Friday 22 March 2013

BAIBS Friday 22/03/13

Friday, Friday, Friday. So a wet weekend beckons. Was gonna be a quiet one but that's already gone out the window. White Valentine are back from hiatus and playing The Hallcross tomorrow night. I was in two minds about going, finances and all that, but then The Hallcross announced yesterday it was to be a last hurrah and the pub would be closed as of Sunday.

So another one bites the dust. Times are seriously hard for pubs right now. As I'm sure you know I was manager there up until September last year. We had some absolutely brilliant nights: Opening night with White Valentine, Christmas gig with The 48ks, Vice Squad, The Sex Pistols Experience, Paper Aeroplanes, Beast, Bang Bang Romeo et al at MapFest, Famous Villains storming the Live Lounge night, the Drum Beat live shows, 'discovering' bands like Rita Payne, The Fiona Clayton Band, Goat Leaf, Ethereal Fire. The list goes on.

But the cold facts are money. Take MapFest, the most successful day we had. Record breaking takings but come the Monday morning still not enough in the bank to cover wages, rent, beer, business rates, council tax, utilities, PRS etc. This government pledged to help small businesses. Don't think it applied to pubs. People moan about how expensive pubs are but I KNOW most pubs sell a pint at the lowest price they possibly can but when a supermarket can offer a case of beer for the same price as 3 pints in a pub you know you're up against it. The tax pubs pay on beer is a disgrace. The pubco's that run most pubs these days don't care about people or communities. They have extortionate charges and offer no support.

I love pubs. Not just for the beer but the social side too. But if things don't change rapidly there will be no pubs left. I'm still in touch with many publicans in Donny and they're all pretty much operating day to day. You can't blame the drinkers. Times are hard. The authorities need to step in and help pubs out before it's too late.

So a sad night tomorrow. When I first started going out in the 80s The Hallcross was my pub. Always busy, Pete, Sheila and Terry behind the bar, welcoming but taking no crap from anyone. Martin mine sweeping as he collected glasses. Jim brewing out back and teaching us young uns how to drink. Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves, Don't Fear The Reaper or Black Dog permanently on the jukebox. A friendlier pub I've never known.

Hopefully see many of you there tomorrow and we can raise a glass.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 22/03/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Don't Let Me Down Gently - The Wonderstuff
Old Yellow Bricks - Arctic Monkeys
Kings For The Weekend - Missing Andy
(All I Wanted Was) Danger - The Milk
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
I'll Be Fine - White Valentine
Ma And Pa - Fishbone
Where Do I Hang My Heart - Sunside
Heroes - David Bowie
There Will Come A Time - Noah And The Whale
I Always Knew - The Vaccines
To Be Like - China Rats
The Killing Moon - Echo And The Bunnymen
Loser - Beck
Dreaming Of You - The Coral
Jackie Wilson Said - Dexy's Midnight Runners
Shadow - Gringo Star
Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys
Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
Adore Me Dear - Bang Bang Romeo
Please Please Me - The Beatles
Sit Down - James
She Will - Savages
Wide Open Space - Mansun
Poison Street - New Model Army
My World - Secret Affair
Made Of Stone - The Stone Roses
Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat
Parklife - Blur
Paradise City - Guns N' Roses
Nancy Boy - Placebo
Grace - Supergrass
Heart As Big As Liverpool - The Mighty Wah!
Sinful - Pete Wylie
Summer's Child - The Coopers
Run Right Back - The Black Keys
Vicar In A Tutu - The Smiths
Ride - The Vines
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

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