It's 1:47am on Boxing Day right this minute, and as of 9 days ago I've reached the 2-years-on-T mark. That's really weird actually; I never thought I'd make it alive to even see a day like this. I'm getting better mental health-wise, thanks to a really great counsellor who I started seeing in September this year. Forward Thinking Birmingham is shitty as hell, but at least I got referred to Pattigift Therapy instead of some crappy place where a smug wanker in a suit tries to wring out as much trauma out of me as possible and sends me back out into the world feeling much more fragile than I did an hour earlier. I might still be stuck on the travelator for now, but at least I know there is a way to get off of it, which I'll do when I'm ready.
So I've done some travelling to see Gary Numan in concert a bunch of times. He released his 22nd studio album Savage (Songs from a Broken World) this year, and it got to number 2 in the UK album charts, which is his highest chart position in over 35 years! ;w; Of course, I'm not about measuring the credibility of an artist by how well they do in the charts or how popular they are etc etc., but it's just really nice to think that people are finally seeing Gary as the talented, hard-working artist that he is instead of just The Cars Guy™. I mean yeah, there's a lot to unpack about the concept of the album - global warming turns the entire planet into a desert wasteland, Eastern and Western cultures merging purely out of survival - especially with the typeface and all, and of course I was really wary about it from the start, but overall out of every musician from the 80's new wave and post-punk era that's done problematic shit, Gary seems to be the one who's learned the most from his past mistakes in a meaningful way, and I really think that he's taking notes on how to do better image-wise next time.
But still, it feels like everybody stopped caring after the first week or so of the album being so high in the charts :( It's been out for three months and I've still spoken to people much older than myself who had no idea he's still actively recording and touring, let alone that his new album came out in September. I mean, the PledgeMusic approach alone should be enough for music journos to be talking about it in their end-of-year lists! But yeah, I want to talk about my experiences seeing him live and meeting him all over the country so many times. I went to Bristol and Liverpool all on my own on two separate occasions for the first time ever! I doubt I would ever have been able to do that even two or three years ago. I also did one of the VIP rehearsal days where I got to watch Gary rehearsing with his band, and even went up to London again for the album signing at HMV Oxford Street! I think my most favourite bit was being at the M&G before his show at the Leamington Assembly four days after the rehearsal, and he must have remembered me from that day because he greeted me with "hello again!" and it made me feel so special and validated!!! Sometimes I wonder which name he knows me by, because I've introduced myself to him as both Alexander and Daniel. I know his wife Gemma knows who I am, though, because when I was at the HMV signing I spoke to her and she told me she was checking my Twitter to see if I was coming along and she asked me how I was because apparently I was dealing with some abusive wankers on there. Well, I mean, I don't remember anything like that because I don't tweet as often as I should, but it was generally a really special moment ;w;
I'm not gonna elaborate too much on the stage outfit Gary wore on the UK/Europe Savage tour, but I will say that Jesus fucking H Christ, I am ridiculously attracted to this man who is nearly sixty.
I've also been listening to a bunch of new bands and artists lately. This year I've discovered All About Eve, Lycia, clipping., Eagulls, Teengirl Fantasy, Oppenheimer Analysis, Pharmakon, Danny Brown, Pale Dīan, and some other bungus that I can't really remember at the moment. I also expanded my knowledge on Zola Jesus, This Mortal Coil, Double Echo, Nine Inch Nails/How To Destroy Angels, Chromatics, HIM, Cold Cave, Veil of Light, Killing Joke, and Kontravoid. I think that's everything??? I'm not quite sure though.
My top 5 albums of the year, in no particular order from 3 onwards:
- Gary Numan - Savage (Songs from a Broken World)
- Zola Jesus - Okovi
- Slowdive - Slowdive
- Arca - Arca
- Desperate Journalist - Grow Up
I really can't think of much else to write, and I'm feeling really sleepy anyway so I guess I'd better shut my laptop off and go to sleep. But I will say that my mum has offered to let me move into the flat she lets out when I'm ready, and I spend every minute thinking of how I'm gonna decorate it. ♡
