Live to Tell

Life has its weird ways of reminding us that only few are immortal. Most of us aren’t.

I love music.

I love rock. I love techno. I love lo-fi. I have a pretty eclectic taste in music and while I wouldn’t ever admit it publicly, definitely not on the blockchain, I can at times even be heard listening to Adele at the Royal Albert Hall or Sting Live in Berlin. Just as well as to the Flying Pickets, a great British a capella band.

Most of all, I’ve lived what most would call an exciting life. Partying being a pillar for more years than many could ever imagine in their own life.

Keith Richards, not in the agingchallenge

Music is part of my life.

At heart, I’m a rocker. A metal head even. Maybe a closet goth too.

Seeing artists I enjoy pass away is part of my life. At least, has become part of it ever more as I’m reaching the second half of life too. Of course, it always was part of it. From my earliest years.

Freddie Mercury. Queen, the first music video I recall.

Hillel Slovak. Kurt Cobain.

More recently, David Bowie and last week Keith Flint.

Why can’t we all be like Iggy, Ozzy, and Keef.

I would add Jerry Lee Lewis to that list too, but he recently suffered a minor stroke.

Yet, all lived to tell the multiple stories.

Queue Jack Nicholson and late Hunter S. Thompson as well.

Their substance use is part of the myth they are, no matter whether nowadays they’re health freaks like Anthony Kiedis or not.

The myth they have become.

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...there are times when the truth is necessary and times when myth-making is necessary. When you’re talking about rock’n’roll, myth-making is what it’s all about. Who wants to know the fucking truth about Jimi Hendrix? We want to know the myth. We want to know he got on that plane to England with that electric guitar, acne cream and pink hair curlers - that’s all he brought.”
— Nick Cave, 2008 interview

The news of Keith Flint’s passing away got me thinking.

Thinking about the many parties and concerts I heard those tunes at. The number of times I stood next to speakers and had the bass cleaning the wax out of my ears, just before hitting that moshpit again. Invaders must die.

And, of course, what substances were most prevalent when. And what substances with what music.

I haven’t always been a saint and the nightlife came with more pleasures and joys than just music. Or booze.

A hypocrite I am not.

Personally, I’ve gone through stages. I discovered Es way before I had my first toke. I was young, started clubbing and it was the thing “kids did in clubs”. I’ve sat through several raids before I toked my first joint. Even took some trips too before that first joint.

As I grew older — and marijuana had finally become a regular thing in life — I started to differentiate. Differentiate what I used when.

Working in Amsterdam was the exception, of course. Where else will you ever party to some great deep techno and have some pills, only to later stand at the bar while having a toke with your mates? Nowhere. Nowhere, but in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands were also where I discovered trance. Trance and shrooms. A perfect match and one I’ve lived several times when partying. I was one of many thousands lucky ones to be there for Tiesto’s first InnerCity at RAI Amsterdam.

Yes, I’m an old timer... I did say second half of life.

Sue me.

Joints?

Anywhere I’ve been they became the compulsory, and obvious, company for Dancehall and Dubstep parties. whoomp whoomp

It was a fun evolution.

I discovered and started appreciating dancehall in Germany. While working in a club with as main event of the month a psytrance party.

It was short after the millenium and MCs had started to invade also clubs. Of course, Germany had a thriving hip-hop scene. It all seemed to be a perfect match. Hip-hop, MCs, and dancehall. Eventually, we combined most styles and MCs and dancehall became a regular thing on the first Friday of every month.

Another successful night added to the club’s line-up.

But we never landed Seeed as a performer. Although some months before they were in town.

It was considered their breakthrough gig when they performed Krefeld that year. Sadly enough, their then composition was rather shortlived. Yet, they opened my eyes, but even more so my ears. Opened them to the wonderful world of dancehall.

Dubstep came a little later for me. In yet another country. In the north of England. A poor formerly industrial town in Lancashire, Preston.

Nobody ever said I want to live in Preston after having traveled many countries and lived many more awesome nights with way too many great memories. But I ended up in Preston. That’s a story for another time though.

Rinse and repeat. Again, although almost a decade older now, I ended up in a club. Techno, of course. Yet clubs sticking to only one specific genre long were not a thing anymore. Again it was the first Friday of the month.

Except, this time it was dubstep.

It was also the place I probably had the wax cleaned from my ears most often. Not just with dubstep.

Music runs through my veins, just like using does through my blood. But, nowadays, I’m more of a Kiedis than a Richards.

Well, with the exception of those joints.

Life has its weird ways of kicking one up the backside and remind us that we aren’t immortal.

RIP Keith Flint.

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This post is an extended version of the “Live to Tell” part of Cannaweedness’ TrippyContest3 on Smoke.io.

If you love marijuana, a toke, or want to be a part of the first blockchain-based cannabis community as we spread the word about the plant, its merits hopefully contribute to the further legalization of cannabis... head over to Smoke.io, join, and maybe contribute to the contest and win SMOKE tokens.

Disclosure: we like our pot on Smoke.io. Especially when it comes to the topical focus of the platform. Pure crossposting and unrelated content is not really liked and may result in flags. Smokers are relaxed but not necessarily impassionate. ;)

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This post was initially published on FknMayhem.fyi and cross-posted to the Steem blockchain with SteemPress