Skip to main content

Saturday Night's Alright For Gigging.

I'm currently on the train back from a lovely gig at Guildford Gag House in - yes, you've guessed it - Guildford.

It was nice to do a set in a 'club' club, having done a lot of open mic gigs recently, to work up new material. The place was run like a tight ship, which was refreshing, and the room (which was in the back of a pub called the Star Inn) had a decent stage and a proper tech set-up. I suspect it doubles as a music venue, but to be honest, I haven't done my research.

I was on in the middle, between Tom Lucy and Mark Dolan, which was good for me logistically, as it meant I could nip off earlyish, which makes for a change after a week of late nights. I felt guilty for missing Mark's set, but I quickly said hello, to hopefully negate my inherent rudeness. I also had a good chat with Tom, who I haven't met before, and enjoyed his set; he's far to self-assured for someone I now realise is half my age; I'm officially decrepit.

My set went well, considering my brain's a bit shot. My wife came with me, which was great, as it's nice to have the company, particularly when you're not feeling your best. I was heartened when I saw how warmly the crowd received the MC Elf Lyons' stories; happy to listen and invest in them. It's good when people are happy to pick up on detail, which is a rarity when playing to a Saturday night crowd. It was a nice way to round off the week; now I'm going off-duty to eat an apple; rock 'n' bloody roll.  

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Not The Bayeux One.

The Carole King album Tapestry has been my 'getting-ready-in-the-morning' soundtrack for the past few weeks.  It's been a favourite album ever since I was a student, which makes for a pleasantly gentle way to usher in the start of a day. I've always been a fan of a well-crafted song, which is something of a Carole King hallmark, ever since she started writing with her first husband in the early Sixties. Tapestry may be an unimaginative choice for a favourite LP, as it suggests I haven't delved that far into her career, but it's still an undoubted classic; anything with '(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman', 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' and 'You've Got A Friend' on it can't really fail; if nothing else, it proves she likes writing songs with long titles.  Next month, she's set to perform the album live in its entirety for the first time at a gig in Hyde Park, which I would have loved to have gone to, if it weren...
Read more

Hitchin is Mine.

As of six o’clock tonight, I take over the Hitchin is Yours Twitter account for a week; a stewardship I’m anxious to get right. I’m proud of my hometown. It’s a great place to live, with so much going for it. I've always sold it to my non-Hitchinite friends; so much so, that a lot have gone on to move here. Any town expansion plans are partly my fault. Feel free to picket outside my house. I love its history and architecture. Take St Mary’s Church, for example. The building is beautiful inside and out, and huge for a town of our size. There has been a place of worship on site since the 7 th Century. Much of the present building dates from the 1300s. You wouldn't get that in America. (Don't forget the British Schools Museum too.)  Hitchin is a hive for creative people and a hub for the arts. It boast two theatres, two comedy clubs, a couple of art galleries, a festival for world music and a thriving music scene. This drew...
Read more

'Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream..."

While I’ve been practising meditation for quite some time now, I’ve recently taken to using the mindfulness app 'Headspace' . If you’ve never meditated before, or you’re an old hand at it, it’s a great resource, offering daily ten-minute guided meditations that create a sense of progress, rather than stagnating and going through the same process every day. Until I started using the app, I’d often listen to a handful of audio guided meditations I have on my phone in case of a brain emergency. If you see me with my eyes closed and my earphones in on public transport, I’m probably doing this (unless I’m sleeping and using this blog as an elaborate alibi). While the tracks on my phone are great, they can get a little repetitive as I become too familiar with them and start to anticipate everything the person on the recording will say. This is where Headspace is great, as it offers you a daily course with a different focus each day, as well as pl...
Read more