Allah Hu & Soul Banks

...Back again after what has been a truly gorgeous summer. Although it took a long time getting here, the weather this past couple of months has been awesome. It’s a long time since I’ve experienced such enduring warmth and sunshine in the UK and as a result it’s been a very healing time for me both in body and soul.

I think I’ve said it before in blogs past, that the main reason I write here is to keep a kind of public diary of what I’ve been up to personally. I keep a rough notebook full of quotes, lists, scraps of lyrics, ideas and what have you by my side most of the time, but this is more of an ordered account of my adventures (or lack of them) over recent times so I can look back and get a handle on how I’m progressing or deteriorating or whatever. If anyone happens to want to read what I’ve been up to, then that’s a bonus, (unless you’re from big brother that is – though why you’re wasting your time reading an old man’s drivel is anyone’s guess if you are!).

On the health front I continue to make slow and steady progress. I am coming to terms with my long term physical limitations and learning to work with them rather than getting annoyed for not being able to do stuff. I still feel a lot of discomfort, aches and pains, breathlessness, and numbness down my right side since my heart failure and stroke, but I’ve been working quite a bit on my drumming and stringed instruments and slowly recovering many of my old skills which has been heartening. Sadly my singing voice doesn’t look like it’s ever going to get back to what it was. Not that I had much of a singing voice in the first place but I used to enjoy contributing harmonies and singing in general, particularly at parties and sessions after gigs, (though in those days drink was involved! ) But it’s also nice to say that, other than communion wine, I’ve not touched a drop for 17 months now and although I miss the sessions, I don’t particularly miss the alcohol that went with them.

A bit of good news is, my toes have finally dropped off! After my op and a month in a coma last year, I awoke with two frost bitten toes after having a vein in my leg removed to replace a couple in my heart. Somewhere along the line they failed to get any blood to my toes and they became necrotic. Although my foot is still sore, swollen, and I’ll probably always have a limp, it has been much easier walking in general. I have kept both necrotic toes in a little bag if anyone wants a gander, they don’t smell any more honest!

There is further evidence of my recovery in that I’ve joined the local church band as a bass guitarist for my sins. Got my first gig tomorrow with them and I’m really looking forward to it! Although I have my own bass, they have a lovely pink one down at the church, and one of the female members of the band commented that it ‘goes with my eyes’ – ‘wot bleary and bloodshot’ I said!? They have a little amp too which means I don’t have to take any gear at all down there, which is great.

I have been on several adventures to exotic places over the summer. July saw me off to Bognor Regis, via a Steve Riley gig in Oxford thanks to Suzie Wheller and her trusty Beetle. Had a great time down there with her amazing family and friends and enjoyed a local music festival (Rocs) and some lovely time on the beach, and I even met a famous actress! The coastal experience left me wanting more and I managed to get a cheap deal on a 3 night mini break in Llandudno, North Wales a few weeks later. It’s been over 10 years since I’ve been over there to the coast, and though I used to enjoy camping and being in the wild, something I can no longer do, I was happy enough in my little hotel room which was clean and cosy with a nice window seat for reading and contemplation. Each day I got the bus over to the West beach, which was almost empty. The weather was good on both days and it was awesome taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea, combined with awesome views of the mountains. I have to report that it did the job and it satisfied my cravings for the briny waves, (I do after all live in the place that is furthest from the coast in the UK and so means more to me than for most I guess).

Apart from these adventures I’ve been starting to re-acquaint myself with the metropolis of Nottingham a little, with a visit to an African Sabar drum workshop and also a brief visit to the Riverside festival on the banks of the Trent. At last I’ve been to a local festival that has programmed a broad multi-cultural range of original bands including Cuban Band ‘Son Yambu’ who were awesome; Irish Trad band ‘Ducie’; and old mates ‘Sarah Savoy & the Francadians’, who sadly I couldn’t get to the next day ‘cos of other commitments.

Spiritually and study wise I’ve been making lots of headway. Been thinking a great deal about the idea of worship and the conundrum of chanting the name of a Lord who is ultimately nameless.. Sufis chant the name ‘Allah Hu’ (God is) which is about as close as you can get to solving this problem, but I know of no Christian equivalent. I don’t think the Vicar would look too kindly though to me hobbling up and down the pews chanting ‘Allah Hu, Allah Hu, Allah Hu’ in communion, though I don’t know really why he might! It is however a practice I could enjoy singing privately either silently or with my old Djembe, so don’t be surprised if you hear Arabic tones coming from ‘chez Withering Heights’ in the near future!

Been thinking quite a bit about the state of the nation recently too, Food Banks, Badger Culls, Bedroom Tax, and a continued policy of making the poor and the working classes even poorer, while the rich get richer, those sorts of thoughts. Our church proudly runs a food bank that is fast becoming a vital resource for many people in the community, but such facilities have many political ramifications attached, not least the fact that we can even consider military intervention in countries far away while our own people are being exploited and are suffering here at home. We must ask ourselves where the tax money our leaders use to fund such ventures actually comes from, (not just income tax but also VAT and other forms of stealth taxes),and why we appear to have so little influence on what it gets spent on. Finally we must not forget the effect our current way of life is having on our mental health and wellbeing. Poverty is not just about not having the latest labour saving device, Plasma TV, or games module. It’s also about not having a place to grow vegetables; commune with nature; create artwork, drama, and music; socialise & party; Find rewarding and altruistic career paths; Fish and hunt for those who do so ecologically and ethically; care for your friends and neighbours; and seek to live an authentic and unique individual way of life. I reiterate an earlier blog when I noted that many recipients of third world aid programs seemed to wear perpetual smiles in the film footage we watch, while we all trudge miserably round Morrison’s like ‘Shopper Zombies’ consuming things we don’t actually need – ‘and Christmas folks is just around the corner.. Joy to the world!’. As well as ‘Food Banks’, perhaps what we also need are ‘Soul Banks’, places where we can re learn true human values and discover our true potential as children of the universe, anyone fancy starting one up?.

I have been developing a practice with the Tarot of choosing a random card from time to time that has proved to be very instructive, both for familiarising myself with the cards and for general spiritual insight. Most Christians tend to look down on working with the Tarot, but historically Christians have often been at the forefront of their use, not so much for divining the future but as a vehicle for understanding the mysteries, a kind of ‘flash card’ that opens up the secrets of the soul. The latest card I drew was ‘The King of Cups’ or ‘Roy de Coupe’, (or as he’s known round here in Woodh’s - ‘Roy the Mug’!) It is a very auspicious card with few negative associations. Christ himself was a king of the cup, or chalice, who asked his followers to remember him often in the drinking of wine, a symbol of his life blood. The character of the King of Cups is gregarious and broad minded and comfortable with every kind of people, valuing whatsoever things are lovely and beautiful. This king is kind, wise, calm, tolerant, a peacemaker, allowing others their freedom, and displaying knowledge that comes from the heart. This card favours those who are natural healers, therapists, charity workers, volunteers, and those who practice the art of unconditional loving kindness. We are encouraged to be imitators of this King and I can’t argue with any of those kind of sentiments.

My old book, almost ten years now in the making, is almost complete, just a bit of hard graft now to finish it off. Got plans for a brand new spanking website, (no not that kind of spanking website!), with lots of extra content as well as the book in pdf format that I am making freely available, for the time being at least. I’m hoping to attract some kind of publishing deal eventually though that is not the main reason for writing it, which has been to explore my own spirituality in some depth at this time in my life. I’ve got loads of new ideas for writing in the pipeline already though, so I want to get it finished now asap.

Finally, on the musical front, although I have been exploring and familiarising myself with my instruments I haven’t been doing much recording. Partly this due to the gorgeous weather we’ve been having that has made me want to be outside as much as possible, but also that my musical partner in crime ‘Doghead Phil’ is off to Australia for the winter working. Meanwhile I’ve got plans to develop my own solo project ‘Segomo’ which is mainly a ‘Shamanic percussion/found sound’ based concept and hopefully some of these grooves will end up on future ‘Mighty Dogheads’ tracks.

Meanwhile, the nights are drawing in and there is suddenly an autumn chill in the air.. These days I’m very susceptible to the cold so I’m taking steps to protect myself with layers of extra clothing so I can still go out and get about a bit, unlike last year where the cold made it difficult to get much further than the garden gate.

‘Allah Hu’ my friends..’ Allah Hu’!