Joe Lally
Why Should I Get Used To It

The alarm was set for six in the morning, as always. I looked out the window, it was raining. Heavy showers of water were falling. Very few cars passed by, and the sidewalks were empty. At one point, I saw you; you were in a tracksuit, walking. You gave me a big smile and a wide wave of your hand, as if the bad weather slid right off your day. In reality, I just imagined you.

Joe Lally must have seen many days like this, with pouring rain, especially in summer, during his tours. He has 20 years of career behind him but hasn't lost his passion. He played in Brescia a few months ago; there was a lot of people: a few glances at the stage, many at the bar counter. Digging through my papers, I found the setlist of that concert, signed by Joe: months later, it still smelled of cigarettes and travel. A few days ago, I bought his new album; Ian McKaye and Guy Picciotto are not there, but two excellent Italian musicians accompany him on his concerts (Elisa Abela and Emanuele Tomasi). They were there that night too, at "Le Tits". He writes the songs himself, his bass holds the songs, but in solitude, he would suffer. He too needs traveling companions, to feel on his body that smell of cigarettes and enthusiasm. It's not a crafted album: you can feel it, it moves you and pierces you, but it doesn't leave marks on the body, just a strong feeling inside. It's quite a lot for me, especially after having met him and found him again. It's that energy I saw in you, during this week we worked together. You listened to me, fascinated as if I were different. When we said goodbye, exchanged a kiss and emails, I wanted to say many other things to you but only advised you to take your time. It's the sign that in the end, when it's time to sum up experiences, there's not much left to say. Especially when dealing with people like you.

It stopped raining in the evening, you were still there strolling in your tracksuit. You advised me to go out, so I went to a concert. There was a girl: she had red hair, a petite body, and dark glasses that highlighted her facial features. I did as you advised: I gathered my courage and asked her for her phone number. I imagined this too. I'm still at the window, it stopped raining after about half an hour: just enough time to put Joe's album in the car and listen to it in one go.

(To Denise)