C.W. Stoneking performing live for Stray Songs
Public Housing projects in Tavros, a superb near Piraeus, was the ideal place for the C.W Stoneking, the Australian blues singer-songwriter and guitarist to perform live for the Stray Song series.
This urban landscape of concrete panel buildings is a former industrial zone and now it looks like an area of abandonment full of storage warehouses and small industry establishments spread all over the place. Located 20 minutes away from the city centre, Tavros thankfully hasn’t been discovered by the New Age architectural of urban planning. Yet.
As we guide C.W across the neighbourhood, local people can’t stop looking this weird guy all dressed in crinkled white clothes, wearing a black bow tie. He tells me about the 1920s vintage hawaiian style he was inspired by. He has old school sailor tattos and the names of his sons inked on his right hand. The exploration into the new territory has sharpened his sense of place:
” It feels like home”
He says as we walk for the photo shootout nearby the big housing projects.
C.W.” was raised in Australia but recently moved with his family in the cold gray Bristol. He doesnt seem to be very happy about it.
” I travel around for my giggs but I always return there. It is my home now.”
Shoot The Band crew had spotted an ideal place for his performance. A hidden corner inside the blocks covered with trees and plants. Two ladies in their 70s were knitting on their porch.”
“Are we gonna have live music?
the one lady asks with profound curiosity.
“How about a live on your porch? “
Mike, a Shoot The Band member, replies.
She gets excited and fixes hair waiting in anxiety. CW grabs his guitar and starts playing a mesmerising song as the old woman takes her place in a chair behind him. Suddenly a guy gets out and starts yelling at us in aggresive way:
“Get out of here! What are you doing? Are you from television or something?
We take a quick look at his residence: a big house near to a prefab churche. You can always built a small prefab church somewhere accompanied by a supporting facility, according to the greek architecture laws.
“We are just using the public space”
Yiannis tries to answer back, but obviously there is no room for liberal acts in this place.
“Have I ever came outside your home to play the guitar mate? I want you out of here!”
The context of his argument is getting clear: He is scared as he thinks we are working for the television and we are about to bring his unpermitted living space to light.
“Let the boys film! Nobody ever comes here. What are you afraid of? They only want to sing!”
the old lady interferes with strenght.
There is no reason scuffling, after all we have been supporting squatted buildings all these years . We calm him down and we promise not to take any pictures from his residency. C.W. tries to figure out what is happening as I try to explain to him the significance of the creative interpretation in greek law.
“Do you remember the Bristol of the 70s ?”
I conclude.
He seems to enjoy the situation and continues playing “On a deserted Isle”. Our neighbour calms down and we let the cameras roll. As the lady gradually loses herself in the song, it comes to my mind an other famous tune she has propably never heard of:
“Against a Jungle primeval green,
She had the looks of a beauty queen
No bangles or chain, wearin’ broken shoe
Seventy-five cent bottle perfume.”
varvaresso 