Hit by truck, France, fever and fancy cakes

sitting in Dublin airport ( my second home) with a head full of snot, waiting to go to France. my head feels like someone is chopping wood in there. I have to pull it together for tomorrow, coz i have a radio show in Radio France called pont des artistes, 5 songs and it’s a big deal apparently so hence the cold. Been a rough enough week. Got hit by a truck while crossing the road in Dublin and my arm is still fucking sore, I don’t bruise easily at all but my entire bicep is bruised and looks like a side of ham. luckily my guitar case took the worst of it and I didn’t go under wheels.
here is a pic a week later…
later: Boarding the tiny plane for Paris there are two yellow jackets with tools working on the engine, (there are two on this plane) one is shaking his head. This happens me frequently. I know we will board then be forced to sit in plane and they will decide to change planes after 20 minutes…sure enough ‘ah ladies and gentlemen we are having a slight technical hiccup….’ change planes get to Paris late with head now pounding like there is a drunk orchestra inside trying to play slayer backwards. Grab my 38kgs of baggage, strap it to my back and off we go. I arrive at my wonderful booking agents Zamora. I am supposed to stay with Clémence my booker but i am too fucked to travel. I am now sweating and trying to be coherent. Haven’t eaten all day so go to Vietnamese place around corner and order hottest thing possible and add half a bottle of that nuclear thick chilli. Eat it and lose feeling in my face. you could pull my teeth and i wouldn’t feel it. Stagger back to office and collapse on couch.
I have a conversation with a friend of mine online  while becoming more and more delirious. Become and overemotional tool and say stupid things. Last thoughts before sleep, please go away disease and let my throat be okay again. I have flown all this way to do this radio show and it’s important. sleep.

Wake 5 delirious and sweating. Make call to a friend and say more stupid shit.

Later: I am at Radio France, a huge fucking building with loads of studios and orchestra rooms etc. I never know exactly what the story is when i am booked to do something in France, no one really tells me details. I think it may be a hangover from the resistance days. A need to know basis. I find out i am doing an interview in French and then playing 6 songs. The audience think i am being hilarious, Tim from my french label is translating and correcting my abortionate french. I am not being hilarious, i am trying to be serious, but i am still wracked with fever and my world is an LSD tinged one. I play one song  thinking oh fuck there is no way i will get through six songs, my throat is toast. They tell me i have to do it again because the recording wasn’t working. Six songs are now looking like fantasy.
I get mid way through and can feel my throat cracking, the notes hold. 3 more. i am listening to maeva on cello and Thomas play a storm. Somehow we reach the last one and my face says thank fuck. I think it sounded okay inthe end. Then again it could be totally shite. My shite radar is down for the count until all primary systems return online.

Lots of people come up from audience and say they loved it so we could be safe. Thanks to the lovely radio france people for the juice and sandwiches (the way to Dec’s heart) and hot tea. There were fancy french cakes too so wee took a picture and sent to Vincent Cakes Martinez (he is obsessed by cakes) who normally plays guitar for me but was away on tour being the rock genius he is. It read ‘Declan says fuck you’.  Thanks to Maeva and Thomas for being so cool. Here is a mandatory aprés show rock pic of the band.

later: worked till about 2.30 and then fell asleep on a yoga mat on Tim’s floor. I still like sleeping on floors. Apart from India where they have crate snakes that kill you in your sleep. I think i should move to japan. tatami matt and rollable futon. yup way to go. Spring beds are shit for sleep and worse for sex. Sorry to make you lose your lunch there people. Yes it has been known for me to copulate.

later: Tim’s electricity has blown up. I feel guilty i think i may have given the socket my flu. I could have swine flu, who knows, i never pay doctors unless i am turning blue. I would prefer to spend the money on things like food and rent. Speaking of which i am two months behind in mine. It was a lean summer. Don’t worry i have fat reserves to live on. Winter is coming and i have a few shows coming up.

Will be on the road till mid October. then into recording mode for November and December. If this sickness disappears. if i die you can have my ipod.

love and face masks

Dec
–
Listen to Declan’s music;
www.declandebarra.com
www.myspace.com/declandebarra
www.youtube.com/user/declandebarra
twitter.com/declandebarra