Category Archives: history

Or not keeping up, that is the question. I am keeping busy. Actually on reflection much busier than I actually thought I was it turns out. over the past 25 years I have recorded about 500 plus songs and instrumentals it turns out. It keeps me off the streets as they say. And I shall carry on with as long as I can. These days I don’t do too much else.

The tune above is a bit of proggy cosmic noodling style stuff with violin and synth and what have you.

I write this blog and moan and winge and about the fates a bit of course too. I wonder how it looks to an outsider reading it? Boring and tedious perhaps or a deep insight into the nature of human existence. You the jury decide 🙂

I have definitely done myself some mischief somehow and I am having lot of problems with my right arm and shoulder. It feels like some sort of sprain. I did start working in the studio but taking it very easy. Its a real nuisance. Maybe I need to take a little time out . I feel also a bit stuck and at the point where I might start repeating myself. Effectively 18 months of navel gazing is a becoming an issue creatively. Also lack of external input of course. It feels rather like being becalmed on a ship perhaps or maybe a hotel with all the comforts of home or more but you can’t leave although you can see people going about their normal business at a distance. You cannot directly interact with them though of course

At the time of writing this I have had to cancel a rehearsal for making a performance video and move it to Saturday when I hope I shall be in better fettle. I am doing regular covid tests at present. As of today I don’t have it. I would like to get an anti bodie test though as they are available now so I have applied to be part of the research program. It may be interesting.

More dreadful news from Afghanistan again today. It’s quite difficult to process as recent history is poised to repeat itself again. No doubt with much suffering and loss of life. Will there ever be a solution? Its seems unlikely.

The Long Way Home

August 19, 2021Delta Ladies, Diana Stones Songs, glass cage, historydiana Stone

You can’t generally speaking walk in someone else shoes they say. Perhaps you can try but mostly its not a good idea if you can avoid it. I had been trying to do exactly that for the last couple of years subconsciously since the loss of my co-conspirator and leading light of the Delta Lady’s. I though we might be able to keep something going but it was not really ever going to work without that unique individual. So despite the help from others (notably Lorraine Lucas who stepped up for a while during a time when I was basically still pretty much deep in shock and traumatised) once covid stopped gigs in March 2020 the spark such as it was really could not be rekindled. There is one final Delta Ladies Album which Vicky Martin had mixed. It’s my hope to release this as a final testament as it were. Its been hard to come to grips with much that’s happened since April 2019. I have lost a few others along the way since then sadly. Vicky’s partner Ralph perhaps most notably who was very supportive and a good friend to me who died unexpectedly in November 2020.

I have continued with my solo musical endeavours which were always separate to my work as part of the Delta Ladies and which had been going on for a a while before both Elephant Shelf and subsequently the Delta Ladies, The last proper Delta ladies gig after Vicky’s death was at the Retreat in Reading in on Saturday February 8th 2020 (16 years of solid gigging). Since then I have also been working on a couple of projects with Jon Bickley (a singer songwriter) mostly remotely until the last couple of months. Also one one or two other remote collaborations. I do miss people and just making music with people, but I have lost the kind of confidence needed to start from scratch.

It’s been nice to see many friends starting to pick up where they left off and take their acts back out to gig again. The lockdown and much else has sadly left me in a position where I do not see much of an opportunity personality to be able to play live music at present.

Maybe at some point that will change again, but the magics been lost for the moment and new spells perhaps must be cast by some new sorcerer. Perhaps some other dawn will light the way. If not it was good while it lasted.

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Windows and Wonderings

August 17, 2021Diana Stones Songs, glass cage, history, music, Musings, other, whateverdiana Stone

What’s new and how are you? It’s a lovely day in the neighbourhood. The sun’s out and there is a light breeze. It’s a perfect Truman Show/Stepford Wives crossover day with a hint of the matrix for seasoning as it seems as though it is the same people walking past every half hour or so. Makes you wonder at times without a doubt, what’s real and whats with out outside. The world though a window. Now with a constant band of changing strolling players. Some in Joggers motley, others in black attire. Some wobbling, some striding, some swaying from side to side like landlocked sailors home from the sea after months away from dry land still feeling the uneven rhythm beating out slow parade drum march for them to synchronise to. And dogs, old, new, many and various. A cavalcade of wonder. Birds landing in great flocks for insect suppers on the ground or perhaps a seed feast? Then in a moment all gone and the ground is quite void of avian foragers.

Other than looking out of the window, whats occuring. Well music,music, music of course but you knew that. It’s a sunday even as I type this. I have been out for a bit of fresh air and also doing the studio stuff for a few hours. During recording sessions there is a temptation to idly gaze out of the window at times now the building site has gone or maybe that’s just me. So the music I am working on has as is often the case got a life of its own and moved in a very different direction than I originally envisaged. But often when that happens the end result can be a lot more interesting if it works out. Well that is my excuse and I am sticking with it.

Diana Stone playing Piano May 2021

Diana Stone at the Keys 2020

Diana Stone Sunny uplands

Diana Stone Is Trouble

Diana Stone Studi picture

Indeed

The days go in a flash. In the last week or so I have been getting up fairly late though I have been sleeping very well in the main.. last night I watched “Searching for sugar man” about the singer/songwriter Rodriguez who had two albums that flopped in the US in the early 70’s but became a cult star in South Africa. the legend was that he had committed suicide on stage. Actually it turned out that he had just gone back to building labouring in Detroit. Eventually he went and played gigs in South Africa several times but still lived a quiet life in Detroit in the same house he had lived in for 40 years. he has 3 children and is still around at 79 years of age. Its an interesting story of a very humble man IMO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixto_Rodriguez

I was struck particularly by the fact that his life style was simple and he said to his work mates after his first trip to SA to play gigs that he had two lives. Something about him struck a chord. His acceptance of life as it really is perhaps?

The things I would like in life are not in the power of anyone to grant me. Those things I could have in the worldly sense, seem trivial. Whilst I would not choose it I can see why some are drawn to a very simple life. I don’t think it would work for me though.

The lyrics I sketched out for the current track may well not work with it I suspect or will have to be altered considerably but they may spark a better idea of course.
And the track is now an instrumental because its turned in to something very atmospheric in a very different way that I thought it would. No problem though. It’s all exploration and surprises. Much of what I create lands in a different place than the intended destination. However if it’s a good place I have learned to just go with it.

My body is complaining. I have been trying some new stretching and resistance exercises and I may have overdone it a bit again. Hopefully that’s all it is. It’s very tiring and tedious though. My posture is much better a year down the line, but I am still getting a lot of joint and muscle pain. It’s difficult to know how much activity is too much or too little. My feeling is as I have become more active and now ache more, which seems a bit counter productive really.

On difference is that with my head and neck straight I can draw a line straight down my back to my feet. The hump is still there but has moved further down my back and so appears less obvious. Is this contributing to the pains as muscles adn joints adapt.Maybe?it maybe too much phone use is contributing to it from what I read. Nearly 18 months with lot of time spent at home has certainly upped the hours using such devices. I don’t seem to have much of an appetite again. I am not sure why but maybe I am simply not doing enough physically day to day? That seems the most likely reason.

I sincerely hope that Afghanistan’s future does not turnout to be a total disaster, but I can’t see it ending well. I hope I am proved wrong.

Some words came into my head this morning and the 1st verse of a song got written. Next to tackle the chorus which may not be quite so easy.