… bombedrama (headline only partly legible in the OCR)

BA meets the “Bergensvenn” Leven at the start of a six-day stay in Bergen. Leven says (self-report) that a few months ago he was sitting in a street café in Beirut when, two blocks away, the car bomb exploded that killed the former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri; he had been there to record his forthcoming record with local and Greek musicians. He was terrified for his life and refuses to go back for cover photos.

The reason for the long stay is Bergenfest: on Friday he plays with David Thomas (Pere Ubu). Bergen is his “spiritual centre”, the festival head Frank Nes invited him for six days; he wants to relax and write. On Jackie Leven Said he repeats the flight anecdote (Bergen–Tromsø, Rankin's novel, Rebus as a fan); Rankin's publisher first turned the project down and then postponed its marketing by eight months. A tour is open: his mother died last year, after his father's death he buried himself in work, and now he wants to be at home with his wife and write songs.

On Doll by Doll: Warner did not care about the four albums, and now someone has finally woken up – partly thanks to the Rankin record. He rules out a live reunion, but says they have talked about a new joint studio album. Ending with “Rainy Day Bergen Woman” and a wish for rain.