VINGT Paris News:

I have been excited all day about seeing Bremner Duthie's one man show WHISKEY BARS featuring the songs of Kurt Weil. I'm still wearing my Capoeira pants and I haven't had a shower since my class either. It's too late. I cycle there to the Atelier de la Main d'Or in Ledru Rollin, 12 arrond. my fave place again. It takes about 7 minutes from my house pedalling as fast as I can. I am in time to meet Adam Steiner (stickler for time) and Pernelle for a drink at a really great little "bar rock" called Le Fanfaron at 6, rue de la main d'or. It's kind of rockabillyish and they have posters of great musicians all over, Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger, plus the barman has a really cool haircut, always a good sign. It reminds me a a Summer version of my favourite Paris dive, Planete Mars on rue Keller, unofficial after Salon for I V Y regulars in gallery days. It's not quite so sleazy though.

Bremner gives a stonking good performance and I see some good friends in the audience, one of my favourite people, Jim Haynes sits nearby, he's a big Kurt Weil fan and says how much he enjoys the performance. Bremner is seriously good and his portrayal of a faded/jaded cabret performer is touching, funny and sad. I sit next to Africa Wayne the poet who read at the I V Y Writers series on Tuesday night at Les Voutes. She says she has had a fantastic time this week on her trip from NYC and that she's had fun evrywhere she's went. I can't work out if she's gay or straight.

Who needs friends like these - being dragged into Les Halles plastic 80's shopping hell to spend one of the first sunny Saturday afternoons of the Spring in an under ground maze is not my idea of fun. Even if she does urgently need an outfit to attend a chic wedding in Angleterre. Even seasoned Parisians get the Fear in this place. I have to it makes me sweat with fear. I've been lost in here and reduced to tears on numerous occasions. I rarely even venture near the Sortie leading to Place Carree in Chatelet underground, I know it could take me a good 20 minutes to finally escape again. Saturday. It's Banlieue kid a go-go and they're snapping up badly produced and over-priced merchandise in Mango and Etam. Okay, H&M,(that's "ash em" by the way),can be good for passing trends but I don't want to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in to the rails of mishandled t-shirts with "ironic" slogans today. It's too hot. I have become kind of agraphobic. I can't stand seeing these people slavering over some crap they don't need but can't live without. Shopping as the new religion. It's so long since I spent my spare time doing something like this. My resentment grows as I wait on my friend with the rows of copains out side the changing rooms " oui Cherie, C'est genial, la jupe............."

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