a dress with the motif. And I think she is totally right. She does understand art.

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Television Personalities – I Remember Bridget Riley

I didn’t want to end up as a soothsayer when days ago I wrote in the Anorak forum:

Eventually most of the blogs will disappear, people will get bored and stop writing, later not paying for the domain and all that info, again, lost.

Call it destiny, those lines were an answer to Trev. He used to contribute in Indie-Mp3. This blog, maybe the most important and influential, has just folded. It’s sad news indeed. For five years this was the column where Tom Bartlett and his contributors have been recommending and championing indiepop. Some was good, some was bad. Some I loved, some I thought ‘what are they thinking about’. But this didn’t matter at all. What they did for indiepop is what matters. Their taste became an authority: what they recommended ended up as a snowball, all the other little blogs would follow them. They were trend setters. Pretension wasn’t their flag, their input was real and trustworthy, even if you didn’t like what they recommended. The total opposite that Pitchfork does. And they were inspiring. Mirroring their enthusiasm, I started to blog back in November 2004.

Things can’t last forever, I know. But the question is: who will take their place? Small labels and new bands appreciated the support from Indie-MP3. As I said, it triggered a domino effect after you were showcased there. No other blog has had that same power. This, I tell from personal experience. Who will take a chance to start something as dedicated? Something as decent? Mind you, they weren’t looking for personal fame as bloggers, as many others do, offering immense amounts of MP3 downloads as rapidshare links or unauthorized mixes just to be read. No. They supported and respected labels and bands. And that’s the spirit of indiepop.

They are moving all the information to a blogspot account. I’m scared of these things though. I was hacked once and four years of blogging went down the sink. Important knowledge, information, interviews, all gone. I’m afraid that that could happen to Indie-MP3 or any other blog out there. Then is when you see the fragility of blogs compared to the paper fanzine. Same thing with mp3 and records.

I really wish the best to them and to their new projects. They are continuing their label LostMusic which will release a split 7″ with two good friends of mine, The Morning Paper and Moscow Olympics. This will be out now in January. It should be great. I mean, how could a single with these two bands go bad? Great choice.

But now is time to say goodbye. I want to send a big thanks to Tom and his contributors for doing Indie-MP3 all these years, for their immense contribution and for spreading the holy word of indiepop. THANK YOU

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The Pooh Sticks – Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution

“I love your t-shirt” – with a Spanish accent – “I really love that band”.

I had just taken a picture with Pipas: Mark, Lupe, Erico (from Poppolar) and me for the postcard. Lupe must have been surprised that someone was wearing a Cola Jet Set t-shirt in New York. How many chances there are that someone in America will be supporting Felipe Fresón sugary indiepop band? She had seen them live. She had seen Los Fresones Rebeldes live too. I only had a t-shirt that had just become an icebreaker.

I had one badge of the Plastilina Records label, I thought it was a good idea to give it to her. She seemed very enthusiastic to speak some Spanish during that 2007 summer weekend. To my surprise, she knew the label! Wow! “You’ve released many nice things, we know it very well in Spain”. That was thrilling to hear. Not that very sure if it’s well known in Spain, but anyways… the compliment was ace!

They were next up to play. I asked Lupe to save me her setlist. I have had bad luck getting the Ballboy setlist the day before. Some hipster kid got it first, I bet he just listened the band for the first time. So better ask the bands now I thought. It was my first indiepop festival and may as well be the first indiepop gigs I attended. Strange as I’ve been listening to guitar pop for years now. They played OK. The sound wasn’t the best and they made a couple of mistakes. But I was happy to see them play, singing songs I’ve grew up to enjoy so much like: Run Run Run, Hiding in the Park, Riff Raff and more.

I try not to be negative with bands, but the Cause Co-Motion guys were a bit annoying. Their set was really bad and they asked Lupe and Mark to wear their Cause Co-Motion t-shirts. I guess it’s a matter of community and helping each other, but for me, in between the two bands there are light years of difference. I never liked or enjoyed the concept behind Cause Co-Motion’s music. A matter of taste I guess, but please, don’t compare them to bands like The McTells, those were genius doing crash-pop! Anyhow, they got what they wanted, promotion from Pipas. A bit disappointing for me, but maybe Lupe likes the band?

After the gig I saw the duo outside the venue. From the other side of the door Lupe waved me. She got the setlist for me! Now it resides in a big cork board I have in my room. I see it everyday, it’s just behind my computer. And as everything is a vicious cycle, and this is about t-shirts, I also got a t-shirt, a dark blue one with the words Pipas inside bowling pins.

I guess style is not on my side. I’ll never be a Twee as Fuck kid. But a band t-shirt, jeans and chucks are what I like.

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Pipas – Hiding in the Park

It may have been the best 2 song show ever in this city but it never happened. The people who run the Vagabond club turned down Ciera and Josh when they were preparing themselves to play. They took away the console, the instruments, and told them: “No, you can’t play tonight”. They had offered them a little spot, 10 minutes to play. It was all lies. They were confused. Welcome to Miami.

I had met Ciera as my interest on her previous band Que Possum was raising and raising as beer foam. We had agreed to make a Que Possum single. We even had sorted the artwork but the band broke up just before releasing it, just before playing at Pop Mayhem! festival. Happily for us lovers of good pop songs, two of their songs appeared on a split single with Boyracer on the 555 Recordings label. Weeks after she told me she was making music again under the name Sugarbears.

Brogues totally nails it when on his blog he compares his bass playing to Peter Hook: they have come all the way from Gainesville because Josh was going to play bass in a Joy Division cover band. And for some reason there were a lot of people looking forward to this gig. The Sugarbears weren’t on the bill, so all this huge crowd was only for the cover band. Startling. I honestly don’t remember the name of the band. Maybe I wouldn’t have gone to the show if Ciera hadn’t tell me they were going to do a Sugarbears special 2 song set after they finished. Two heavy metal looking blokes, Josh and a guy that resembled to Ian Curtis were the band. It just felt unnatural to see a band playing not even one original song. Not used to it. The Vagabond kids, the hipster kids of this city, were in ecstasy. Chanting every song, believing this guy was the reincarnation of Curtis. There was even some crowdsurfing and zippo flames lightning the dark room. If you ask me about taste, this city doesn’t have it. And this effervescence was plain ridiculous. I was out of place.

I found Ciera outside the venue. She was sad, totally overwhelmed by the attitude of the club organizers. I know they were practicing their set till 5am in the morning, just before taking the highway to down south. They were going to play their hit song “Nothing But Love” and a New Order cover, which was going to be a surprise. I can imagine how she felt. What a disappointment this city can be.

The band is over now. They didn’t record any more songs. Their only recording was “Nothing But Love” which I had the chance to release on the “Where Are the Supremes Tonight? EP”. There are still a couple copies left and it’s one of the best tunes this year. It should have been a single.

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Sugarbears – Nothing But Love

It’s surprising when you find nasty people in indiepop. There’s not that many you know, usually everybody is friendly and very much into the idea of a community. But well, there are always exceptions. And I think one should always denounce them, maybe they’ll be nasty to YOU next time.

On August 31st I got a nice comment on myspace from Michael Murphy, one of the New York Popfest organizers, saying that the music on the label was great, blah, blah, blah. It’s not there anymore for some reason, maybe he deleted it, maybe he canceled his account. I don’t know how it works. Anyways, one day later, on September 1st, after the indiepop terrorist that is Chris B., wrote some religious nonsense and attacks everywhere, M&M wrote on the indiepoplist:

oohh…a fight! This one’s right up my alley too. I unequivocally support Series Two Records. As a fan, and an artist on the label I can testify to Chris’ dedication and authenticity. I think the “pretentious” cdr comps are fantastic, both in musical substance and in packaging. LOTS of labels over the course of indiepop have put out comps, many with bands not otherwise on thier label. “little Darla has a Treat for You” ring any bells? “Pop American Syle”?? “Seven Summers”?? Great comps all! And don’t even get me started on Roque. To call out another label on the back of one of your records is tacky at best and speaks of the “Me” atttitude you project both in person and in your dealings. To quote:” I don’t advertise new releases on the indiepoplist because they don’t care about new music” Enough said. Yes Cloudberry puts out some amazing music, but I just download it all, as you charge too much and make it available in such limited quantities that only the super aware elite be able to get it. Doesn’t sound very “socialist” to me. You may think yr the second coming of Sarah records…but Matt and Clare would be quite displeased. Trust me.

Surprising isn’t it? Especially as I’ve met him twice in New York, being very polite to him. Even inviting him to have some gyros with me, Anna and the Oh! Custer guys, and him running away. I could dissect what he said on his e-mail, but I guess at this moment it doesn’t matter. He totally misses every point and he is not objective at all, especially as he released in Series Two and I declined his offer to release his stuff on Cloudberry.

Hey! but this is not the end. Now comes the shocking part! Who would have thought that now he wants to be friends on Facebook?

Somebody is suffering of a terrible Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome.

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Shop Assistants – I Don’t Want to Be Friends With You

We were supposed to arrive in Berlin around lunchtime. Nana and me have been on the autobahn for days. At least that’s how it felt. Everyday driving all over Germany while listening to Peter’s “The Sound of Glen Waverley” compilation. We arrived quite late, around 4 pm. I was afraid that Uwe was going to be pissed. We woke up late, that’s true; and we left Hamburg even later. Berlin was empty, it was a holiday, May 1st, May Day. We didn’t see any revolts or demonstrations though, maybe because we were pretty lost in the city. It took as around 30 minutes to find Uwe’s place, and 15 to find a parking space. Not an easy task.

At last at Uwe’s apartment! Wow, what a record collection!! Records everywhere, on racks, on shelves, I bet even in the fridge! To my surprise, also waiting for us was Jan. We were meeting two thirds of Firestation Records!

Glasses of lemonade kept coming. Indiepop gossip, the latest news, future releases and plans. The state of indiepop labels, the dishonesty of legendary labels, the enthusiasm of up and coming Japanese labels, the price to press vinyl in Japan. And etcetera. It was a conversation that could have lasted for hours, maybe a sleepless day. Uwe, especially, had that same passion and drive for jangly guitars that I have. Passionate, now I can see how the Leamington Spa compilations take shape. I can see him dedicating hours and hours of searching and looking for the old bands, especially during those early volumes, where there was no myspace and old bands were almost impossible to track down. I know for a fact that he would send letters to the addresses that appeared on the back of the sleeves of the records. I wonder how many answered back.

A little trade with them, Explained Emma’s “When My Heart Rings” 7″ and The Groovy Cellar’s “When You Fly Away”. The first one appeared on the last Leamington Spa compilation, but this 7″ appeared early this year as a co-release between the German label and the Japanese Fastcut Records. This are songs from the early 80s released today! I believe this record is now sold out, sadly. But you can still get the second Explained Emma 7″, out too on Fastcut Records and Firestation: “Unnecessary Stain”. I recommend them both! I would most probably try to get in touch with the band, would be great to have an interview sometime! On the other hand, The Groovy Cellar is one of my favorite German bands. “Mac Arthur Lane”, on Marsh Marigold, is such an underrated album, it’s great. Also if you are curious check Olaf’s previous band, the legendary Most Wanted Men. This 7″ is part of the Singles Club that Firestation started not so long ago, this is number 4.

The future is even brighter! The Sound of Leamington Spa Vol. 7 will be out early next year. All I know is that there are going to be 21 tracks, and one of them is from Home and Abroad. I guess I’m not nosy enough? Also around the same time there will be a retrospective album from The Ferrymen. The 15 track album from this Doncaster band should be a winner. Their sound reminds me The Housemartins and The Beautiful Sound, and though I’m not a fan of either, I’m enjoying these tracks! Coincidence or not, the final show this band ever did was in Berlin. Huh!

The other great news, and the one I’m looking forward with excitement!, is that this December will see the release of a retrospective album of an overlooked C86 band: The Man of Westnesse. Hooray! The only two songs I know (Boating and The Coldest Water) are pure jangle bliss, favourites among favourites. The album is called “Are You Brothers” and it contains 15 (!) tracks. This is a MUST have. If you are skint, ask Santa for it. You NEED it.

And then it was time to leave, time to go meet Kat and Day, and a night tour around Berlin’s historic sites.

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Close Lobsters – Firestation Towers

I’ve never been that much of a Christmas enthusiast, but maybe this year it will change: I’m putting out a 4 track compilation EP of Christmas themed songs. And actually it is really good! The four songs are originals and no, they are not carols. They are four splendid pop songs that I would totally recommend. The name of the EP is “Last Train to Christmas”, which is an April March song. All Cloudberry EPs are named after songs.

I wonder how objective and fair I can be recommending something I’m releasing. Of course all labels do their press kits and they praise and praise their bands. In that situation it is fine, people don’t mind. But if I write about it in a blog, praising the songs and bands, what would the reaction be? I’m guessing people will be negative. Maybe it’s somethting of the human condition? Perhaps the difference is that press kits are ‘anonymous’?

The EP opens with “Antoinette’s Christmas Wedding” by Twig. Kalle (from Elenette) and his sax had already been part of Twig’s repertoire, as you can see in their 2008-defining “Life After Ridge” album. On this track Kalle comes handy with his services to bring out a standout track. It is impossible not to think of the album track “Constance and Her Cousins” that has a very similar vibe, the sax and a girl name. The three-piece sounds as classier as ever. Actually it was Henrik from Twig that wrote me a month or so ago suggesting the idea of making a Christmas compilation. He loves Christmas and I can tell, I’ve heard a different Christmas song on their myspace for the last two years. And Mathias told me today that they are working on another Christmas tune! May it be the Swedish snow? being close to the North Pole? that makes the Twig guys love this time of the year? The only thing I’m certain that is that they passed me their enthusiasm. I can imagine the swedes in a big Christmas banquet like Fanny and Alexander, wouldn’t you too?

The second song is courtesy of The Soft City. The band has changed a lot since their Cloudberry single. Well, at that time is was mostly Phil with help from many of his friends. Now it is a band in the whole sense of the word. Phil doesn’t take control of the main vocals anymore, that duty is now Dora’s. Also Jason Corace (from A Boy Named Thor, do you remember?) plays the electric guitar and Phil goes to his favourite instrument, drums, the same he played on Kicker and the underrated but amazing Velocette. The song “Snow is Falling” reminds me to Kicker, and that’s a good thing! A pop song with capital letters, a POP SONG. That’s what it is. What is funny about this Christmas tune, as Phil points out, is that the New York band are one Jew, an agnostic and one unidentified! Who would have thought! Listening the song you would have thought The Soft City was all about joy in Christmas time!

“When The Stars Are Shining Bright At Christmas Time” is the third tune. And this one comes from fellow New York band Strega. As you might now this band also has pedigree, Poundsign pedigree! Wavelenght might have been one of the best indiepop albums in the 90s. You are lucky if you come around a copy of it. EBay is not easy on the prices on this one either. It is good, a very fine record, that maybe didn’t break thru because at the time indiepop was all about Aislers Set, but hey, this was as good. The song is a bouncy, upbeat, two minutes and a half piece. And as everything comes around, the six degrees of separation theory, it was Henrik (Twig) that saw them live in New York, at the Union Pool (a place I like a lot!) and recommended them to me. The water flowed and eventually the band closed the 3″ single series with that wonderful single of them: “Emotional Self Destruction”.

And then going back north, now to Denmark. It’s Champagne Riot, a new band for me and for the label too. I’m waiting impatiently now for his debut on Shelflife, and if the songs are as good as this Christmas one, this will be one of the winners of 2008. That doesn’t mean I’ll make a best of list, but I most probably vote at the Twee.net yearly survey. “December Slopes” is the song name and this has the most epic sound of all the 4 songs. There is something about Caspar’s singing that brings memory of 80s synthpop bands, with that charming decadence that exudes pop elegance. Think of a less pretentious Fosca, a darker Human League and maybe you have an idea. Then the EP is over. And most probably you’ll want to play it again.

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Red Sleeping Beauty – Christmas

I miss New York, but New York with Anna and Joe. Today Anna and Joe met in London. I wasn’t there. And both of them in different ways told me how great it could have been if we hanged out together again. That they miss those days during the New York Popfest. They have to be among the best days of my life. Of course. Could we be like the gang of Bande A Part? Me and Joe love Anna Karina… and hey! Anna has the same name! So maybe? Perhaps. Joe will be playing next week (on the 28th) in Malmö, at Kris’ club. And Anna and Joe will hang out together again. And I will miss them again. But if you are in that town, don’t miss the show, a Pinefox gig is something else! He jangles!

The memory of that June weekend in New York is still fresh. The Chinatown kids playing and cursing in the park while Anna and me were trying to figure out the lyrics from “Besando a Otra” by Los Saicos. Let me say that Anna is Swedish, but for some strange reason she loves Los Saicos, a Peruvian garage band from the 60s. Maybe you’ve heard about them? Collectors from around the world go CRAZY for their records and their prices truly eclipse what would anyone would pay for the rarest indiepop 7″. Also for many music journalists their track “Demolición” is the first punk song ever. Anyhow, Anna remembered how the song went but I couldn’t stop singing “Ana” for Anna.

I’ve become good friends with Anna for a couple of years now, emailing not that often and chatting a wee less. But this year she came to Florida. Not to the east coast, but the west coast, to Ft. Myers. I took a Greyhound bus and hanged out for a day. It was great. We had Chinese food: I had chicken and Anna vegetables. Chinese restaurant is always a winner when you are going to have food with a vegetarian. Now we were best friends. It works perfect, in New York we had Chinese again.

Back to the Big Apple. I had just got out of the plane and we were making time. It was Thursday and it was the first day of the Popfest. The Pinefox was going to play and I really wanted to see his show. Anna likes The Pines so she was looking forward to it too.

I had just put out the third Cloudberry fanzine that included an extensive interview to Joe, even featuring him on the cover. The regular Cloudberry fanzine usually has 24 pages. Joe was kind enough to answer everything with all the details you can imagine. The fanzine grew to up to 32 pages! That was unexpected! The printing price sky rocketed and in a kamikaze mission I sold out the fanzine at 2 dollars less than it’s real value. But it was worth it. It was a great zine and I wasn’t going to chop down Joe’s answers. But maybe something else, as Rachel from The Local Heroes wrote me: “Joe tells me you had to chop down an entire rainforest to print it!”.

As you know Joe also records as The Arc Lamps and as The First Division (with Tim Hopkins, from The Visitors, singing). Oh! and not forget about The Foxgloves… he has had several bands before those but I forget the name of them. He says they are not important. Okay, I easily lose the thread. Let me rewind. Okay, on our way to the Cake Shop we got a bit lost and we arrived maybe 10 or 20 minutes after 7. We went downstairs, were the bar is… and there was Joe already ready to play. He was playing an acoustic guitar that Pelle Carlberg had signed the year before at the Popfest 2007. Joe’s outfit was great, striped shirt, shorts and camping boots. I liked the anti-glamour, down to Earth and friendly approach of Joe. And then he started, some Pines songs, some Foxgloves songs…. and a GREAT cover of Glo-Worm, Joe’s favorite Pam Berry band (well, after The Pines). A lovely and intimate gig. He opened the festival in the best way possible.

To be continued…

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The Pines – Forget-Me-Nots