Thread by @garius

I have a theory about classical music, which is that if you didn't grow up with it then it doesn't really grab you until later in life.

Not until the point where life, loves and loses fills the lyrical gap. Then BANG! The emotional of it all hits you hard. And you fall in love.

Of course I'm also smashing a lot of Port right now so take the previous tweet with a significant amount of salt.

Also, this has reminded me of when I used to drink in Janet's Bar down South Ken.

There used to be this world famous violinist who'd come in every now and again. But I didn't know that. Because he was modest as fuck and so I just assumed he was a general orchestra guy.

And, because Janet's is Janet's and you just bar perch and share bottles of cheap red wine, we'd just chill at the bar and talk about stuff while enjoying the slow descent into infinity.

Think he was German. Maybe Austrian or Hungarian.

I think one of the ians.

ANYWAY. I never knew he was the kind of guy who did concerts on Sky Arts and stuff.

I just knew him as a violin guy and I remember confessing that I'd got grade 1 violin but never took it any further, which he agreed was still an achievement.

And we'd talk about using a stuffed stock as a violin rest. And laughed at being the small kid at school who needed the quarter size violin. And then we'd drink more red wine and he'd tell me to listen to more classical music, and I'd tell him only if he listened to more Creed.

And this went on for at least a year until one day a musician friend met me in Janet's after a thing at the Albert Hall.

And violin guy and I had been having a few drinks beforehand. And when they arrived my mate suddenly went all squeeeeee.

And violin guy laughed and I beckoned them over and we finished another bottle of cheap red.

Then violin guy from one of the ians left. And after he left my mate was like:

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS VIOLIN GUY FROM THE IANS.

And that surprised me. And I didn't really know what to say. So all I could think of was:

"Nah. Can't be that good. He used a stuffed stock for a rest like I did."

And the friend looked at me in utter confusion. So I bought another bottle of cheap red.

Anyway, the moral of this story is ALWAYS drink in dive bars. Support the local economy.

Also drink red wine with everyone, and judge no-one.

Because even famous people from the ians just want to have a chill drink sometimes. And they're fun to chat to.

Oh, and listen to classical music. Film soundtracks. Game soundtracks. Old dead white dudes. Less dead and more more inclusive alive composers. Whatever.

Do listen though.

I now enjoy it more than Creed.

Except One Last Breath. That's still awesome.