WHICH MUSICIANS ARE KEEPING YOU GOING? The weekly Metallica Mondays are a welcome treat, especially when Lars does the intro (haven’t seen James and Kirk yet). His rambles are warm and wordy (what else?), and the togetherness of the whole thing just makes you feel good. The chance to see all this live Metallica footage is a very cool gesture.

And if you haven’t done it already, check the way Fuel rips open the Munich 2015 show (2 minutes 30 seconds into the clip). THAT’S how you start a gig. Any band who can make that many people that happy is doing something right. Stick around for Disposable Heroes too, great live version.

A very different type of communication comes from Robert Fripp. As you’d expect. But also very much not as you’d expect. His daily ‘I Advance Masked’ diary updates have routine at their core, and this becomes quietly comforting and part of your own new routine. It’s like reading Henry Rollins’s books, you get the same format every time.

But Fripp occupies a wholly different space with lengthy, thoughtful, analytical explorations and excerpts from past diary encounters. And he sometimes reveals a side you’d never expect – I mean, did anyone see this coming?

It’s the scheduling that works well with these things when we’re locked down. The regularity. Sideways music moments to look forward to. Who are you tuning in to?

Lockdown Week 5. As predicted, no wall-of-metal soundtracks to block out the noise when working, because work ain’t happening. Instead, much more following of whims. The listening went something like this.

APRIL 18
Thom Yorke – The Eraser
Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent

Yorke, The Eraser: Harrowdown Hill was always a standout but the bass-shifting twitch of Black Swan is hard to beat. Forgot how strong this album is.

APRIL 19
Ministry – Rio Grande Blood

APRIL 20
Ministry – Houses of the Mole

APRIL 21
Ministry – Houses of the Mole
Ministry – The Last Sucker

(bit of a theme, this week …}

APRIL 22
Ministry – The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
Gil Scott Heron & Makaya McCraven – We’re New Again

APRIL 23
PJ Harvey – The Hope Demolition Project
Desert Sessions Vol 11 and 12
Gil Scott Heron & Makaya McCraven – We’re New Again

APRIL 24
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Viscerals
New Ministry track, Alert Level

Stay safe, keep the music ON!

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