in which we plan a visit to the asylum

Randomly spotted that violin totin' Emilie Autumn is passing through the UK but its Bristol, Wolverhampton and Nottingham - tour dates literally this week.

Fortunately after the tour heads off to about 20 other European venues it then swings back through the Islington Academy in March. We've just jumped on some tickets.

Her industrial strength show is about the strange things that the Victorians and others got up to in the name of art and subjugation.

Ms Autumn and Co. create an evening containing performance art and crunchy gothic music. Theres's barbed social commentary laced with irony as they depict the pre-Raphelite penchant for paintings of women drowning and Ophelia Tours of Asylums.



For the Absinthe flows like wine where I'm going
They say there's a demon
There probably is
But I'll be the end of them
Go on and send for them
So burn me and break me
You know I'll pretend for them
When I close my eyes

as I continue to elude your vigilant ways, the light is almost here again

Back to London on an early flight. I could already hear the violin chase music in my head. My part of the airport didn't have any windows, so the day/night thing was lost on me. It felt as if it should have been an evening rather than the crack of dawn that I was travelling.

Las Vegas lighting without the gambling.

Then a full day of office meetings during the bit where the really loud tympani kick in. Finally, home accompanied by a phone conference.

I decided to go to bed early on Thursday to let my head unscramble.

And now I must demystify the uncommon dreams; stranger things have come true.