Sinister: B&S and the flaming hand

[William Harris]

Comrades. Thought I'd take a plunge into the slightly frightening and 
sinister world here as I got out of the nursury a week or so ago. Yes...yet 
another babe. I suppose I could chime in about the whole Floyd thread, but 
you all seem to be doing quite nicely on that front. Instead, I think I'll 
just tell a little story about how B&S found me (or vice versa). If you get 
annoyed at silly stories, please skip this post.

About three years ago, I was sitting in the vulgar and shady backyard of my 
friend's parents place (she had just graduated college or something and we 
were all celebrating). I didn't really know a lot of the people there and 
those that I did know, I tried to avoid. Another friend of mind (Josh) was 
there and so we retired to the corner of the yard with our beverages and 
started to shoot the proverbial breeze, etc.

The night wore on and on and Josh started to tell me of this wonderful, 
shiny new CD he had bought (B&S of course--IYFS). When he went to go get the 
CD from his car or wherever he had the thing stashed (perhaps I'd rather not 
know this) and retrieve a portable CD player, a few other folks wandered by. 
One of them (Jay) was one of those morons who don't quite know they are 
morons, but somewhere deeply buried in their psyche they have a vague 
sensation that they actually *might* be. Does that make sense? Like he feels 
slightly goofy for being so thick-skulled, but he does nothing to stop it 
(if you feel I'm being overly judgemental please read on).

So there we were. Sitting under a large oak tree, drinking and (eventually) 
listening to Belle and Sebastian. It was wonderful. From the first tenative 
"Make a new cult everday to suit your affairs" I knew this was special. 
Until Jay began to get rather sloppily drunk and decided he would do a shot 
of something or other and light it on fire. Jay took his bottle and poured a 
very full shot and a bunch of the alcohol spilled onto his hand and arm. He 
giggled and took out a lighter (I tried to warn him I swear). Well, of 
course, phoof. Right when I was really digging "Like Dylan in the 
Movies"...Jay's waving his flaming hand in the air fueling the flames and 
they grew and grew and we yelled at him to smother the flames (Oh how 
alcohol burns!) and he's just got this kind of bemused look on his face like 
this is the coolest thing he's ever seen and not really worried that the 
flames are starting to dart up his arm toward his shoulder. Finally I jumped 
up and took off my shirt (not for the faint hearted) and smothered the 
flames. It took a few seconds and Jay is laughing 'cause he's so drunk and 
rather a moron anyway (do you see now?).

Well...the drama really added to the music (not that it really needs it). 
But we sat back down and I thought how nice it was to have "found" a new 
band that was soooo fey and silly and beautiful and not at all like Jay and 
his singed hand.

That's all for now.

Love, sinister giggles, and hugs (or pats on the backs for any who shy from 
physical contact),

Bill H.

PS--Jay was fine. We got him to the hospital and they wrapped up his 2nd 
degree burns and that's the last I saw of him.

PPS--Am in Chicago now, but will be moving to Seattle in mid-August. Any 
sinisterees in these parts e-mail me (not the list of course) and maybe we 
can set something up.
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