A Theatre For Dreamers — Book Launch
Internet is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
Few weeks into the quarantine, when things looked pretty bleak, I stumbled upon a video of David singing a Cohen song. It’s always a precious feeling to find someone liking Cohen and if the person is someone like David, what results is utter disbelief about finding one more thing to hold on tight to. I had quickly saved the entire live session into a safe playlist planning to watch this when the perfect time comes and the stars align.
But they never did for a long long time.
So I ended up losing track of this video for months. It was only after a particular boring Sunday evening, that I was able to sit down and travel through the entire length of the video.
The event was for Polly’s book launch. What are the odds that the book is about the piece of time when Cohen was staying at Hydra? What are the odds that my friend had completed “Sei Somoy” by Sunil Ganguly pretty recently and I got intrigued about how smooth it would be to blend fiction with nonfiction ? I made a mental note that I would read Polly’s book when the perfect time comes and the stars align (as always).
The human named David was very new to me. I was fond of his singing and strumming skills during his stint in the band like many many others. But under that rockstar persona, lived a humble and gentle man, the fact I found hard to stomach.
[Few weeks after writing this piece, I watched David’s documentary, ‘Wider Horizons’. I felt I came closer to the answer to the question I had and the one the documentary starts with, “Who is David Gilmour?”]
I had been watching interviews and saving odd documentaries in my playlists and at the same time being happy about the spirit that he shared with Polly.
David is not Cohen.
David feels as much authentic as a human I personally know. However coming to the spectacle of him covering Cohen’s songs, it was also a happy accident considering how common it was for Cohen’s records to play in his house and same thing goes for him having Going Home as one of his top picks from Cohen’s repertoire. Yes, I do not remember Going Home. It has always seemed interesting to listen to songs that move others but have failed to generate similar response in me. I’m all for subjectivity.
Cohen by Gilmour (links) :
Bird On The Wire
So Long Marianne
Fingerprints
Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
If It Be Your Will
Thanks For The Dance
Everything about the live-stream screams “wholesome”.
David and Polly has curated a seemingly whole family. The antics by the baby granddaughter could not be missed. The half an hour session was strewn with little nothings that make my heart full with joy for David. Things ranging from the baby exploring below the table and waving to Polly, to Romany playing with the baby with oranges in her hand, to Romany and Polly pointing to each other midway through “you’re really such a pretty one”. Polly defending Burbounia’s intelligence and fighting back Charlie and Romany’s attempts to call him dumdum is not something be missed. The general vibe that was ever so present, made it so real. Them breaking into small fits of laughter now and then to Romany’s playful gestures with David, made me feel about how lucky he is. The bond they share comes to the fore through tiny nothings like David defending Romany on what she wants to be and her dreams of exploring being an actor, photographer, writer and not being a singer, when Charlie is dismissive or when Polly is trying to coax Romany into singing professionally.
I can never be anything but happy for him for being the most ordinary rockstar I have come across. The human in David who is a patient and loving father and husband to a seemingly sweet family. He has made it in life. Not for his stint in PF, but for the people he calls family. Thank you David.
There are multiple sessions for the same book launch. I will go ahead and save them for some other time when the stars align. [They did align. I have included the complete playlist above.]
PS. I understand that rockstars are not made of rocks or stardust and are made of flesh and bones and are as much human as I am. However, David feels like he could happily exist in his life even without being the successful musician and artist that he is.
PPS. I, who find it difficult to complete books, was able to buy and complete reading the book in a few weeks (effectively read for less than 5 days). How I was able to escape the realities of an uncertain 2020 and take refuge in an Egyptian island in the sixties and how the book made me feel needs to be kept aside for another story.
Yes, I have ghosts, not all of them dead.
If you have reached till this point, it would be nice to end with the song with which, each of the live-steams started.
