Walter Kohl bottom left
In a few days I will be flying out to Vienna to meet up with my good friend Walter Kohl a well known Austrian writer. We originally met up to discuss his idea for a book, a “faction” called Out Demons Out. Now we are about to appear together at the first promotion events in Austria, for the finished book. I will be playing a few songs and chatting with Walter. It is all very exciting and something different for me.
Walter's idea was to tell the story of
his childhood and growing up in post war Austria when the Edgar
Broughton Band was looming in the not too far distance and then, when
he first heard Wasa Wasa, how that had a dramatic effect on his view
of things. The actual chronology of events is not adhered to nor are
some of the facts. It is not a biography, although much of my/ EBB history
is contained with in it. It is a novel. Actually it is also a novel
that contains excerpts from my writings in The Instantainium.
“This
one is for you, Edgar had said in the late afternoon, the sun was
sinking already, and had stared into the brothers eyes for a long
time. And then he started singing very softly. The air was thick like
honey. It fell like beginning to melt, the brother said. Inside of
me. And suddenly the village was back, and Hilda, and the bricklayer,
and all the shit of that time.
He
saved us from the village, actually, the brother said, and looked for
Edgar.
Yes,
said Charly”.
From
Out Demons Out. A novel about The Edgar Broughton Band by Walter
Kohl.
Each chapter is loosely based around a
song title and tells part of the story of Walter's long distance
relationship with the EBB and the effect the music had on him and his
friends. Some of it is true and some is not. His choice. An
intriguing concept.
I spent many hours being interviewed
for this work here in the UK and in Austria. I have read a rough
English translation which, impressively, Walter made himself. I have
made some corrections while being very aware that the writer has to
have most control over the finished draft. Fortunately Walter and I
operate on similar lines and so this was not a problem. The book is
in the German language at this time but we hope it will appear in
English soon.
Walter sent me a couple of photos ( see
above) from press clippings related to his book. He sent them because
the strap line says “Out with the demons” and it is next to a
photo of our Charlie boy enjoying some Austrian chocolate. I see
where Walter is coming from but as it happens I quite like our
Charles. He is the same birth sign as me, a Scorpio, he is roughly
the same age and we both have a high regard for the Dalai Lama. He
does make the odd gaff though , some thing I never do ha ha! During
filming of the gardens at the rear of Buckingham Palace, he was
showing the Dalai Lama the wild meadow garden. He was so obviously
proud of it. He suddenly turned to his friend and asked him, “So
how are things with China”? The Dalai Lama looked gobsmacked. The
prince immediately apologised adding “ You can't really talk about
that can you”? So it is with the royal one.
To be fair he occasionally speaks out
against stupidity and verges on being political at times. Some thing
the royals try to avoid as it contravenes their own protocols. It
seems he is not a bad bloke on the surface. He certainly seems
happier now he is with the one he loves and it looks like the royals
have learned some thing from the recent past, especially after the
death of Diana.
They have a long way to go to be a so
called bicycling monarchy though.
Charles is very opinionated and that is
not a bad thing but I suspect the slightly dusty, old school,
hard line conservative streak would always have stood in the way of
him ever becoming the key board player with the EBB.
I don't agree with his narrow ideas on
style, especially architecture and though I can see having a chat
would be fascinating I don't think we could ever be mates ha ha! But
no, for me Charles is not the demon.
The demon is the despoiler, ravager of
the world, destroyer of children, the war pig and the builders of
walls that would lock us in.
People often ask me if I can play a
version of Out Demons Out on acoustic guitar. It is just about
possible but pointless with out the chemistry, magic and innate
understanding of the other two. I say two because it only ever needed
myself and Art and Steve to drive the thing. I played it with the
Glastonbury house band a while ago and decided it would always be a
cover version with out the guys so that's it. I won't play it again
with out them. It is the one thing played by the EBB that always
retained the spirit of how and when we more or less began as a proper
band. The song has been through many developments over time right up
to the version on the Rockpalast DVD which, is about to be re
released.
The date sheet is looking interesting.
I have a FDPFAFDW gig in Norway near Stavanger on the horizon with
some lovely people I met last year when Luke and I were touring
there. I love those gigs and the people who put them together. I have
a couple of nice festivals including a return to The HRH Prog Fest in
North Wales and one of my favourite bookings at the Real Music Club
in Brighton. I expect there will be a few more dates coming in to add
to the list. Just enough to keep me out of trouble and in practise.
I love it all except the time spent at
airports hanging around and being dependent on others who don't have
my priorities or interests at heart. I remember a woman who worked
for British Airways chucking a flight case containing Luke's samplers
down a ramp to the luggage guys below. The samplers provided all
the sounds for the EBB set. Luke's face was a picture and she just
told us it would be ok. We pointed out she didn't even take the time
to find out what was in the cases. This meant both Luke and I were
anxious about this until the next sound check.
I can get quite anxious about getting
flights on time but I always make it with loads of time to spare. I
have no problem with flying just the waiting around to do it. I became so
used to a life with roadies it can be a bit irksome on my own. Happily when I arrive any where I am always looked after very well by people
who care.
Easter is nearly over I am happy to
say. To me it is just another religious irrelevance taken from the
Pagans and incorporated into Roman Christianity by the emperor
Constantine to keep order among the various Christian movements and
leaders. Sadly the commercialisation of Easter has become more or less
acceptable. What annoys me is that we have lost the
celebratory style that accompanied the pagan festivals. I would have
enjoyed the bawdy, licentious behaviour that would have been the
order of the day. Orgiastic and free. Woah!
Having said that the kids have
a great time at Easter and that really matters. So ignore what that
Edgar whatsisface says. He doesn't like Christmas either. Out Demons Out.
peace
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