[Ed. Note- Today’s post is coming to you from the 10:10 Great Northern train from King’s Cross to Cambridge.]

“To be in England in the summertime

With my love, close to the edge…”

I can’t even estimate how many times I have uttered/ sung those words since I first heard them on a song by indie legends ART OF NOISE from their track ‘Close (To The Edit)’ from their 1984 debut “(Whose Afraid) Of The Art Of Noise?”.

[Ed. Note- Those groaning sounds you are hearing are from rex’s children as they read and remember…]

Yesterday, for the first time I was able to sau those lines as a statement of fact. Kimberly and I here been here virtually annually since ‘09 (with a slight hiccup in ‘20/21), but until yesterday, never during the Summer Solstice. Now that has changed. As for the “edge”, well over 550 straight days of indie madness probably covers that, but you can decide…

To be in England in the summertime indeed…

ART OF NOISE were a wildly popular 80’s band formed around a core of TREVOR HORN, ANNE DUDLEY and former NME writer PAUL MORLEY..

[Ed. Note- More on each of these 3 in future posts.]

The video for this song was one of the most talked-about of the early MTV days. Many of you will likely recall it- hopefully favourably.

SPOTIFY- https://spotify.link/cb2Ob6ErhBb

(SONG 554)

PLAY LOUD OR PERISH

7/9/2023