Memory Man
Dearest little elves,
I hope the year is drawing to a close in an elegant and enjoyable fashion, like an expertly judged soiree.
Whilst crunching through the frosty london streets I find myself remembering end-of-years-past: gazing out of the bay window onto the snow-covered front garden of our house in Ireland when I was 5, listening to 'when I kissed the teacher' by ABBA, lost in exquisite melancholy; singing the grand old carols in the choir with my family and friends at midnight mass, replacing the word 'God' with 'Bean' and being frowned at by Wilf the angry choirmaster with the wild eyebrows and the epileptic wife; enjoying a random home-made drink in an unmarked plastic bottle from a complete stranger on a train on the eve of the new millennium, singing 'La Cucaracha as we fought our way to the riverside for the fireworks, losing the powers of speech and movement and being sick in a bin again and again and again and again and again and again. And again. Oh, and again.. sorry Dom. Sorry Kim. Sorry everyone.
So what will next year bring for us all? Good things I hope. Surprising Good Things like finding a bit of bacon in your dressing gown pocket, or discovering that the one you secretly like, secretly likes you.
It's been an interesting year for me. In the first half we released our new album and toured around the world. We had sushi in Alabama and burgers in Osaka, ruined an extraordinary bottle of wine with ordinary cigars (literally AND metaphorically), watched an apocalyptic lightning storm and went in the sea in our underpants. So many adventures and fine times and of course we met YOU. I hope we weren't rude. And we sang the songs and you sang along and we made up stupid songs and you were mystified and you clapped and we were pleased.
Then it was the second half of the year and I got dropped, came home and wondered what to do next. And then all sorts of things started happening and I'm writing and producing and full of energy and music and I just don't know quite what to do with it all. I guess that's what next year is for.... I'll be sure to let you know.
So I wish you a merry. And a happy new.
Take care of yourselves.
With love
Matt, x.
