We’ve got a book review and really lovely interview with Emma just gone live. You can buy the book here, too, and I’d really recommend it, it’s brilliant.
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“And at the end it’s about solidarity.”
Solidarity! 
Don’t be a prick, Andy. You haven’t read it.
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No, I read an interview with the author with a view to buying it. It seems unlikely that I will do so as I might take a lot of persuading that dancing is about solidarity. I will happily explain why if you’d like to give me opportunity to speak? Or perhaps you already know?
The last book you recommended was very good. Please stop calling me Andy.
In an ideal world, an experienced writer with similar interests to me might even help me write the book.
Hey ho.
Bit pricey as hardback to the US - but it’ll be on Apple Books at $12.99 next week. Already downloaded the 29-page sample. Amazon will have it for less if you want to use Kindle or Audible.
Looks like a fascinating book - and when I’ve read it perhaps I’ll comment on its relevance to solidarity. If I find I have anything to say about it.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
What book is that? Feel free to share. I’m an experienced writer, although in shorter than book form.
I’m also stumbling about with my own written take on life and DJing and what it all means. And I believe it means something although the connection to solidarity may be elusive. It’ll be what I call a ficmoir when done ‘cos no doubt it won’t all be true. And ficmoir sounds a bit lascivious!
(He also used to call me a prick when I was still idealistic enough to think dancing could be about solidarity.)
I fear you are not so conveniently positioned - geographically or otherwise.
It’s the modern digital age. Location and position are two separate things. Neither really matter that much. I think you know little about my position and are probably hazy about my geographical location.
Position relative to the subject matter.
Now, that’s enigmatic.
I like your position on most things on which you have spoken so far. Strummer fans are usually good sorts.
If there was anyone else here, they’d be telling us to get a room.
Or get a life.
Onwards.
They’re all on Twitter. That’s no life!
(Vocoder or not, as you prefer) I have never voted Twitter in my life.
Respect. But where else was I going to learn that Heidi Lawden had eaten AGA toast as a child in Cumbria?
Now I’ve read the whole interview I’m ready to read the whole book for sure. I see you’re smart enough not to ship to the US. Postage is ridiculous these days. I was all ready with my cart!
Lots of food for thought.
Great you touched on Morris dancing, which is much maligned. There are theories, unproven, that it originally came from Africa, Morocco to be precise. As I’m sure you’re aware, or I hope you are aware, there’s also a theory espoused by Michael Venture in Hear That Long Snake Moan that all African-derived dance and music was created by a process of being ridden by the loas, or Yoruba gods, who each had their own rhythm. Supposedly you could tell which loa by the way the dancer moved.
You can read the whole thing online:
Might read a little dated now, but it substantially informed my attitude towards dance and music back when I first read it decades ago. We published it in a magazine I worked for. It wasn’t a music magazine.
My guess is that dance that didn’t come from Africa originated from imitating animals and then evolved to the group circles and so on - which, dare I say it? - are a form of social cohesion aka solidarity.
Lion’s mouth? I always stick my head in!
I’ll add on the solidarity question that it’s easy to deride ‘cos it is a touch dubious from some angles. But I think that is a matter of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. My personal preference is to see the strength in diversity.
It’s also my personal opinion that, if you can’t dance to silence or the sounds of the wind and waves and trees, then you can’t really dance at all.
But I may be being a little strict!
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@GrimsbyRiviera, I remembered the question I had earlier.
In your intro to the interview you write “And what a small but growing part of the dancefloor wanted was even more energy. This request, made with gunfingers and a grimey pogo, resulted in a record that perhaps contains more energy than any record ever made.’”
What, pray tell, was that record?