14th Jan continued...

Machine Shop, as seen from outside the performance space during the concert.

Thanks go to Robert Crouch for taking the photos, to the audience for coming, especially my friends Mark Soden Jr. and Mrs. Soden, and Diane Granahan, all of whom it was great to finally meet in person, and to the Machine Project for hosting us.

And of course to Yann Novak for making such lovely sounds for me to work alongside.

Yann and Robert hosted me during my stay in Downtown LA, and showed me the BEST places to eat - thanks so much guys!

And now I'm up in Santa Monica, staying with a good friend of my brother's - it's very different up here. I went out walking for around 6 hours today, heading south to Venice along the clifftop, through the pedestrianised streets of Santa Monica, unfortunately hitting a huge road that turned into the Santa Monica Freeway, before heading back towards the coast and entering Venice itself.

The promenade on Venice Beach is something to see/hear - so many tents and stalls, all selling very different things - lots of souvenirs, incense, clothes, but also a great one that two guys were running that offered 'very bad advice' for $1! I felt I didn't need that today, but it made me chuckle.

I continued south through this mayhem, hearing about 10 different songs at once, at all times along the way, until I could stand it no more and cut across to the shore.

Looking at a map I must have been about 3 miles away from Billy's place, and walked all the way back along the sea's edge - stopping to record a couple of times of course! I got some great recordings of the sea soaking down through the sand at the water's edge...

EXCERPT OF CONCERT RECORDING