I’ve never really been comfortable with the idea of meeting my heroes in person. A few years back I was sitting in a bar in Austin (long story, and not a particularly interesting one), and who should walk in but quite possibly my favourite singer-songwriter/alt-country guy, Ryan Adams. I decided against going up and speaking to him. First, he seemed like he was having a fun, relaxing evening and didn’t need me annoying him with how much I loved Heartbreaker or Cold Roses or whatever. Secondly, what if it wasn’t a pleasant experience for me? If that were to happen would it ruin all that great music I loved? Would it spoil the memories I had of his songs pulling me through my sadder moments and soundtracking some of the happier ones? I couldn’t risk it. Read the rest of this entry »
I never used to like coffee. As a kid I was far more inclined to have a glass of orange squash or, if I was lucky, a can of carbonated pop. As I got older I tried coffee more, but it quite often left me a jittery mess. And once I was old enough to drink alcohol, I struggled to understand why anyone would spend as much on a cup of coffee as they would on a pint of beer. Read the rest of this entry »