Bean power

So MIDEM , the annual international junket for music business professionals amongst whose ranks I count myself, is comparatively poorly attended this year, a combination of the changes happening in our industry and the recessionary times that are with us or looming, but the idea of using just one entrance and thereby manufacturing a queue for delegates desperate to find out more about the benefits of using Currencies Direct for their foreign exchange needs has all the hallmarks of “made in France”. President Sarkozy has publicly admonished the UK recently for its lack of a manufacturing base, but to descend into creating queues does not seem to be manufacturing in its truest sense. I took this picture of French manufacturing today.

The French way of manufacturing, manufacture a queue.

MIDEM gives us music biz types the annual opportunity to slap each other on the back and praise each others activities and achievements, however, there those amongst us for whom the festival does not go well, and for which no praise is due. Normally the festival runs from Sunday to Thursday, so flights from the UK are usually booked from Saturday to Thursday, and at least one delegate has booked accordingly, even although this year MIDEM runs from Saturday to Tuesday inclusive. This means he missed the first day and will be stuck in Cannes for two days after it has finished.

Business is like air or sex. It does not matter that much until you aren’t getting any. Thus there were a number of delegates fighting for air today, and it had everything to do with the bean salad I had for lunch at Vegaluna on Cannes beach.  It is also said that no one is listening until you fart and it seemed to me that wherever I went in the afternoon everybody with whom I came into co tact were all ears. On one level I have a communist streak, everything should be shared out equally and I did my best to spread the equality emitting from my anus around the Palais Des Festivals in Cannes yesterday afternoon. On the other hand I agree with those that think ones personal noxious odours should be kept to them selves, so, a dilemma.

Anyway, the last day of MIDEM is today and I have been invited to lunch on the beach at a restaurant called Goeland where if offered I will avoid anything that contains any kind of bean. The last time I was there, I was seated close a lady who was, well how can I describe her, she was no stranger to a kebab. Her ability to eat what looked like her own bodyweight in fois gras has left an indelible mark on my memory, one that I hope to be able to lay to rest today. Mrs Creosote lives.

Having then spent almost a lifetime working, well, all day for the last two days and with all the preparation I feel I will deserve some rest and recouperation from tomorrow onwards and shall be on the look out for some way of expressing that, and with a large dump of fresh snow up on the nearby mountains, a quick day trip to Greoliere Les Neiges is a possibility, after the incoming Brits depart MIDEM and take this filthy weather with them.

In terms of what, where and in which form this recreation will take place will depend of course on the decisions of that nice lady decorator. Whilst MIDEM has been in full effect I have been master of my own destiny, choosing what I do but with festival drawing to a close things will change. One day you are the dog, the best day you are the tree.

Chris France