Saint Vitus and Orange Goblin

Orange by name

I, Melachi ibn Amillar, being of unsound mind and body, did attend the Concert of Orange Goblin and Saint Vitus, on 29 October, at Heaven under the Arches at Charing Cross. I have not previously attended this venue, the  brickwork and arches striking me as most suitable for darker sounds and certainly much preferable to the O2 Islington. Heavy Metal is not the most subtle of art forms, and Orange Goblin are not its most delicate proponents, but for some basic driving rock they performed the business, though I rather preferred the simple dirge of Serpent Venom preceding them.

Washed out

Saint Vitus seemed old in a very literal sense and their doom lacked any clear riffs or themes; I have a few of their records and cannot really remember anything from them either. I liked more their Shrinebuilder project, which did seem to build to some more structured pieces.  The singer implored the people never to sell out, indeed I gather he was expelled from Europe shortly afterwards, so clearly adheres to that philosophy, though on the basis of this gig Melachi is not sure his absence from these shores will be a great loss.

Kikoru Country Kitchen, Kisumu

Ugale, ugale everywhere

I, Melachi ibn Amillar, being of unsound mind and body, ate at the Kikoru Country Kitchen restaurant, opposite the Imperial Hotel in Kisumu, in February 2014, as there seemed few other options near my hotel and it was getting dark. The gentleman who seated me seemed surprised that I intended to sit before selecting my food from the menu. I ordered "wet chicken with ugale" which he said was a local speciality, with mango juice. The juice arrived soon and was thick and tasty. The main arrived a respectable time later and included something like spinach. The chicken was only an arm and small breast, topped with a stew of some vegetables with sauce and tasty enough, though the bird itself a mite dry and scrawny. The ugale was copious (he said it was from maize) but very dense. When the sauce was used up I found it too dry to eat and had to leave two thirds of it. The cost including the drink was 500KSH (about £4). All half dozen tables were full when I left, which Melachi thinks is as it should be.

Aga Khan Palace, Pune, India

Shrine

I, Melachi ibn Amillar, being of unsound mind and body, did visit the Aga Khan Palace in the North of Pune, India, in November 2014, arriving by Rickshaw (100r), a fairly modern pavilion-type building where Ghandi was detained for some time, in unremarkable grounds. Entry was 200r which allowed the viewing of a few rooms of faded photographs and a couple of nice statues marked "do not touch". I did not know Mahatma well, but I have no doubt he would have approved of children not touching his statue. There was also a barely kept shrine. For Gandhi completists only.