so my friend nina persson has decided to sing 'blackwinged bird' for the oxfam album i wrote about previously, being produced by brianx1. so bx1 and i jet off to sweden, land in Ryanair style - where in the first few moments of coming in contact with the ground you're not quite sure if you'll have your life for long. get off the plane and throw my arms up to celebrate the hot sun which i have not seen for days. it is out and brilliant and unforgiving in the best way.

our first day is made up of drinking swedish coffee, strolling around and dining. while nina and bx1 watch world cup, nathan and I plot Hot One activity. Hot One are getting close to playing our first show, and though i thought it might be in toronto in august, it will more likely be in the U.S. in late summer. Ahhhh the long-standing perils of being arrested for protesting the RNC. i am, however, dying to play, as rehearsing bores me to tears even though the rock n roll we're making is my absolute favourite. as db said a long time ago, art isn't art until it reaches an audience's ears or eyes...however he also misdiagnosed me as being "pure as the driven snow".

I've been asked to perform on a TV show called '1 to remember' hosted by Brian Kennedy, that airs in Ireland over Christmas. The premise of the show is that various artists perform songs that have been number 1 in Ireland over the years. At first they tell me I will be performing 'Mull of Kintyre' but then, after listening to some of my music, decide 'I Will Always Love You' is a better choice.

Under the influence of BrianX1 I drop the song down to F major. Under my own guidance, I decide to make it as much of a miserable funeral dirge as possible, though possibly the better route to go would be to make the song double-speed and bring in a rapper.

guelph. the car overheats en route to the show. brief moments of panic. d-dog and jim haul us in from the countryside. we arrive and find rory and elaine are there, fresh from their greyhound bus trip to and from new york city. at 7:15, the auditorium is quiet, wooden and sober. i feed rory a bottle of Moosehead beer which he appreciates. he takes to the stage and is fabulous. his Irish stories and accent never fail to charm. later, i am happy to play the grand piano. there are some quasi-altercations followed by morose ballads, and then a new rendition of Hook Machine. after the show, meet some new faces and head off to chez b-chuk. it is nice to just unwind outdoors on the patio with amazing friends for once after a few hectic days. . .

attempt to pack for 3 weeks and get my bags under the 50 lb limit. red-eye to dublin. after 10 years of air travel only now have i mastered the art of moderate to total comfort at 30,000 feet. it is not without pharmeceuticals, however i tend to stay away from them whilst on land. arrive refreshed, meet MM at the airport. show up at the Hard Working Class Heroes media launch, and word is out already about in-Flight Safety who are coming to Ireland in October to play this festival and thrill the locals. matt lunson has just showed up from Australia being disqualified from World Cup action and he is drunk as a skunk. but in a charming way. amazing how world cup has consumed Dublin. come to think of it, it had consumed toronto too...possibly more intensely. see: College Street when Italy are on the pitch.

sleep late the next day. cold as november here. stroll in for ruby sessions. 'little x's for eyes' play and they are very good. it is always a fabulous night and i am thrilled to be a part of it.

come home, learn about the attacks in gaza and wonder what's next.