It’s the day after Halloween. Some of my mates flew to NYC to catch Duran Duran’s spooky set at Madison Square Garden. Looks like fun. Despite our previous legal…differences, I remain a big fan of Simon and all the Taylors. They’ve been doing this for a long time. Sure, their last album was mostly retreads and covers, but it was still pretty good.
Robert Smith got profiled in the New York Times today, which says as much about us and our times as it does the Gray Lady. The Cure has a new album out, their first in 16 years. Robert has been at this for decades, and while it is true that the previous 20 years (and 2 albums) were the band on aimless autopilot, the new record is solid, maybe even great. There aren’t many bands this old you can say that about.
Even hometown goths Strange Boutique won’t stop. They dropped a nice slice of gothy post-punk today, too, picking up after decades of silence and sounding as good as ever.
It ain’t easy getting old, period. But it is also a privilege and a gift as much as it is a curse. You’ve seen some shit, and are reminded of how resilient you are, and how fragile. How everything has a price, everything leaves a mark. You begin to understand what matters, who matters, and to truly know who you are.
Bowie said "Ageing is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.” Wish he was still here so I could talk with him about that today. But I digress.
Believe it or not, the modern Pants have been at this for 20 years. That’s longer than a lot of bands ever make it. Dante and I are the only planks in this Ship of Theseus remaining from that first rooftop gig, but like many of these aged bands, some of the “new people” have now been in the band longer than the original members. And we have some new blood to keep us honest, keep us changing, keep us growing.
In about 3 weeks we’ll return to the stage after almost 5 years of absence. We haven’t been offline this long since the 80s. We’ll be debuting a whopping 3 new songs at this show, all nerves, polish, and hope.
I’m glad to still be here, still singing, still dancing, still bringing the show biz. The dream never dies.