Show: Amsterdam March 2025

Amsterdam: Truffles, Tight Budgets, and Restringing Guitars

First time in Amsterdam since overdosing on truffles 15 years ago.

It’s a beautiful place with beautiful people, and easily one of my favourite shows of the year. Huge thanks to Sofar Sounds for having me over.

The Guitar Saga (or: How I Finally Learnt a Basic Life Skill)

Here’s a confession: I’ve been playing guitar since I was a kid, but I never actually learned how to restring one. I never needed to. I always lived near incredible guitarists - like Peyote George.

George used to be like one of those hitmen you see in movies who blindfold themselves while they take their gun apart, polish it, and put it back together in the dark. Restringing was his meditation.

But for this show, I had to figure it out. Why? Because the pay for the gig just about covered my plane ticket. And guess what? To take a guitar on a flight, budget airlines expect you to buy it its own damn seat. Not happening.

So, I had to borrow a rig. Shoutout to Faatima (who I met on TikTok) for saving my life. She tracked down her friend’s right-handed guitar and got me some strings, which I then had to restring upside down to play left-handed. After decades of playing, I finally learned how to string a guitar, entirely out of necessity. It was a learning experience.

After the gig, I spent a couple of days in the city. Thanks to Ivy for hosting me and hanging out. We drank wine in bars and brown cafes, and went to the cinema to watch Mickey 17.

Amsterdam, you were incredible. Promise I won't wait another 15 years to come back.

🖤