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Tales From The Lockdown Basement

by Dominic Carlton Jones

/
1.
That beautiful house I created is crumbling to the floor in dust. Thirteen calls in the space of five days and everything has been cancelled. I’m back grappling the greasy pole of survival. In Universal Credit gridlock and utter disbelief of what is happening around me. And I struggle for breath It’s so hot in here Coronavirus lockdown It’s as clear as Unclear But still I struggle for breath It’s so hot in here Coronavirus lockdown It’s as clear as unclear My future that was unfolding Has been kicked out and shut My Daily movements Chopped off at the foot Mass paranoia on the streets and panic in my lungs My reason to be has gone and left in this deadly mess to swim through What’s More! It could have all been prevented with better organisation in place Instead I’m looking into the abyss of a joyless future And Still I struggle for breath It’s so hot in here Coronavirus lockdown Well nothing is clear My future that was written Has been kicked out and shut My Daily movements Chopped off at the foot.
2.
The rolling seas The closed down bars I wait and wait Nothing thus far Mourning the loss My head is axed I just want to sleep These days to pass Rolled into one And much the same It’s such a long Waiting game Your return Is a distant hill I strive for repose As my body gets ill Such fine tuning I struggle for air There’s a lump in my legs And rats in my hair I see you in the distance Too scared to come in Big bags ‘neath your Eyes And your weight getting thin Walking in the distance And standing in line Oblivious to the other And masked behind Your body shaking In the closed down bars Waiting and waiting And nothing thus far.
3.
For moments We played the marvellous world of the Fall and the pain stopped. Transported back into our normal reality of music and gigs ,We forgot our current predicament in phenomena like this That We’d sadly been deprived of. Linking as We could via music and social media. Dropping off books in brief mask-Clad exchange outside the block for safety. For moments freed from the agony of isolated activity and hanging on. Broken, .patchy sleep Legs that probe and confront Rooms that are absent of life. 64 % of musicians have felt their mental health suffer as a result of this pandemic How many the true hidden numbers in the wider reaches of society?
4.
5.
Wrap me up Safe and warm From the cold outside and within. Keep me clothed Keep me fed And forever locked in. To your love Your nourishing bonds Your silence here on tap . A beer to share Across the divide Let the music forever last. Lying curled up My heart a-Beats In the darkness of your womb. In the hypnotic sounds of the burgeoning song That flower from the room. Freed from the snare of empty times grasp And the sirens’ permanent scream. To the warm embrace of a sleep come slow Vivid colour of a dream.
6.
Give us the hope And courage to get through This long and dark Covid year For We all must find To each our own way The scramble through the sewer to the outside light. And emerge Into the forest glade With the brilliant trees that stand the test of time And the rhythm of song That We carry in our hearts To surely Help Us along This foggy road That might now forever Be. And may I see the friends I’ve gathered When all is said and done. Such joy to see The beauty of your love Amongst the grind of the everyday. May We survive The long dark nights As the seasons loom and bound. Us so tight Towards each other Which is surely Where We need to be. Upon the very road home Come tumbling in for tea.
7.
8.
Compensate 02:34
You walk succinctly into the arms of my open mind Such joy and wonder at this meet I did not expect to find Oh! To feel you close again After all that angst and frictious chase. Compensate me for the stripped away present I see the departed and those absent now return in dreams You reach out for me old friend Complaining of noisy neighbours keeping you awake until 6.30 am. I feel you standing there in the room Dad Julie smiles with Afro coloured headband at the wonder of the music Oh! And those joyous schooldays Swinging on beams outside the public toilets Bright,Playful and rebellious.
9.
Reasons 2 03:40
Lockdown drink. Syncing music listening over ale and social media. Previewing ideas. Cat getting a £20 racer into a taxi so can travel over to see her in the early days. Cycling 15 miles to Tottington Water and bananas The release of reach out to your far horizon and great link up with Joe Cook German shepherd records John Crosby at Weir FM John Montague Alice Peters-Burns Bob Osborne radio shows Brad Cain’s soundtrack to infinity Dave hammond’s Smelly flowerpot Laura Beth at Reclaimed radio. Protocol by Night operations 2 lost souls Gig economy Un-Interrupted time for my own music Longer periods at Cats Guitar with Brian Lockdown blues Aldi shops and hobgoblin beer Blackley music in the sun Riyad over for birthdays Meeting up with Paul Taylor And the Cocteau twins Fontana years box set. “What d’you think about that Bri?” Matt Danny and Cat The red string of fate “it’s gems like this that make my job worthwhile” The dance of the night Featured 20 plus times on the radio A real surge in streams and listeners Talking with Inky joe black on the phone Looking after Cat My new ear pods A proper music system for the flat Sifting through all my music collection Ian’s books Sullingtons beer Ray’s Generosity An electronic drum kit A Kalimba for Christmas Lazy time with Cat Sneaky visits to Keep in touch with Mum,Mark and Anita. Stockdales’s music All the seasons of homeland Star Trek the next generation The Bridge Who killed Malcolm X? The generosity of my family Watching United games with Brian “I’ll tell you what I think about that Dom”
10.
Squeezing through the tiniest of doorways Hanging on to hang on No grip nor grounding And events I just can’t account for I need to know I need to find Some sweet love And a Piece of mind The shepherd’s light The dawning of day The blossoming fields And I’m on my way Mind and body all skewered. We pass a year now and still this uncertainty I threaten to explode Oh when is that next scheduled drink? I need to know I need to find Some sweet love And a peace of mind The shepherd’s light The dawning of day The blossoming fields And I’m on my way My Way.
11.
Far Away 03:40
Take me to the place where the unfaltering silence breaks through all of this and can simply be felt Such breath taking peace which brings out in me cries of wonder, discovery and joy Before floating away over the mountains Rise today It moves away Pick up your dancing shoes There’s music in the town Rise today It’s on its way It won’t be long now Before the curtain finally comes down.

about

This album is an attempt to write a subjective documentary of the "Lockdown" between March 2020 to May 2021.

A more detailed analysis of the process and influences that created this narrative is included in the bonus item included for purchasers of the album

I would like to thank the following;

- Brian Hughes for his friendship, music sessions and contribution to this album.
- Cat Jerome and Danny Needham especially for their support and feedback during lockdown drinking sessions where we previewed early versions of these tracks.
- Matt Hardman for his listening and continued support of my music.Also for the technical help that he provides.
- Jeff Graham and Riyad Finch for their support and feedback of early versions of these tracks.
- Octopus ink creative for the cover design.
- The Support of family members Mum.Mark and Anita.
- The support of my girlfriend Cat Jerome and telephone conversations with my dog Inky Joe Black!
- To Bob and Ian at German Shepherd Records .
- To .John Montague. John Crosby. Bob Osborne .Brad Cain. Phil Crowder. Laura Beth.and Dave Hammond for supporting my music with radio play

.....and to those artists who inspired me

Dominic Carlton Jones
May 2021

credits

released July 2, 2021

All instruments and voice by Dominic Carlton Jones except Brian Hughes second guitar on "There is a light" and third guitar on "Far Away".

All music and lyrics by Dominic Carlton Jones except on tracks 5. 9 and 11 where music is by Dominic Carlton Jones and Brian Hughes

Music recorded at Engels House, Eccles
Produced by Dominic Carlton Jones
Mastered by Matt Hardman

Artwork by Octopus Ink.

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