at the risk of sounding self-absorbed i have just had the best week ever, hanging out on a tropical island at three church shows, all in completely different locations and with different setlist and the most beautiful group of people, fellow enthusiasts who made me feel so at home and welcome. i always thought there were a handful of nut jobs like me who live breathe eat the church's music but had not met many of them and here i found a tribe of people who share the same passion, same love and same joy, it was like a church nerd festival with the indian ocean, shipwrecks, manta rays and buffet breakfasts. but the icing on the cake were the bands three nights, each completely different and unique in energy, tone and feel. 

the first was very sensual, a church i have not seen before preforming open air with the setting sun and some dusk bats circling overhead, palm trees swaying and the majestic indian ocean with its aquamarine's turquoise and teal shades, against a pastel wash of pink, light blue skies. the big old blazing sun sinking over the horizon and through the warm breeze the church played. (see setlist 1) i dunno, maybe it was just me, kicking back, feeling free and all romantic minded via exotic locations and an over active imagination, my pirate past lives breaking through but the music tonight had a new quality, it was wrapping around everyone, washing over us like the waves, warm and interesting, a setlist that was inspiring in many ways. the band looked good, very relaxed and at ease. ian and ash interlaced so well, i've begun to really notice how they play and what they bring and it’s not just craftsmanship, it's kinda sexy, with jeffery driving everything from the background like a collider spinning out particles, the rhythm section of tim and nick offer a cross section of styles and punctuations, driving forward with those magnificent super conductor notes steve plays on his bass. those bass sounds are unique, so effortless as if he's playing it the way you would a theremin, in fact there is a uniqueness to the band, who transcend labels now.

the second show was in a smaller marquee and brought back some of the energy of early church gigs, a powerful ambience of small club energy and a more frantic feel, a band moving fast, working hard and proving to an audience they had the power of the universe inside them. it was raw sex energy, and a lot of fun. even the usually stoic ash was getting into the groove. again an inspired set list that covered tracks spanning light years. or at least sound years. the hypnogogue tracks were fucking amazing live, it’s so good to hear them in this context they just transform into magnificent canvasses of aural beauty and intricate textures. i like the prog elements, it keeps the songs interesting and unpredictable. it has to be said, not to alleviate my guilt in giving steve a cold, but everyone seemed to be mentioning how good he sounded on vocals. and to be honest he did, adding to that small club early years vibe. now i’m older i don’t really see many bands with that kind of energy, it’s almost a post punk kinda thing. excellent smaller bands on the cusp of breaking into something massive have it, and although i can’t really give a name to it it’s signified in sweat and attitude, a belief in one’s own work and talent and the conviction it means something.

well, not one to predict events i did kinda see a pattern in the entrails, a sensuous first show, a sexual second one and undoubtably an orgasmic third but that last gig went way beyond orgasmic, shattering all expectations. 

this time the gig was on the beach, again at dusk but with the surf crashing down behind them, the lords of the sea had come to pay their respects as well. i had heard the soundcheck and knew this was not just an inspired set list but a set that would include some of my personal favourites.

and then it began. 

i don’t wanna bore people with descriptions because it really was indescribable but if you have seen the movie 'zabaraski point' there’s a scene in that film which i can use as a metaphor to describe the event. 

yeah that one.

now the church were in space rock persona, outdoing hawkwind, out classing floyd at pompei and dare i say it, out doing themselves. 

i’ve seen so many performances but this is the one i’ll carry with me, it was where the universe came together, where everything made sense, it was magnificent and beautiful, it could never just be a band playing a great set for me on a personal note, this was a cosmic event like a fucking alignment of planets. 

life has its markers if you know where to look, my life certainty has its own weird trajectory and share of strange events, it’s why i’m drawn towards the magickal universe, but here at the tail end of life these events all draw to one conclusion. i am blessed. 

this was the best week i have ever had, better than holidays with sexy girls, better than shamanic medicines, better than adventures in love, better than moments of spiritual nirvana, better than catching a wave. i met some amazingly beautiful people as an extra bonus, people that i really would love to see again from all over the globe, all of us in orbit around the church.

all i can really say, is thank you to The Church, especially Steve who i will always be in debt to for creating, writing and preforming the very best.

setlist one

destination

realm

comedown

fly

one day

myrrh

tristess

hotel womb

an interlude

metropolis

c'est la vie

milky way

day 5

tantalised

you took

setlist two

tear it all away

columbus

for a moment we are strangers

the hypnogogue

i think i knew

electric lash

grind

its no reason

just for you

antartica

she never said

is this where you live

almost with you

2nd bridge

don't look back

setlist three

when you were mine

already yesterday

kings

aerodrome

it doesn't change

ripple

albert ross

constant in opel

secret corners

disappear

bel air

unguarded moment

life speeds up

reptile

block

shadow cabinet

travel by thought