Top o’ the mornin’ to ye!
Okay, I’m bored with that game already…
Right then, this week we had what should have been a straightforward gig at the Jolly Cobbler in Kingswood; after a lovely sunny day relaxing, I was gently driving my way gigwards around ten past eight, when my phone rings. It’s Stuart.
“You do know we’re supposed to start playing at 8:30, don’t you?” he asks in slightly stern fashion.
“Ah… no.” I admit.
“Well, you do now”, he tells me, “how far away are you?”
Hey gang
Sorry we’re a bit late with the news this week, it’s all been a bit hectic really…
Saturday night at the Lansdowne in Calne was a fairly quiet affair, the place wasn’t exactly packed to the rafters – although there was a lovely bunch of Austrians there on holiday, who provided us with some very fine socks-and-sandals dad-dancing entertainment, and seemed extremely appreciative – even though they couldn’t really understand all of Lou’s deft repartee…and (fortunately) didn’t appear to understand any of Stuart’s. Not that that’s unusual…
Ahoy there shipmates!
And, after what I like to think was a well-earned week’s jollidays, it was back into rainy Bristol for a Friday night at the Blue Lagoon. After a quiet start (thanks probably to the deluge bombarding the area), the place soon busied up, and it was quite a nice surprise to find that even after a week without touching a guitar, I could actually almost remember how to play the songs… remarkable, particularly considering that I couldn’t before.
Better still, my insanely complicated guitar rewiring job (installing a four-pole five-way switch plus two double-pole double-throw ones, since you ask) actually worked a treat, so now I can slap several pickups on at the same time – even more loudness than before! 🙂
Yo homeys!
Well, what can I say? Although we’ve had a lot of fun at various wedding and party gigs lately, it was luvverly to get back to the dear ol’ Railway Tav, court of Her Imperial Majesty Queen Amy of Fishponds, for a bit of pubby rock. In fact, Her Majesty was a little put out that we hadn’t played her favourite song (Alanis Morissette’s Bitch), and when Lou protested that she didn’t know it, she was met with a straightforward “Well, if you ain’t playin’ it, I ain’t payin’ you then.”
Why, hello there, stranger…
Firstly, apologies for not having pushed one of these tatty little things into your Inbox for the past couple of weeks; but although we were out gigging the past two weekends, it was all rather posh swanky weddings, to which you grubby lot weren’t invited, and as I was pushed for time by a lot of other things I had to get done, I’m afraid that the email fell of the bottom of my list of things to do.
That said, I did actually only receive one complaint from somebody who’d missed receiving his weekly dose of drivel; and seeing as I usually receive significantly more complaints from folks after reading this stuff, I think that, on balance, missing them out has probably contributed in some small way to increasing the sum total of happiness in the world.
Wassup!
Well, that was a fun night down at the Green Dragon in Marlborough; the place was much busier than usual, and we were having so much fun that it came as a nasty shock to find out that it was suddenly half-eleven and time to stop for their strict noise curfew. So, we only played a few more after that, before discreetly stopping in case they suddenly decided not to pay us…
As we all had busy Sundays lined up, we packed up very quickly and efficie ntly; only to find that there were so many revellers milling about that it was impossible to actually get the kit out through the door and across the pavement to the van – I tried to get the first case out, and it took me a full 5 minutes (and was offered two fights) before I made it across the 10 yards to the van, and peeled various drunks off the back door so I could open it and put the thing in.
And, on this fine sunny day, may I wish a warm welcome to all our readers.
And for our non-readers: – Well, unfortunately, you won’t be able to read, that, will you?
So – I know – here’s a nice “warm welcome-y” picture, just for you…
Right, that’s that out of the way, then…
Friday night, and the “Rum Bar” in Chepstow. After several laps of the one-way system. We finally found it, and were faced with two disappointments.
Disappointment One: It turned out to be a tropical-type-cocktail-bar. Nothing wrong with that, but I’d been kinda hoping that everybody in there would be pirates…
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin.
It seems that lots of people took my advice last Saturday, and left the car at home… Molloy’s was once again filled with people who were – depending on your point of view – either absolutely rubbish at drinking, or very good indeed. There was a definite air of unsteadiness about a large proportion of the crowd, evidenced by the fact that our lighting rig, following a good stumbling-into from one of the punters, majestically took a topple floor wards towards the end of the first set. It was saved from disaster by our eagle-eyed lovely pal Sue, who spotted its downward trajectory, and leaping into action, managed to actually catch it before it smashed full-on into the floorboards.
Right then, quiet at the back, there… …If you’re all sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin…
Friday night’s expedition to Mangotsfield turned out to be – well, let’s call it a moral victory. At least we know that every single person in the audience thoroughly enjoyed our little game of “jukebox”, whereby they shout out songs, and we see if we can play them. We know that every single person enjoyed it, because we know their names – so, to Tony, Neil, and Donna – it was our pleasure, guys!
Good morning campers!
I’m your Uncle Ernie and I welcome you to… oh never mind.
[Editor’s note: We have a shiny new show reel video, yer tis …]
Good grief, that was knackering. After a relatively quiet gig on Friday at the Trident, Saturday’s outing to the ‘Cullis in Fishponds was enlivened by the new landlady there, Helen – who turned out to be as mad as a box of frogs, as mad as seven badgers in a handbag, as mad as a Walnut Whip on a rollercoaster – and actually has at least as many silly toys as we do. So, during the course of the set we were treated to “the pom-poms”, “the loudhailer”, “the corset”, “the hat”, “the vuvuzela”, and, of course, “the Miss Piggy wig” – which was immediately plonked onto Stuart, who rather to my terror, looked completely at home in it.
