Been switching over from NPR more than usual lately, settling on 93.9 THE EDGE or something, which features a really solid mix of hair and heavy metal, proto metal and other classics of the 70s-00s, and found myself completely engulfed in Guns 'n' Roses' "Patience" on the ride home the other night. Be it total bullshit affectation or honest heart on sleeve sap, it works. I simply cannot deny that for a brief period at the end of the 80s, the guy I will now always know as Axl Bloat once had a clue. He also had a guitarist that knew how to play a smoking and/or sweet lead. In light of the rest of Axl's "career," it's hard to take "Patience" seriously on the whole, but if you just ease that bucket seat back a few inches, roll down the window and let the summer breeze rush over, it's a song that's bound to leave its mark. Big Star, Rolling Stones, Zeppelin (in country mode), Cat Stevens (pre muslim) all come to mind and sound better, but at least Axl and the boys once tried to come close.

God willing, I'm going to attend this:

Current 93 & special guests live in San Francisco: 4 & 5 November, 2005

BLACK SHIPS EAT THE SKY: Current 93 will be playing two shows at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 November. Also appearing over this weekend, we are delighted and honoured to announce, will be OM, BABY DEE and SIMON FINN on Friday 4, and OM, SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, PANTALEIMON and MAJA ELLIOT on Saturday 5. Tickets are $30 and go on sale on Sunday 17 July. They are available online from www.virtuous.com and www.tickets.com.

Friday 4 November

SIMON FINN
BABY DEE
OM
CURRENT 93

Saturday 5 November

MAJA ELLIOTT
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE
PANTALEIMON
OM
CURRENT 93

Om is basically the best live band on the planet currently...hoozah!