The Streets // Boomtown, 2019 – T J Davies
Thousands spill out from the belly of the bowl of earth underneath the four towers of a Japanese temple. Champagne falls from the sky. Flames barrel out of bamboo pipes. The man with the microphone climbs a rock face to a grassy ledge and stands in front of a cascading waterfall slashed by pink and blue. He dips his head, baptises himself, quips about Lauryn Hill’s Babylon. He climbs down again, drinks crowd-sourced Guinness. Jokes about Boardmasters.
In black zip-up, track pants and trainers, he asks “Do you know how lucky we are? We are so lucky. So, so lucky.” A slight symphony backs him as he explains that to be here at this moment in time together, with so many other terrible alternatives in the world, is lucky. He’s talking to you. He says it over and over again. He’s talking to you. He’s right.
It can be hard to remember how lucky we are, especially today. Sometimes we need reminding. I remembered what a gift life is thanks to Mike Skinner of The Streets—Lion’s Den, Boomtown Chapter 11. And I haven’t forgotten (much). After all, “Would you rather have a head full of cheese, or no memories whatsoever?”