bee feast

Cure for 'oh hell I've got someone else's head on' syndrome:

1) Half-arsedly open an email from the mailing list from your former favourite band that you half-arsedly re-signed yourself to.

2) Half-arsedly notice that their new album is out, and available to listen to for limited time here blah blah. Half-arsedly open site and lend half a half-arsed ear as it starts up.

3) Start smiling.

4) Discern influence of Johnny Cash, divestment of fuzz, the odd knowing smirk and outlandish sillybuggery. Feel a bit more full-arsed.

5) Shake arse.

6) Get to know songs. Extrapolate harmonies. Warble. Marvel at lashings of harmonica in this day and age.

7) Refute internal voices that bleat "But it's hopelessly derivative and laughably Dylan-lite and why would you listen to this ersatz shit when you could be immersing yourself in the back catalogue of (insert hallowed name of wearyingly sacred cow with guitar and hair here)", by saying "Shut up, you arse".

8) Repeat till faith restored in mood-altering power of music, and in favourite band, who after all did partly show the way to being bouncy music fan again rather than slowly rotting dead-eyed critic. Cos really, why should you have to constantly justify the stuff you love to maintain some illusory credibility?

9) Remember that you turned down the opportunity to go to Reading at the weekend and interview them.

10) Arse.