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GIG DIARY - ROSE'S VERSION
Gossips is a lovely place. Bat & Colin are two of the friendliest of promoters anywhere on the planet and always give the club a lovely atmosphere.
Here's what happened...
5.30pm arrived.
taxi was late (yes. taxi. there was no way i was going to drive my motorbike and trailer on my birthday!)
Fuzzy came down with me after kindly agreeing to help with things.
5.31pm
find Andy (guitarist) swigging down a cool guinness and reading the paper.
Say hi to Bat, talk over a few arrangements for the evening,
5.35pm
join Andy in the guinness drinking.
5.50pm
my phone (miraculously) receives a call from Andrew (normally don't get reception underground at Gossips).
Fuzzy & i help him and Eddie (our tour driver - splendid bloke) unload.
Andy continues with the guinness.
6pm
separate Andy from his guinness.
continue unloading.
do general setting up type things.
drink more guinness.
Andrew starts on the stella (bloergh)
6.20ish
Vic arrives. she's a little tired, but happy to see us.
can't remember what she was drinking...something girlie i think...?
7pm
sound check as best we can without Aidan (bassist).
seems to go ok, and Marks a great bloke. he's doing our sound. (Wombat sadly wasn't able to get there due to car problems- we really missed him - but he'll be back for the next one - hooray!)
7.40pm
A voice says - 'yeah, sounds alright, you really need to get a bassist' - and in a haze of
whirling black duster coat and curses of Richard Bransons train service, Aidan arrives. the poor blokes had to ome down after work from Birmingham, which, on a tuesday night and with work the next morning, can't be that much fun.
We finish sound checks and Aidan finally gets a drink.
8pm
Doors open. Matt arrives :-)
much to my surprise, several people appear to have been waiting for the doors to open....this doesn't happen on tuesdays at Gossips! Surprised and pleased as a steady stream of people arrive - my faith in the scene and its ability to go to gigs (midweek!) is restored.
A load of punks turn up - they're friendly and drunk - i doubt they've come here to see us, but they don't seem to mind...(one of them is kinda cute...)
9pm
This is amazing!!! Gossips is full of people and its a TUESDAY! i bounce around generally celebrating my birthday - one of my friends who i've not seen in ages gives me a strobe light for my birthday and a funny squishy ball - how cool is that??!!!
hug lots of people. EMMY arrives and its lovely to see her.
9.10pm
Colin is giving our ice creams...i get an m n' m one. yummy!
9.20ishpm
So busy having a great evening i almost forget we are due on!
still trying to finish my ice cream, i make for the 'stage'(dance floor).
9.25pm
Gig starts!
I have never had a gig with so many technical problems!!!! Andy broke a string during the FIRST SONG(!) so we had to make up a little jazz interlude till he could re-string.
We're playing some old, some from the album, and some brand new songs.
Quite hard to hear what you're playing from on the stage. The low ceiling and mono sound system probabnly don't give it the best chance, but Mark is doing a great to job
to get things working as they should.
Vi and i both have colds, but do our best with the singing...poor Vic nearly loses her voice in one song, but seems to get it back.
We carry on till the end of the set. the crowd are lovely and despite more tech problems than i can remember in any other gig (inluding things managing to get unplugged on stage in the middle!) i really enjoy it.
Somebody throws rose petals onto the stage. I later find out that its Emily, Frances, Mark, Fran, Alex and Kat and that it's 'Because it was either that or sing 'Happy Birthday' out of tune'.
They are WONDERFUL.
that made my night.
Unfortunately we don't get to do an encore due to the fact that Vic will probably lose her voice permenantly if we do!
But the crowd are jolly and enthusiastic and friendly, which is nice.
10.20pm
Finish the set. People are giving really positive feedback.
Have to pack the stuff away so people can use the dance floor!
10.40pm
The night continues in a happy haze of hugs, birthday drinks, and cathing up with old friends. It was great to see lots of familiar faces - Alan, Unle Nem, Stuart, and many others.
Hope Aidan and Vic managed to get their trains home...and Andrew was ok unloading at his place.
Andy and i stay on for a while...
12.50pm
a very tired Rose packs up her keyboard and bundles home in a taxi.
What a great night. :-)
Thanks everyone, it was lovely to see you all!
Gossips is a lovely place. Bat & Colin are two of the friendliest of promoters anywhere on the planet and always give the club a lovely atmosphere.
Here's what happened...
5.30pm arrived.
taxi was late (yes. taxi. there was no way i was going to drive my motorbike and trailer on my birthday!)
Fuzzy came down with me after kindly agreeing to help with things.
5.31pm
find Andy (guitarist) swigging down a cool guinness and reading the paper.
Say hi to Bat, talk over a few arrangements for the evening,
5.35pm
join Andy in the guinness drinking.
5.50pm
my phone (miraculously) receives a call from Andrew (normally don't get reception underground at Gossips).
Fuzzy & i help him and Eddie (our tour driver - splendid bloke) unload.
Andy continues with the guinness.
6pm
separate Andy from his guinness.
continue unloading.
do general setting up type things.
drink more guinness.
Andrew starts on the stella (bloergh)
6.20ish
Vic arrives. she's a little tired, but happy to see us.
can't remember what she was drinking...something girlie i think...?
7pm
sound check as best we can without Aidan (bassist).
seems to go ok, and Marks a great bloke. he's doing our sound. (Wombat sadly wasn't able to get there due to car problems- we really missed him - but he'll be back for the next one - hooray!)
7.40pm
A voice says - 'yeah, sounds alright, you really need to get a bassist' - and in a haze of
whirling black duster coat and curses of Richard Bransons train service, Aidan arrives. the poor blokes had to ome down after work from Birmingham, which, on a tuesday night and with work the next morning, can't be that much fun.
We finish sound checks and Aidan finally gets a drink.
8pm
Doors open. Matt arrives :-)
much to my surprise, several people appear to have been waiting for the doors to open....this doesn't happen on tuesdays at Gossips! Surprised and pleased as a steady stream of people arrive - my faith in the scene and its ability to go to gigs (midweek!) is restored.
A load of punks turn up - they're friendly and drunk - i doubt they've come here to see us, but they don't seem to mind...(one of them is kinda cute...)
9pm
This is amazing!!! Gossips is full of people and its a TUESDAY! i bounce around generally celebrating my birthday - one of my friends who i've not seen in ages gives me a strobe light for my birthday and a funny squishy ball - how cool is that??!!!
hug lots of people. EMMY arrives and its lovely to see her.
9.10pm
Colin is giving our ice creams...i get an m n' m one. yummy!
9.20ishpm
So busy having a great evening i almost forget we are due on!
still trying to finish my ice cream, i make for the 'stage'(dance floor).
9.25pm
Gig starts!
I have never had a gig with so many technical problems!!!! Andy broke a string during the FIRST SONG(!) so we had to make up a little jazz interlude till he could re-string.
We're playing some old, some from the album, and some brand new songs.
Quite hard to hear what you're playing from on the stage. The low ceiling and mono sound system probabnly don't give it the best chance, but Mark is doing a great to job
to get things working as they should.
Vi and i both have colds, but do our best with the singing...poor Vic nearly loses her voice in one song, but seems to get it back.
We carry on till the end of the set. the crowd are lovely and despite more tech problems than i can remember in any other gig (inluding things managing to get unplugged on stage in the middle!) i really enjoy it.
Somebody throws rose petals onto the stage. I later find out that its Emily, Frances, Mark, Fran, Alex and Kat and that it's 'Because it was either that or sing 'Happy Birthday' out of tune'.
They are WONDERFUL.
that made my night.
Unfortunately we don't get to do an encore due to the fact that Vic will probably lose her voice permenantly if we do!
But the crowd are jolly and enthusiastic and friendly, which is nice.
10.20pm
Finish the set. People are giving really positive feedback.
Have to pack the stuff away so people can use the dance floor!
10.40pm
The night continues in a happy haze of hugs, birthday drinks, and cathing up with old friends. It was great to see lots of familiar faces - Alan, Unle Nem, Stuart, and many others.
Hope Aidan and Vic managed to get their trains home...and Andrew was ok unloading at his place.
Andy and i stay on for a while...
12.50pm
a very tired Rose packs up her keyboard and bundles home in a taxi.
What a great night. :-)
Thanks everyone, it was lovely to see you all!