[Editor’s note: Ok, ok, the picture has nothing to do with this week’s Angel UpDate but, hey everyone loves fluffy kittens … don’t they?]
Hello darkness, my old friend…
Well, hello to The Darkness, anyway – can’t beat a bit of OTT classic rock pastiche, can ya?
Another rock’n’roll rollercoaster ride this weekend – starting with a slightly bizarre episode in which a very dear and fabulous friend of mine, without warning, suddenly (and I feel, unnecessarily cheerfully) turns down my non-existent proposal of wedlock…
“No”, she says, “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to marry you”.
Puzzled, I carefully scan my short-term memory, just in case I’ve not being paying attention to the conversation up to this point – but no, there is absolutely nothing on this, or any related subject.
“Besides”, she smiles “You’re already happy being married to Dem, so you don’t need me as well.”
I am, for once, lost for words… although I actually couldn’t help feeling rather hurt, somehow…
We have ended up (I think) with an amicable compromise whereby I notionally remain married to my wonderful Dem, unless my lovely friend happens to be making something nicer for dinner that night…
You ever find yourself in conversations that suddenly bound away in random directions into some cosmic surreal wilderness, like a small puppy let loose in a spring meadow full of butterflies, that can’t decide which one to chase? Or is it just me?
Still, let’s get down to the serious business of rawk’n’roll, shall we?
Saturday night, and deep in the heart of a shiny new housing estate in Midsomer Norton, is tucked away Mardon’s Social Club, where they have a large room, nice little stage, their own in-house lighting rig, and bottles of Gem behind the bar.
Even better, they have lovely friendly welcoming staff, and a “free drinks for musicians” policy.
“We’ll be coming back here again” Ben informs Stuart, before being reminded that we do have to actually play some music while we’re here.
After the first set, we head up to the bar so they can be nice to us.
For Rosa, even better than free drinks, they have a wide range of sweeties behind the bar, and when she asks, it transpires that these too are available free of charge to performers (although I doubt if anybody has actually asked before). Rosa’s sparkly eyes light up like there are fireworks inside her head. Which, just at this moment, there probably are; she is, in a very literal sense, just like a little kid in a sweetshop. A sweetshop with free sweets.
“What can I get for you?” asks the smiling lady behind the bar.
Too excited to talk coherently, Rosa points at a box containing some strange bright red tube-like confectionery.
“You mean these ones?”
Rosa nods.
“And how many would you like?” smiles the nice lady
“…How many am I allowed?” asks Rosa coyly.
In the end, a large fistful of them changes hands, along with a big glass of fizzy pop, and we carefully escort Rosa to a comfy corner where she can bounce around without too much risk of damaging something expensive.
The locals seem well pleased with our musical efforts, but after finishing the second set we only have time for one encore before we hit the noise curfew, and stumble off to collapse in a cheerful heap and catch our breath.
As we’re starting to pack up, the lovely bar lady returns. Would we like some more beer?
Well, we’d love to, that’s very kind, but we have to drive, you see…
She returns, still smiling, two minutes later, with half a dozen bottles, with the tops thoughtfully still on, so we can take them home with us.
“Thank you, that’s very kind”, says Stuart
“Oooh, lovely, thanks”, says Ben
“Will you marry me?” says I, before I can stop myself…
Well, there you go, folks – that makes it two rejections in one weekend. A personal best, I think…
So, we load up the kit, peel Rosa off the ceiling and tuck her safely into the car, and head off into the night…
Coming up this week – oh, another dream gig…
Saturday 19th – Royal Oak, Horfield – Pie and Ale Festival
Pies? – Check
Ale? – Check
Festival? – Check
These are a few of my favourite things. Nuff said.
Square on
A