We survive another night in ‘Guest House Paradiso’… and are the earliest customers in the M&S café. With little else to do but wander round taking photos, we end up eating in the same place again, after a short while I realise that George Michael is still playing on a loop. By mid afternoon I can take no more and ask one of the bar staff if they might possibly be able to change the music, he looks at me with a browbeaten expression and explains that he can’t. The stereo is locked inside a cupboard and they don’t have a key. He can’t complain, it was the boss’s choice, but I can see a hollow look in his eyes, if I think two afternoons of ‘Father Figure’ and ‘Careless Whisper’ is hard to bear, then try working here.
Later we head to the venue, the regulars are queuing, much to the amusement of the locals. We have seats tonight in the balcony so can avoid all that. I bought a ticket for Gabi, co-ordinating all this took the rest of the afternoon.
The new songs dominate the set and Let Down is the first encore. There’s more locals in the crowd (only the really committed would spend so much time in Wolverhampton). I don’t think there is an aftershow in spite of my sticker. I think the band went home.
In the meantime, this email has arrived, which explains why Thom is so chummy with XL Records….
info@waste.uk.com
15 May 2006
To: me
this is just a note to say that something has been kicking around in the background that i have not told you about.
its called The Eraser.
nigel produced & arranged it .
i wrote and played it.
the elements have been kicking round now for a few years and needed to be finished & i have been itching to do something like this for ages.
it was fun and quick to do.
inevitably it is more beats & electronics.
but its songs.
stanley did the cover.
yes its a record!
no its not a radiohead record.
as you know the band are now touring and writing new stuff and getting to a good space so i want no crap about me being a traitor or whatever splitting up blah blah…
this was all done with their blessing. and i don’t wanna hear that word solo. doesnt sound right.
ok then thats that.
i think its out in july and im pretty certain XL are going to put it out.
love thom
www.theeraser.net