Defeat => Victory
So, aye. That was a night out, of sorts.
Started off according to plan, lovely coffee with the Boymostinept, I so can't wait to move in round the corner. Really, it's difficult to fully convey the ferocious magnitude of my new flat's proximity to Clements. Terrifying in many ways.
But, like, wa? I didn't get into the gig? By the end of the night, I was, fer cryin out loud, on the guestlist for Oppenheimer and The Chalets, with them talking to the manager about me. The manager of course knows me too, I go to the Empire all the time, but I just guess that once the dickless on the door says no, it's a matter of sheer stubbornness and not being seen to change your little mind. Ah well.
Love and kudos to Damien for hanging around outside with me, thanks for that. You're a legend. (except you actually exist, which makes you even better). Also to Anja, who made some wonderful arguments on my behalf as well, and thanks to Rocky, Shaun and Dylan, you did try. Thanks. Aw, you're all so lovely. I actually felt really good about it.
Also, I saw Oppenheimer only last Wednesday at Vital, and the Chalets then and on Saturday too... and the other band was Panda Kopanda, who, well, they're certainly better at making music than me, so it's not my place to slag them off, but... you know what I'm getting at.
I'm pretty sure I could have got in the side door, the other person with the same problem that night did so, but only because all those guys were talking to Empire people about me, I didn't want to do anything that would get me in trouble, not for my trouble, which may have been worth it, but because the last thing I ever want to do is reflect badly on my friends.
So, aye. There was no point me loitering any further, so off it was to the Union, stopping again at Clements for a quick coffee and catch up with a random old school friend. "I'm working till midnight" Niall Harden had told me, so I assumed this would be the Union job. As it turns out, no. But, really, I can make the best of things.
Picture the scene: At the bar, in the empty Speakeasy, with a bourbon and ginger, because if film noir and blues music has taught us anything, that is the only drink one can have while wondering if the New Friend one was meant to meet thinks one has stood her up. Okay, so they didn't have any ginger ale, it was Coke, but in spirit...
Enough of this. I wasn't moping at all. I've been in a very good mood for the last few days especially, and I refused last night to be any exception. The bar staff were thoroughly not at all busy, so they all took it in turns to invent new cocktails for me. Wonderful. I had a good night of chatting away with them, with them giving me insanely cheap and insanely strong new creations, using as many exotic ingredients as the Speakeasy could provide. I thought I had cracked the Fine Art Of Zero To Hammered In £8.22, but this took it to new levels.
By the time Deci, Kieran and company turned up after the Empire gig, wow. I was *rollixed* and very merry. We stayed on till (after) closing time, talking about the prospective record shop in the Union idea. We like it, a lot. Ideas we also mooted included an open air cinema near the PEC car park and (mine here) a Silent Disco. Really, I do hope we talk seriously about these sometime again, and even better, do something about it. The Union said they'd give us a few months rent-free for the record shop... and there's Invest NI, LEDU, and various small business funding type dealies. Please do actually comment here about this, let me know if it's sheer bloody madness, given that every Belfast independent record shop except Hector's Godforsaken House has closed down in the last few years, Backbeat being the last of it.
I do hope that wasn't just drunken rambling. Then to sleep at Leah's, staying up talking, with tea. Absolutely lovely. I had a very good night. Kieran, thanks for lift, you are indeed a Gentleman and a Scholar.
Oh! Most.random.thing.ever! Just left lovely Leah's in the morning, you may well know where it is, next door to the Lyric. I was walking, actually right past the door when my phone rang. "Hi, Niall? This is Clare from the Lyric Theatre, I've just read your CV..." Fantastic stuff. So, aye, went in and talked, which maybe wasn't the brightest idea, it being a Morning After, but aye. Seems I'm getting that job, hopefully. Anja, I will see what I can do about you too. I am hopeful. :)
Off home via Castle Harden, picking up a dynamite mix CD. I really do have a lot of tremendously marvelous friends. There is no way for me to have a bad night. You're great! :) What a pleasant day.
Started off according to plan, lovely coffee with the Boymostinept, I so can't wait to move in round the corner. Really, it's difficult to fully convey the ferocious magnitude of my new flat's proximity to Clements. Terrifying in many ways.
But, like, wa? I didn't get into the gig? By the end of the night, I was, fer cryin out loud, on the guestlist for Oppenheimer and The Chalets, with them talking to the manager about me. The manager of course knows me too, I go to the Empire all the time, but I just guess that once the dickless on the door says no, it's a matter of sheer stubbornness and not being seen to change your little mind. Ah well.
Love and kudos to Damien for hanging around outside with me, thanks for that. You're a legend. (except you actually exist, which makes you even better). Also to Anja, who made some wonderful arguments on my behalf as well, and thanks to Rocky, Shaun and Dylan, you did try. Thanks. Aw, you're all so lovely. I actually felt really good about it.
Also, I saw Oppenheimer only last Wednesday at Vital, and the Chalets then and on Saturday too... and the other band was Panda Kopanda, who, well, they're certainly better at making music than me, so it's not my place to slag them off, but... you know what I'm getting at.
I'm pretty sure I could have got in the side door, the other person with the same problem that night did so, but only because all those guys were talking to Empire people about me, I didn't want to do anything that would get me in trouble, not for my trouble, which may have been worth it, but because the last thing I ever want to do is reflect badly on my friends.
So, aye. There was no point me loitering any further, so off it was to the Union, stopping again at Clements for a quick coffee and catch up with a random old school friend. "I'm working till midnight" Niall Harden had told me, so I assumed this would be the Union job. As it turns out, no. But, really, I can make the best of things.
Picture the scene: At the bar, in the empty Speakeasy, with a bourbon and ginger, because if film noir and blues music has taught us anything, that is the only drink one can have while wondering if the New Friend one was meant to meet thinks one has stood her up. Okay, so they didn't have any ginger ale, it was Coke, but in spirit...
Enough of this. I wasn't moping at all. I've been in a very good mood for the last few days especially, and I refused last night to be any exception. The bar staff were thoroughly not at all busy, so they all took it in turns to invent new cocktails for me. Wonderful. I had a good night of chatting away with them, with them giving me insanely cheap and insanely strong new creations, using as many exotic ingredients as the Speakeasy could provide. I thought I had cracked the Fine Art Of Zero To Hammered In £8.22, but this took it to new levels.
By the time Deci, Kieran and company turned up after the Empire gig, wow. I was *rollixed* and very merry. We stayed on till (after) closing time, talking about the prospective record shop in the Union idea. We like it, a lot. Ideas we also mooted included an open air cinema near the PEC car park and (mine here) a Silent Disco. Really, I do hope we talk seriously about these sometime again, and even better, do something about it. The Union said they'd give us a few months rent-free for the record shop... and there's Invest NI, LEDU, and various small business funding type dealies. Please do actually comment here about this, let me know if it's sheer bloody madness, given that every Belfast independent record shop except Hector's Godforsaken House has closed down in the last few years, Backbeat being the last of it.
I do hope that wasn't just drunken rambling. Then to sleep at Leah's, staying up talking, with tea. Absolutely lovely. I had a very good night. Kieran, thanks for lift, you are indeed a Gentleman and a Scholar.
Oh! Most.random.thing.ever! Just left lovely Leah's in the morning, you may well know where it is, next door to the Lyric. I was walking, actually right past the door when my phone rang. "Hi, Niall? This is Clare from the Lyric Theatre, I've just read your CV..." Fantastic stuff. So, aye, went in and talked, which maybe wasn't the brightest idea, it being a Morning After, but aye. Seems I'm getting that job, hopefully. Anja, I will see what I can do about you too. I am hopeful. :)
Off home via Castle Harden, picking up a dynamite mix CD. I really do have a lot of tremendously marvelous friends. There is no way for me to have a bad night. You're great! :) What a pleasant day.