Being in Love with music

It was 1987 when satellite broadcasting entered our home in Greece ... the Mtv and the MGM were the main music channels. My older sister was in High School. I still remember how jealous I was of her for her red lipstick, for her fringe that was reaching the sky with tons of hair spray, for her doc martins boots. It was the time when the video clips became popular. When our parents were at work and we were not in school Mtv was the only channel that was on. I did not understand much but I was watching. I had a special mission. My sister had me in alert so as when some of her favorite bands  were on I should go and fetch her from our  bedroom-where she was enjoying her music at incredibly high decibels- and call her best friend -the other "Ursula"- so as to see it simultaneously. Therefore, I spent incredibly long hours watching this channel. I grew up with its music and aesthetics. In front of the telly I learned how to dance with Michael Jackson, I rocked with Bon Jovi, I lip synched Roxette, fell in love with Dave Gahan, I was frightened by Alice Cooper, I loved the Cure, I adored Nick Cave.

In my adolescence I started spending all my money in music. Monastiraki and Metropolis were the main places to buy music in Athens. You couldn't download a track from an album but you had to buy it as a hardcopy and then record it in tapes for your friends. You had to listen to it all and eventually you ended up fancying another song from the album more than the one that made you buy it in the first place. It was hard to research for music but you were doing it ... you were doing it because you were in love with music. For every moment in my life I had (still have and I will do for all eternity) a matching song. I was staying hungry for weeks at school in order to save money and buy CDs and Vinyls.

And then I was introduced to the magical world of gigs. The tension, rough guitars, loud music, the crowd screaming the songs... A magic swirl of the senses. "Rodon" was the main place that was hosting concerts and it was lovely ... decadent enough to fit with  perfectly with great rock music, where the smoke and the darkness of the place was making it magical, almost sacred to me. I cannot count anymore in how many live shows I have been but I can assure you that I cannot forget how I felt to each one of them.

My madness expanded. I started to search not only in my my beloved Athens but also in other cities. In Camden Town and Berwick street I spent countless hours- no, days maybe months- lost in my music "fix".  Now that I am in Glasgow, "MONO" has been-in a way-my lovely second home of mine, a place where you can talk, ask for an opinion, learn about concerts, make jokes e.t.c. Going to a record store is something that the internet convenience can never replace...I am an old fashioned girl when it comes to such things.

However, my M.A.D. (music addiction disorder- you can google it, it's a medical term) didn't work fine only for me...The last 3 seasons I am a radio producer in an internet radio station hence the nickname Lady Kerouac. In that time I can share with people my greatest love, introducing them to bands and sounds that never thought of listening ever or they were totally ignorant about some bands and songs. I don't play pop music, I am trying to avoid the well known tracks based in my experience in the world of music I realised that the most beautiful tracks are not usually the "singles" that are released. Finally I can make other people to see what I see, to hear what I hear and hopefully appreciate it the same way.

Now my next step would be a blog about Music and here it is...I don't want to end up bitter, so I won't write my bad opinions. If I don't like something there's no reason for me to bother with that but I might start reviewing ignorant critics to see how it feels to be on the other side of the coin. I will share my experiences from concerts, maybe a memory for a song. There won't only be reviews of new albums but of older too. I will also comment for unsigned bands. If you love something or someone deeply you never criticise it/him/her, you forgive easily all the flaws because they made you see clearer the virtues. Bitterness will be only shed to critics behaving like scorned teenage girls...Enjoy it my friends

xx

Lady Kerouac

P.S.: My radio show (starting again in mid September) is broadcasted by www.radiocancelled.com. If you are not Greek and want me to talk in English send a request in the chat while the show is on air. Every Thursday "Wine in the Afternoon" is aired at 18:00 (UK).