With the sun in my eyes

10.12.08

I've been sitting here for 45 minutes, trying to figure out how to begin a diary entry after a six-month hiatus. I came this close to bidding "Cha Cha Charming" farewell, for a number of reasons. But this morning I woke up to the most gorgeous Indian summer Sunday, and got hit with the itch--a desperate need to get back to weekly outpourings of girl-pop love, London living, and over-enthusiastic rantings about such vital subjects as Japanese sake and the Wire. I like to think I've been on an extended work vacation, immersing myself in the finding and developing of the future's pop stars. Music Week and various blogs recently "outed" me as head of A&R for Xenomania Records. Out of respect for the company, I will not be writing about my job, but I will say that I'm one very lucky lady to be working alongside like-minded pop obsessives. Speaking of.....I attended In The City (music festival in Manchester) last weekend, where Andrew Loog Oldham, Seymour Stein, and Richard Gottehrer treated attendees to a sing-a-long of the Crows' "Gee," the history of the music industry dating back to 1897, and giddy, witty, excitable, detailed stories of their signings, past, present, and future. They put every other panelist to shame (well, aside from Geoff Travis, who also spoke from the heart). They were all music and no business, each vying for the spotlight to re-tell their stories about what it felt like to first spot Madonna or the Rolling Stones. Trust your gut, learn from your elders, welcome change, adapt, and enjoy the excrutiatingly painful, heated, emotional, pleasurable experience that is music....just a few of the tips from the masters. Talk about being inspired. After sitting through panel after panel featuring too many cocky, narcissistic music business types, I could've screamed "Amen!" at the end of their session.

I think today has been my favorite Sunday in London so far--on my way to Hyde Park I discovered a Mary Quant boutique (YESSSSS!!!), then found my favorite Japanese liquor of all time, Tantakatan, which I've never seen outside of Japan. Then had the best Japanese food I've ever had in London, and to top it all off--I found an autographed copy of The Wire: Season Three. Signed by Dominic West and the show's creator. Autographs have never done a thing for me, but Dominic West? Sweet Jesus! A verrrrrry different story indeed. I considered taking a photo posing with today's glorious purchases, but then realized that's quite lame. Instead, here are the three music masters at In the City. Time for a fifth round of Hunting High and Low......

Sheila

Posted by Sheila at 04:31 PM