Ashley Beedle
Do you believe in Love?
Social Media and the Internet intertwine us with our thoughts in a way that, at times, can be quite dystopian. Last week I was reminded in some thought process of this particular song : a wonderfully uptempo Latin House number with a beautiful vibraphone flourish that was, for me at least, the stand-out track on the 1995 Ninja Tune Flexistentialism collection. I have a very vivid memory of only ever hearing this song once in a club and in a relatively unusual context : Suburban Knight dropping it right in the middle of an abyssal Techno set at Lost in or around 1999 at The End. I remember being probably the only person on the dancefloor who recognised it and reacted accordingly; let’s just say that embarrassing overtures towards the DJ most likely happened, of which I have no regrets.
And then, a day later, I open Facebook and up pops a suggested post from his wife, Jo, giving information about Ashley’s current condition, having suffered a brain bleed and seizure in November. Perhaps it was coincidence (I don’t follow his page); perhaps it was the algorithm. It was a crucial reminder that, for some of us who started to party in the late 80’s and 90’s, this phase of life is now, unfortunately, a more morbid one, with it being increasingly punctuated by notices of illness and more. However, Ashley’s GoFundMe page has raised over £135,000 in little over a handful days, being a reminder of the truly magnificent power of social media. To see all the comments from those who donated does bring a tear to the eye after what was a life-changing experience. Of course I believe in Love.