Simone Felice - (is that [si-mo-ne fe-leech-ay] or [sigh-mon fe-llisse]?). OR "Love song to Jean"

+++That big bleedin' stealer, Bríd Ní Mhaoileoin, aka "The Rogue" from that fab new Irish-language music radio programme "Rogha Bhríde" (Bríd's choice), ran in AGAIN this morning and said "gimme your gd blog or else". So I gave her my blog. (after wondering "what the hell is gd, you gd stealer?").
Aisling Ní Acamé+++

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THINGS (lots and lots of)
about the concert last night July 23, Róisín Dubh, Galway as part of "Galway International Arts Festival"
(not even very, very, very, very, very, VERY, vaguely in the line of a review)

I just sent an email to my long-lost friend in Pasedena, California. I hadn't seen him since the 29th of March 1984 in Saratoga Springs, New York. (or did you drive with us too to JFK Tim? That morning after Bob woke us up with William Tell's Overture a-blasting all around the house - the most effective and memorable alarm I've ever had in my life).

Since getting back in touch with him (Tim) two months ago through a series of couchsurfing-type adventures*, I had had a few very close "come finally to San Francisco" calls (it has been at the top of my "want-to-go-to-places list" for many's a year. It has graduated to "I'm-going-regardless" places). *From the 5-piece band from SF who played a house concert in my living room, to a guest from "just down the road from Pasedena" (hi Oliver) to a wonderful woman from "right over the Golden Gate bridge (the OTHER side of it)" (hi Marisa!).

I had more California-dreaming moments last night. I went to a concert of Simone Felice at Galway International Arts Festival with opener Samantha Crain, and loved it. I had never heard of either of them. Not until 20 minutes before the show when my friend Jean (I love Jean) played me 20 seconds of Samantha on Spotify and I said "well, I'm going". Jean wasn't that mad about Simone (not at that millisecond), but I quickly spotified him and said "well, I'm going".



Both singer/songwriters did some numbers which brought me closer to San Francisco. I wrote down the line from Simone but then lost my festival programme. But I did remember the words " ...if you go to LA, and meet a girl...look her ... in the eye and tell her I'm doing fine", so I googled it just now, and found the missing words. "If you go to LA and meet a girl out walking in the drizzle and the rain, look her straight in the eye and tell her I’m doing fine [...]". Yo liked it.

And Samantha Crain sang a song and/or told a great story about SF. I can't remember it. There were so many wonderful lyrics during the two hours, and so many fine stories. I thought of the great quote that was on the cover of the 2013 Cúirt International Festival of Literature brochure. It has fallen down the back of the set of drawers which holds my cd collection, so I guess it'll be collecting dust there for another while. I've tried to find the cover on the ole googler, without success, and there's more important things to be done. (if anyone has a copy lying around I'd really appreciate a photo of it though). The quote went something like: after food, shelter and companionship, the most important thing we need are stories. Yes sir/madame!

to be continued