Veda Hille

so friends, i am on my way back to the caravan farm today, to work for a week on a new leaky heaven circus project. i’m looking forward to a little cabin in the woods, lots of card playing, and of course some crazy theatre work. this also means that i’ll be on dial up for the week, and therefore moving slowly in this online world. when i get back i’ll post some pictures of our show last night. it was wild and my head is fuzzy this morning.

as for the life support system (see blogs below), there did end up being about 12 people who had to resend their “count me in” emails. so if you wrote to me and signed on, and didn’t get any response, please do try again. there are still a few packages left. i’ll try to check emails every coupla days this week. the best thing is that i now have enough money to make the record exactly as i’d like to. i’ve hired a wicked horn section, and a fantastic vibes/marimba player. and barry and justin have some schemes for timpani as well. it’s thrilling.

a note for folks in canada: the bonnie klein film “Shameless: The ART of Disability” that i wrote music for is airing on Bravo on may 13, 5pm PT and 8pm ET. it’s a marvellous film. you can also buy it on dvd from the NFB.

ok, enough info. i’m going to pack and drink my coffee. til next week i remain, faithfully yours xv

i dreamt last night that i wrote the most amazing post for you. i think i actually managed to attach some of the cinnamon heart cookies that i made for valentines or something, i woke up feeling quite proud of myself. so this will be just a hollow copy of the dreamworld cookie post.

on saturday night i went out with a team of pals to see final fantasy and buffy st. marie at The Centre in vancouver. (kinnie starr and jim byrnes were also on the bill, but alas i was in rehearsal and had to arrive late.) it was a stellar show. the organizers made an odd last minute decision, and had buffy play first and then owen (ff) followed. i think that musically speaking they should have stuck to their original guns. but nonetheless, both were stunning. buffy’s voice continues to be one of the most powerful on earth, and her presence and confidence were awe inspiring. i was completely carried away, particularly by “bury my heart at wounded knee”, despite the fact that her band’s playing was not to my taste. it didn’t matter. i am going to be singing some of buffy’s songs this spring with the cbc radio orchestra, and once again i feel lucky. and then owen pallett took the stage, a brave man after buffy’s two standing ovations. it was my first chance to see him play live, after loving the albums, and he played beautifully. and he’s covering one of my favorite john cale songs, that i was just getting ready to cover myself. that bastard. maybe we can sing it together sometime. in any case, once again seeing someone work brilliantly and musically with live loops (juana molina is the other loopmaster) i am convinced that i should stick with my band. i keep thinking that i should try that out, but after seeing owen i think i’ll leave it to him.

and then the pals all went out for gyoza and moonlight and witty conversation afterwards. the evening easily won the Best Saturday Night Of The Year award. thank god for good music and buckwheat vodka.

i am overdue for a shout out to my good friends matthew and rob, who have been generously hosting my stay in london. not only do they provide me with a quiet room, a great bed, and lots of entertaining conversation, but they also take me out for at least one fabulous night every time i blow through town. last night was no exception. after dropping in at the social and barcode (a sleek tres moderne bar in vauxhall that rob designed) we went to an incredible cabaret at area. definite shades of leigh bowery here folks. great acts from dickie beau, scottee, booby tuesday, and heidi licious. and to top off the evening, suppositori spelling performed a tribute to kiki durane (who was IN THE AUDIENCE!!!), the most knock down drag out version of total eclipse of the heart i’ve ever seen. and i’ve seen a few. if bonnie tyler had been present i think the world would have imploded. oh, it was so great. and now i am seized with the desire to make insane outfits out of cardboard, latex, and grease paint. ah well. two beautiful boys complimented me on My Look, which is currently Eccentric Canadian Wearing Caravan Farm Castoffs And New Campers. copy if you dare.

a beautiful dark day here at the caravan farm, the first damp of the week. clouds rolling in over the hills, smatterings of heavy raindrops, we may be able to light the huge bonfire tonight finally. both the moon and the sun have been dark red from the forest fire smoke all week. there is a chickadee in the rehearsal hall, it seems to gravitate towards the piano. in my mind, at least. and yesterday we flushed a brown owl in the woods, playing snare drum. jamie was playing snare, not the owl.

a new and interesting project on the horizon: i will be performing buffy st. marie’s songs with the cbc radio orchestra next spring. giorgio magnanensi will be writing arrangements, should be a thrilling event. a live concert at the chan centre in vancouver, broadcast on cbc of course. and no, we will not be interpreting “up where we belong”.

nicky is making roast leg of lamb tonight, and we bought mint jelly at the farmer’s market. and here comes the real rain.

so even though it appears, through my marvellously steady blogging, that i am at home crazyglued to the computator, i am actually on a farm in armstrong bc. the caravan farm. where they have clydesdales, outdoor showers, little cabins, and a bunch of theatre geeks. i’m there with my pals in theatre replacement working on a musical about ufos. called yufo! here’s a picture of maiko.

the show will go up in vancouver next march, and although it is not finished yet i can reveal that it will include theremins, smokey amps, and slow food.

so, there is this excellent thing called Trampoline Hall. my pal misha glouberman is the host. it is a lecture series, in which people are requested to present a 12 minute lecture on a subject that they are not an expert in. that they are inexpert in? yes. in november 2005 i presented the lecture Our Animal Friends at the Slipper Room in NYC.

later in 2005 i was up in whitehorse, YT, working on a show called The Longest Night. we decided to present the lecture again, this time with the absolutely expert accompaniment of The Longest Night Ensemble. i particularly like the horsey sounds.

 

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