Hi man - it was cool to see you and get a chance to natter at the 3 Steps Back show in Craigsfarm the other day. Its good to get perspective from people who've been about and know the score.
However, I think I owe you an apology. In fact, I think I owe all of Livi an apology. The night wasnt as well attended as Id hoped and I was tired and all that kind of stuff, so in a hissy fit I accussed Livi of having no soul.
Basically, I want to publicly take that back. Livi so does have a soul! Its wee and fragile and tempramental, but it is there. There is so little of any artistic expression in Livi and its spread so thinly between the faceless rows of dormatory 'first time buyer' housing and ignored green space that it can be really easy to miss, but it is there and we - me and you - are part of it.
Every time we're involved with a show, either going, playing or putting it on we help it grow a wee bit. Every time we keep positive it takes more solid form. I was so wrong to write it off, because by writing it off, I was effectively writing the people off and that was well out of order.
What Livi has now is lightyears further on from what we had back in the day and so much more than I ever expected in such a cultural dust bowl. We have a community (yes its cliqish but thats human beings for you, eh? We're old enough to see through that crap anyhow). We have some small busineses like Live Rehearsal that are run as a genuine service. There are people with real tallent in amongst it all - like Martin Wow! the artist and Brucey Stepda. The skatepark is still an Oasis of alternative sometimes, despite being the Mos Eisley of West Lothian at others. And we still have some pretty chuffing good music. In short: theres some real life expressing itself roond here. How much more might appear as the barrat homes continue to sprawl?
Im convinced that Livis alternative underbelly can and will survive despite looking sickly when compared to cities. Its existence is an ongoing protest against the battery life that people choose by moving here and Im convinced that for their kids, its an essential avenue of escape from it.
And when we're not part of it any more - it'll still be there. I havent meant it to be all preachy and in truth its really aimed at me more than anything else anyway. Im just trying to say that Im sorry for being so cynical the other night. I didnt want to drag anybody down so I thought Id explain why I now think I was wrong. Please - next time you see me talking like that, remind me of this stuff that Im on about here.
Respect & shalom as ever - Doogs
