Burning The Candle

It always seems like such a good idea at the time doesn’t it. There I was rehearsing for a show the next day when I get a phone call from a good friend of mine from another band asking me if I’d like to play an acoustic set in a couple of weeks. I accept and the conversation turns to what I’m up to, I explain that I’m trying to practice a new cover for a show i had the next day to which he replies “F*@£ THAT, play the tunes you know and come round and have some sauce with me and Bishop”

I tried my best to fend him off and told him I would practice till 11 o clock and then see how I felt. So at about midnight i find myself sat at my friends house with an unhealthy ratio of Jack Daniels to Coke in my glass. We swap war stories telling tails of gigs, girls and gross misconduct. It’s 3am and there are three of us and we have managed to put away the best part of a bottle and a half of Jack away before I call time and head for bed, I had after all got work in the morning.

Work was not fun. I was very much still drunk for the first part of the day. I got to 5pm and went straight home to pick up my gear and get to the venue. Club Virtigo is a rock club ran by Sunny and his wife Emma I’ve played there once before and its a good crack. This show was a fund raiser for a memorial for a little lad called Ashton Cox who passed away waiting for a heart transplant. It was a bit like a summer fair but with alot more alcohol. There was a raffle, some games to play and 50p shots on trays going around the bar all raising money for the cause. The other bands playing were the Papa G experience and Insanity Project. I was quite happy to have Insanity Project headline as it is a rock venue and they are a rock band but they prefered to go second which meant yours truely was on last. We all played well and had a good time, I finished playing about 1am packed up my gear and hung about for one beverage and one only as I still wasnt 100% after the session from the previous evening I had after all got work in the morning.

Work was not fun. Sundays are shorter days but it still wasn’t easy 4pm rolls round and I’m out the door and in the car to the next venue. The Waterfront is this really cool little bar right by the lake in between the Dosthill and Kingsbury this place is like my stomping ground in many ways as it’s where I’ve tested out all of my material before taking it to larger venues. It’s just a chilled out place in a lovely setting ran by good people. I didn’t realise I was playing last at this night too so I had time to get some kip in the car. There were some awesome musicians playing I’m still waiting to get their myspace details from the organisers but they were breath-taking performers. I had a bit of a panic when setting up, I realised that I didn’t have the power-supply to my mixer so I ended up plugging most of my instruments directly into the pedal. This drunken idiot decided to get up on stage and start addressing the crowd only thing was we really couldn’t understand what he was saying but he just stood there….mumbling and mumbling. In the end i just triggered my loudest intro so he’d take the hint. My turn. I like playing to a drunken crowd, all inhibitions have been mislaid and the crowd is loose and open to suggestion. As with the gig the previous night it was a party so I played a few covers of party songs to get people moving and it was a lot fun. By the time I packed up it was after 1am I stayed for my one beverage (how rock n roll I am) and then went to bed and stayed there until about 8pm the next day. On Tuesday I started feeling ill the weekend had indeed caught up with me. Work was not fun.

1 Comment to Burning The Candle

Leave a comment