From Berlin

July 4, 2025

I didn’t expect to be in Berlin this week, but lots of things that I didn’t expect have occurred in the last few days. I had a mostly-finished Slowpoke ready to go before I set off nine days ago to tour manage Thou around Europe. Sure that I would find the contemplation time and then an extra half hour or so to finesse my final changes, I wasn’t concerned about getting it finished. Needless to say that things didn’t go to plan on that front.

So, I asked for some guidance from readers of this newsletter: what could I write about this week? One suggestion was to write about crisps I have encountered on tour which, obviously, I am keen to do. But I have had my mind elsewhere so have inadequately documented recently consumed comestibles to be able to do justice to the topic. I did eat a particularly crunchy Pringles-esque crisp at Istanbul airport which I enjoyed - it’s all about the texture, you know? They were called Master Potato.

I think I will save writing about this tour with Thou more thoroughly for another day. But I do want to tell you about a man that I met this week - he has done something transformative in my brain, I think. His name is Aris.

Sometimes I find myself grasping for a better phrase than “the music industry”, to explain where I work. The music “business” isn’t much better and I can’t just say that I work in music, because then people ask what instrument I play. I’m not trying to say that business and infrastructure doesn’t have a place - it absolutely does - but sometimes it feels like the industry part overshadows the music part. Sometimes it feels like there’s no shortage of people with good ideas that serve primarily to inflate their egos, line their pockets or position them in reaching distance of power that they have no business being near.

But I got a timely reminder that it's not always that way, and that there are good souls out there who go above and beyond in pursuit of making magical things happen. Aris was my reminder. He was the promoter for the show in Athens, Greece, and if you’re ever on the look out for a show in the city, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him as the guy for the job.

Shortly after we arrived, he took me to one side to preemptively apologise and let me know that their team weren’t actually professional promoters. I beg to differ, Aris. He accommodated us above and beyond what we expected, and he was humble and enthusiastic about his work. This particular light should be shone on the whole team that made the show happen, of course - from the artwork, to the home-cooked food, to the birthday cake they got me - this crew of music lovers truly put their heart into every little bit of the show.

As we had a drink together upon arrival, Aris told us about the first show he put on - Yellow Eyes - and about the the shows he hoped to put on in the future. He tentatively asked if there was any chance that Thou would be playing a Misfits song the following night and took the “no” very graciously.

Side note about the desire to hear a specific song live: I know it well. I am also familiar with being rebuffed. I have been longing to hear Rubber and Glue live for literally years now; I had all but given up on it ever happening but a couple of months ago Stephen Brodsky asked what song I wanted to hear during a Cave In sound check and I got a few tantalising bars… so now I am convinced that if I persist for another 10-12 years, I might get the full song. If nothing else, I remain an optimist. I can find no evidence that Helms Alee have ever played No Dot live, nevermind it occurring on an occasion that I was in the room. The Thou (cover) song that I most want to hear hasn’t ever even been played by the current line up, so I am most certainly onto a loser with that one.

Having spent hours of my teenage years listening to E:Lux by Human Waste Project, I had a particular affection for the track One Night In Spain. Years later as a fully functioning adult, I was reduced to a puddle by hearing the track played by vocalist Aimee Echo’s later band theSTART. Transported instantly back to my purple-glitter painted teenage bedroom, I dissolved. I know how incredible it can feel to finally come face to face with that kind of white whale. My luck with Bruce Springsteen last month is a rare but recent example too.

And now, so too Aris know how it feels, because not only did Thou play Where Eagles Dare, he got up on stage and sang it with them. The lad was fucking glowing afterwards. Whilst I am more the type to stand at the back weeping a silent tear than I am to be grabbing a microphone, I recognised his joy and I was chuffed for him.

There are actually people like Aris everywhere, and we’re lucky that there is. Sometimes they can be obscured by others, and often people like this are not good at singing their own praises - which is of course part of their charm. He sent us off to the airport with bags of food for breakfast and a cheery wave. If I never see that man again, it will be a tragedy quite frankly. For me, that is - he’ll be fine.

All I ever wanted was to be able to show people cool music and hope they liked too. I have sought to understand the music I loved and how it exists in the world, and in turn to make sense of the word through the music that kept me company. The endless pursuit of asking “why?” and “what does it mean?” has taught me a lot over the years. I can recall asking my dad what the word quango meant after spending my pocket money on Blur’s The Great Escape and encountering the song Mr Robinson’s Quango (it’s a portmanteau derived from "quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation” if you’re curious).

Anyway, I recognise that curiosity and awe in others when I see it, and despite sometimes despairing at not seeing it often enough, I am relieved to see that it’s alive and kicking in Athens.

It’s 2.35am as I finish typing this, and really, this is truly all I’ve got in me this week.

Thank you for being here, thank you for reading.

~Becky

Image shows Aris and I, backstage at An Club, Athens.