這天是10月17日, 是人生第一個在英國看的演唱會, Joe Satriani. 場地是曼城的 O2Appollo ,這邊的line-up真是精彩, 同星期好像還有 Jeff Beck, 票價$33英鎊, 我想, 在英國, 音樂也不見得便宜得多. 令我愈來愈覺得現場也是頗為中產的東西.與朋友L 先到火車站, 一出站便談論曼城有何特色, 我一看地下, 便說污穢. 他說還有 manchester walk, 一路說一路模仿 Ian brown 的走路方法, 還有 manchester head... 我笑了, 我們說的是十多二十年前的曼城, 現在已不是這樣了, music talk, 很多時也不是出於音樂本身, 但你可以說他不重要嗎? 我們卻在自得其樂. 其實這裡的確孕育了多好的樂團, Happy Mondays, Stones Roses, James, Oasis, 80年代尾90年代頭更甚至出現一個名為 Madchester 的音樂浪潮. 還是英國媒體利害, 除了揭名人私隱, 將音樂分類定型也有一手.
從車站走了一會, 便到達 Apollo, 我們沒有看暖場嘉賓, 只是在門外'吹水', 我記得第一次看 Joe Satriani 也是跟這朋友看的, 當年中六, 我依然記得自己穿什麼t-shirt, 什麼牛仔褲. 現在竟然跟他在這裡再看一次, 真的意義深遠, 特別. 當年的我什麼都不懂, 只是覺得 Joe Satriani 很利害, 想為什麼有人彈結他可以彈到這樣. 現在人走到英國也是看他, 情感上的確對我有一定意義. 而朋友L, 當年也是一個會考中英文成績不甚好, 要在香港掙扎求存的一人,但現在他已是一個 PhD學生, 八年了. 人生, 一個決定, 便已不同.
Apollo 好的地方是他有座位. 人人也靜靜的坐著看表演. 這次 Joe Satriani 的巡迴主要是宣傳新專輯, Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards, 所以有很多歌其實我都未聽過. 而貝帥手也不是Stuart Hamm, 還記得他當年在 love thing 裡拍出一下下扣人心弦的貝帥... 這次 Satch 很多舊歌都沒有玩, 大概只有 flying in a blue dream, summer song, always with you always with me, crystal planet 等. 意外是聽 revelation 時有點感動. 可能因為它是前一張專輯自己最喜歡的一首歌吧. 而 Satch 的樂器技術又更見全面, 這次我終於看到他現場彈木結他, 還有唱歌, 吹口琴. Apollo 的聲音很好, 很清楚, 很容易便聽到 feedback. 但是遺憾的是我最希望聽到的 love thing 也沒有出現. 無辦法, 唯有看到有為至.
之後在市中心走走, 想起這歌.
Pearl Jam - off he goes
Know a man, his face seems pulled and tense
Like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds
So i approach with tact
Suggest that he should relax
But he's always moving much too fast
Said he'll see me on the flipside
On this trip he's taken for a ride
He's been taking too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes...
He's yet to come back
But i've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack
We go way back
I wonder about his insides
Its like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken... where, i don't know?
Off he goes with his perfectly unkept hope
And there he goes...
And now i rub my eyes, for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles...
And he's still strong
Nothing's changed, but the surrounding bullshit that has grown
And now he's home
And we're laughing like we always did
My same old, same old friend
Until a quarter-to-ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and i know just what is gonna happen next
Before his first step
He's off again
Pearl Jam - off he goes
Know a man, his face seems pulled and tense
Like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds
So i approach with tact
Suggest that he should relax
But he's always moving much too fast
Said he'll see me on the flipside
On this trip he's taken for a ride
He's been taking too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes...
He's yet to come back
But i've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack
We go way back
I wonder about his insides
Its like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken... where, i don't know?
Off he goes with his perfectly unkept hope
And there he goes...
And now i rub my eyes, for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles...
And he's still strong
Nothing's changed, but the surrounding bullshit that has grown
And now he's home
And we're laughing like we always did
My same old, same old friend
Until a quarter-to-ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and i know just what is gonna happen next
Before his first step
He's off again
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