07-07-2014 – All On Ice

Ahoy there!

Well, a mighty fine summer weekend’s entertainment there…

When we arrived at Stanshawe’s Court on Friday, it turned out to be an enormous old mansion-turned-into-family-pub affair. Hence, among the usual pub crowd, there were several families just finishing eating as we started to set up.

One little girl pointed at Ben and I, and whispered something into her dad’s ear.

“She wants to know if you play ‘Frozen’”, he grinned at us.

“What, that song from the Disney film?” asks Ben.

“Actually, we do“, I interrupt brightly, “We just added it into the set a few weeks ago”.

“Not just the one song”, adds Ben, straight-faced, “we act out the entire film”.

“Yeah, we got all the costumes and everything – Ben looks great in the princess dress”. I inform them.

The little girl’s eyes get real big. Her dad is curling up laughing.

“That’s right, and we don’t just do the film,” says Ben, proudly, “We do it all…on ice!”

We are treated to the hardest stare a four-year old can muster as she begins to suspect that maybe we are not being entirely truthful with her…

Due to the vagaries of Friday nights in Yate, the remainder of the evening is fairly quiet, although the ruthless marketing machine that is Stuart does manage to sell one of our few remaining t-shirts; even if Lou did fail to weasel free drinks out of the bar.

Saturday night downtown (well, sort of) and we are back in the court of Her Majesty Queen Amy of Fishponds, for what turns out to be a rollicking good night of it – thanks in no small measure to various young ladies called Dani, on either side of the bar, who set supremely high standards for silly dancing about;  there was much singing along and general (if increasingly unsteady) merriment.

Finally we run out of time to do any more encores, and it’s time to pack up. Dutifully, Ben and I head straight to the bar to sponge a couple of beers, and sit down like true gentlemen to watch Lou tidying up all the cables on her own.

Eventually it’s time to go – Queen Amy has withheld Ben’s share of the takings on a charge of relentless mickey-taking, but Ben finally manages to negotiate the wad of notes safely out of her cleavage by means of “suitably grovelling”. Dat’s my boy!

Right, coming up this week, an outing for the band into deepest Brizzle city centre, and two more for diva daughter Lily, who has finished exams and various holiday adventures, and now needs to settle a fairly substantial bar bill…

Thursday 10th – Lily B at the Crown, Ludgershall
I know what you’re thinking – and the answer is “somewhere in Wiltshire”. But I’m sure Mr Internet will know where it is. And somewhere buried in my house is my trusty acoustic. Now then, I wonder if Google maps can help me find that…

Friday 11th – Lily B at the Railway Tavern, Fishponds
Yes, thanks to a last-minute cancellation, Queen Amy told me after Saturday’s gig that she was in pressing need of some musical entertainment this Friday –  since she won’t get away with booking the band back in twice in a week (although I really can’t see why not, we are rather lovely), she asked if Lily was available.  And she is. And, having gigged the night before, I will have at least some idea of what songs she has picked for the set. This one might even be coherent…

Saturday 12th – Molloy’s, Baldwin St, Bristol
Right, well, we definitely won’t be getting out the acoustics for this one. It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be sweaty, and it’s also gonna be the lovely young Cara’s birthday bash. If you’re coming, don’t wear anything that’s dry-clean only. In fact, what the hell, don’t wear anything. Might save you a bit of time later, if you get lucky.

Square on

A

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