I was going to do a reading from Always this week but circumstances, i.e., an evil virus, has removed that option. So here instead is a song from long ago, “Reclaim the Night.” We (Janes Plane) performed it for the first time on International Women’s Day, 1982. This was recorded about five months later. Enjoy.
Nicola Griffith 
I think that’s my favorite Janes Plane song (from the memoir CD). That is a great photo – love it.
We often used this as our opening song. Cue drums, guitar, bass, percussion. Light shines on empty microphone. Everyone waits. I bound on stage. (I loved it.) All v. hokey and dramatic.The badge/pin I’m wearing in the pic actually says ‘Reclaim the Night’. And that jacket… Ooof. I bought if for 25p from a junk shop. It had no lining. It was *freezing* in the winter but, hey, it looked tough :)
Oh, yei, music! I love how you roll your r’s in this song. And I like the song. It’s not my favorite of the Janes Plane, but it’s close to the top. The jacket looks way cool. And you, too. I have music questions… I won’t be so off topic now that you’ve posted this for Friday audio. Kelley linked to < HREF="http://www.nicolagriffith.com/asknicola061503.html" REL="nofollow">one of your archived posts<>. It’s about music in <>The Blue Place<>. Part of your reply: “So then I started to think about how I’ve acquired music over the years (because I own all the stuff Aud listens to, too–with the exception of Diamanda Galas; I’ll have to remedy that) and found that just about everything except my early choices (like Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” selected on the basis of hearing “Money” on the radio one hot summer day then seeing the very cool album cover the next) came recommended by other people.”I’m just curious—because you don’t say on that post—about how you came across Diamanda Galás. And do you own some of her albums now? I really really like her. And I’m excited that you do, as well. It’s just so rare to find people who know of and dig her work. The first time I listened to the entire <>Masque of the Red Death Trilogy<> I cried. She’s so intense she rips out my heart when she’s on stage, too. I have tickets to see her this November. I checked for Seattle dates, but there are none. For this tour, Diamanda is playing a bunch of cities in Europe, and only New York and Vancouver in America. I guess she likes this place for some obscure reason. We’re so lucky that she comes every few years. This will be the fourth time I see her live.
Maybe you’d like to come?
No, I still don’t have any Diamanda Galás. I’ll go put her on my wish list right now. There done: The Plague Mass and Masque of the Red Death…Brooks, a fellow Clarion student, made a tape for me–one of Nina Hagen, too, though I already knew her work–to listen to for the 6 weeks I was in Michigan. I hadn’t brought enough music (I was travelling light).Diamanda in November: tempting, but no. I’m not travelling for a while. I have to focus on Hild. (I was going to add ‘sigh’, but I love this work, love being immersed in it.) But thank you.
Sounds like a good choice, I’m really looking forward to Hild, so I won’t even try to convince you to travel. Instead, I’ll treat you to Diamanda Galás albums. For some reason, I thought you’d go for <>The Sporting Life<> and <>The Singer<>. I’m so glad I usually ask before getting people presents. I’ll still throw them as a bonus into the package, because I think you’ll enjoy them. My favorite are <>Vena Cava<>, <>Masque of the Red Death<> and <>The Singer<>, followed by <>The Plague Mass<>. I’m still assimilating her last two albums, so I can’t say much about them yet.
Ah, well, I didn’t actually *listen* to any of her music before choosing what went on my wishlist :) I just remembered the Plague Mass stuff (it’s what was on the tape) and you mentioned Red Masque so I thought, hey, good enough…
I like that photo too. Song is cool. I think I have to get the memoir CD out and do the whole thing. I like getting names of different artists to check out, too. I have no idea who these folks are but will be looking on the internet.duff