I’ve been skiving off in Europe for the last month and managed to have  a few wondrous musical experiences along the way. I bought a ticket off a scalper for Puccini’s La Boheme at the Staatsoper in Vienna. Ok, so Maria Callas was not playing the part of Mimi but it was amazing all the same. I also saw Vienna’s Mozart Orchestra in the Brahm’s Hall at Musikverein. It’s comforting to realise music that’s been done to death in movies and t.v adverts is still so full of life in the here and now when it’s being performed by people who have such command over the material.  Last but not least, I was lucky enough to be in Berlin when John Vanderslice was passing through. Catch him if you can! Rightio. Time for band practice.