March 12, 2007...4:02 pm
White Label Musical Weekend Mash-Up
Hi, it’s Monday, but I had an exciting weekend of fun adventures. My recent lifestyle decision to stop spending all my money on going away every single weekend is reaping rewards, both in terms of improved balance sheet and discovering the mysterious underworld of crazy Brussels.
Possibly the only Low Point was my failure to meet up with Stagiaire X. Whilst electronic telecommunications were established they were drinking Chimay and enjoying life on the other side of town whilst I was at a lovely dinner party drinking bordeaux and eating frittata. Such is life. Stagiaires I promise we shall meet up! If you are in town tomorrow night, I shall be at Botanique seeing the Long Blondes — I recommend them very highly! But perhaps Leboeuf has taken you to Strasbourg.
Anyway this weekend consisted of some journalist-tastic drinkies on Place Lux on Friday before chilling out with an Indian takeaway chez une copine. Takeaway was yummy - of course, it had to be, I ordered a Peshwari naan - though I did get fluffy long birman cat hairs all over my black outfit thanks to Romanoff the cat. Bad Romanoff!
On Saturday I performed boring domestic chores - even la princesse has laundry - before a really, really fun evening. I went to a friend’s house for dinner which was very full of yummy food (those little cubed sauté potatoes with loads of herbs) and wine, and also, top quality conversation: I came away more knowledgeable about German football, drinking through straws, spelt (the grain used to make waffles) and Romanian. Even better, we played Cluedo, and I won. HA!
After eating and board games we climbed into a taxi and went on RANDOM ADVENTURE to a night club I found a flyer for in a Tapas bar, 100% collage Bootleg party 3 (dear older readers, if you don’t know what a bootleg is, wikipedia will tell you here). Having whined like a small child all evening wanting to go, my heart sank when our driver navigated his way through the lost portside of industrial scuzzhole Brussels and drew up at a graffiti-strewn, semi-derelict abandoned boxing gym which looked insalubrious to say the least. However on entering the DJs were playing such an awesome combination of records that my trainspotting, beat-loving soul was transported to white-label bootleg mash-up heaven.
Highlights I remember:
‘Galvanize’ by the Chemical Brothers VS. Macarena
‘Marcia Baila’ by Les Rita Mitsouko’ VS. ‘And the beat goes on’ by The Whispers
‘Crazy’ by Beyoncé Vs Kraftwerk
It was AWESOME. And because the floor of the ex-gym was sprung, and I had flattish shoes on I danced and I danced and I danced. Until 6am.
A few hours of sleep later, I awoke and realised: a) my friend’s mum was visiting and I wanted to see her b) she was going that afternoon and c) they were going to the Musical Instruments Museum and I wanted to go to that too!
Leaping out of bed and fortified by some very strong coffee I made it to the musical instruments museum where, once again I was educated. I saw a Glass Armonica - oddest instrument ever - as well as Sax clarinets, lyre pianos and a diamanté accordion. It was great! Whenever you stand in front of a case some magic wi-fi headphones play the instruments sitting in it so it’s actually a really cool interactive experience. Or at least so I though, until I took my fragile, hungover self to the bagpipe section. Big mistake. I was doing so well but the sounds of Patagonian goat bladder pipes squealing into my ears was, frankly, torture and I had to go and lie down.
The museum is great and I cannot recommend it enough - as well as the exhibits the whole things is in a Victor Horta art nouveau department store full of sensational wrought iron and peacock motifs. In fact the unlikely juxtaposition of Saturday night’s post-industrial clubland danceathon and Sunday’s Fortepiano and Cor Anglais educational musicfest sat together as well as Justin Timerlake ‘Sexyback’ and Fedde Le Grand, a little footnote that today’s most fantastically rocking indie band wouldn’t exist without the 5,000 year old Greek ceremonial wooden trumpet, and that the will to make music, dance and create is a little gold thread woven through the raiment of human history, glimmering with hope wherever it’s sewn.
6 Comments
March 13, 2007 at 2:53 am
Why, yes, the Glass Armonica is the coolest thing ever!. But then, I’m biased! You might enjoy checking out my website devoted to the glass armonica: http://www.GlassArmonica.com
March 13, 2007 at 11:55 am
Mmm, peshwari naan, the choice of pros. And those little sauteed cubey potatoes. You know I love them! Letting my pedantic music fan side come out momentarily, can I just point out that actually factually, i think you’ll find, the Chemical Brothers track you mention is probably ‘Galvanize’, not ‘Push the Button’ (a lyric contained within the song, but also the title of a Sugarbabes track). Enough of that, sounds like an awesome night, and next time I’m in Brussels I want to do some crazy culture involving pretty musical intruments!
March 13, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Lady Grenadine,
You are a source of much wisdom and also wise and proper actual factual corrections. I am going to correct your mistake right now, as I think the Sugababes are the most over-rated non-entity the pop scene has produced in recent years.
In the musical instrument museum they also had a C15th clavecin with lots of ‘medieval bestiary’ style wonky-eyed lions on it, you would love it!
William - Thank you very much for the link! I didn’t know just how much Franklin had to do with the instrument, though he was mentioned in the museum display. What a guy, he managed to found a country, do some dangerous research into electricity AND invent a cool and amazing musical instrument. Respect!
March 13, 2007 at 2:22 pm
What a good post. Your weekend sounds fabulous, and good for you for overcoming the derelict, graffiti’d outside of that warhouse and going in for what sounds like an uproarious danceup. Love the picture, too - now those are what I call “boot legs” - ha HAH!
Oh dear oh dear, cat hairs… well it sounds like you were very nice and cuddly with him regardless of his geriatric shedding, and that means you’re going to heaven - only the truly benevolent will put up with a smell, moulting, arthritic, senile show-cat.
Also glad the dinner went well - sounds like a surprisingly convivial evening. Now I want some cubed potatoes with herbs… umm…
Can’t wait to hear all about the Long Blondes - bring camera again, your pictures are really very artful!
March 21, 2007 at 5:09 pm
What an amazee weekend! (like my use of made-up TheSite emo words?)
Becca and I are going to Paris for Beth’s hen weekend and she said she may well come and visit you after. I don’t think I’ll have time but am very jealous!
March 21, 2007 at 6:06 pm
When are you going? I would totally consider coming over to say hi… (gatecrash)
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