Heilung Changeling’s Subtle Changes

The biggest thought – I don’t know if it could be seen as spiritually inspired by the shamanic music – I had while watching Heilung’s excellent show was about change actually; yesterday’s little wordplay philosophy poem was an idea I had before, that may have been brought to the fore by those thoughts, and a reposte to those who’ve tried to change me by negativity.

Maybe it was influenced by the first night of the Descended from Odin festival (February 19th) being on the 40th anniversary of Bon Scott’s death; what I remember as the biggest single inspiration on me becoming a full-time metaller in 1980. I had been born in the 1960s anyway, and grew up in the glam rock 1970s:

Moreover, famous DJ and producer, who also crossed over between guitar and electronic music, Andrew Weatherall (somebody I’d heard of, but didn’t know much about), had died earlier in the week at 56, two years older than me; that closely followed Caroline Flack’s rock star reminiscent style death (again, she wasn’t someone I knew well, but knew her name).

While Ozzy sang of going through changes, he’s often lapsed back into his old behaviour. Lemmy seemed to be loved for not changing, but maybe he could have survived a little longer if he had; although he’d made clear in his lyrics he wasn’t bothered about lengthening his life through not living how he wanted. Even Lemmy made subtle changes that could be called selling out though, such as writing ballads and moving to sunny California.

Any changes I’ve made have been due to age or inspiration from positive influences, such as Jane Tomlinson on my fitness, inspiring my marathons. If the negatives have inspired anything, it’s to prove them wrong. While some people were trying to retire – or kill (see Tucker and Dale vs Evil!) – me off in my thirties when I returned to education and was still out clubbing, I still felt young then. In fact, my clubbing endurance was an inspiration to my marathon running; thinking I could transfer the biology.

Watching Heilung’s red-haired singer I thought it was a coincidence, with Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses also red-haired, and my favourite vocalist in the 1980s. So over the last thirty years I have changed from wanting to watch a male-fronted LA Metal band the most to a female-fronted Nordic pagan folk band, but they are both within the rock genre.

I was surprised how energetic the Heilung concert was too, more like a rock concert than the more spiritual ritual I expected. It even incorporated some trance-style tribal dancing that reminded me of the dance music I got into during the 1990s, as LA Metal was all but killed off by grunge.

So to people who want me to stay in the 1980s or 1990s; or some period since; they are still in my mind and persona, but they are a part of the past, rather than the present.