Monday 21 April 2014

Lay a big f**k off egg for me.

So last week's plan of doing this daily to keep things fresh in my mind (which didn't work anyway) has gone by the wayside. I have an excuse. I've just not thought of it yet. I do have the last paragraph of the previous blog as a reminder. It's failed though. Can't remember why I argued with a bus driver and the holiday firm I just don't wanna talk about.

Anyway.....

Monday 14/04/14

So apart from pointless arguments with officialdom what happened Monday? I WON AT SCRABBLE!!!!!!!! I know!!!!!!! 9th attempt and unaided by mead I was finally victorious. Opened with the 7 letter Leading and the rest as they say is history. I've been promised it wont happen again but let me just rejoice in this moment. The mead came out in celebration as did a quiz book. All a bit of a mead blur really apart from the question Which band did Beyonce Knowles used to be in. Julie was given the clue 'What you were born to be and someone older than a toddler but not an adult' and, somewhat magnificently, came up with the answer Dance Teen. Genius.

Tuesday 15/04/14

Er.

Wednesday 16/04/14

Oh hang on. Bits of Tuesday have just come back to me. Sooner I sort this bloody shop out and have some structure to my days the better.

Tuesday 15/04/14

Interviewed German rock band Ferryman, though traditional I've not even begun editing it yet.  (I don't know what's happening here but every time I start a new sentence the font changes. It's all very confusing). Thankfully Ferryman are fronted by ex-pat Andy Jones. I've not spoke German, apart from ordering a pint of Kaiserbartenfurtenbrau, for over 30 years. Great interview and even better band. Ended up drinking and dancing to the early hours. That could be why it took me a while to remember Tuesday.

Wednesday 16/04/14

Beer with my best mate Ian. I was gonna say that I don't drink everyday but this blog would seem to disprove that. I'm going right off the diary idea. I would like to point out that many times you will catch me at the end of the night in Cask Corner a thus:


Anyway after, erm, some beer (bloody font changed mid word then) and much putting the world to right and arguing about Basement Jaxx I hit the coffee and open mic night and Ian broke his own self imposed curfew.

I'm sorry but I'm very distracted. Mrs. Aardvark is looking at corsets on ebay.

Where was I? 

Sod it. I need a cigarette.

5 minutes.

I'm back.

Let's just skip the rest of Wednesday.

An ostrich egg was involved at some point. I remember that.

Thursday 17/04/14

Woke in my own bed which is confusing enough. I do like to go back occasionally just to let my flat know I'm still alive and doing OK. Had a meeting today with a very nice chap from the Doncaster Chamber Of Commerce. All very productive and Aardvark Records is another step closer. This week I shall be mostly writing a business plan. 

Friday 18/04/14

Went to buy boots. Failed. I'm so fussy and my feet are so big. Size 13 at the last census. Ended up Easter shopping and then foolishly thought that going from town to Balby to Wheatley then back to town and in the middle of all that showering and eating was only gonna take an hour. I wasn't aided by a taxi driver who's knowledge of the streets of Donny was akin to my knowledge of the life cycle of the Mongolian Kumquat. Shower was a waste of time. I was a sweaty mess. Cask were throwing a hastily thrown together gig after a band had cancelled on them and I'd agreed to compere/host/MC, whatever the word is for waffling on stage while people ignore you and wait for the next band. It is testament to the musicians of Donny that the cream of Doncaster talent came out to perform and it ended up being one of the best nights out I've had in ages. Although Jon Kelly was horrified at the mug of coffee. 

Saturday 19/04/14


Sheffield bound again. Bang Bang Romeo headlining at The Leadmill for This Feeling.  Bit of a mixed bag. First band Two Skies were enjoyable in a prog-shoe-gazing kind of way though the songs did get a bit samey. Had enough quality to keep me interested though. Next up were indie band The Outfits who, after nicking Bang Bang Romeo's dressing room, swaggered on stage in that everything-that-is-bad-about indie kind of way. Their small cluster of fans were chanting in that everything-that-is-bad-about-indie-fans kind of way. One of their fans at one point instucted me to 'Dance you f***ing c**t.' Nice. I politely declined. I remember when I worked at the Tut and Ian Brown (Stone Roses) was playing at The Dome. The chav factor was in full effect. One of my least enjoyable days there. Even with the following The Outfits had they still had to beg for applause after every song. Never good. Bang Bang Romeo walked on stage and already owned it. They have evolved into one of the freshest, most complete bands on the circuit, in any town they play. It's not a question of if for BBR but when. They will be huge. The most melodic, pounding, cultured wall of noise you could wish to hear topped off with the disarming and mesmerising vocals of Starsie. She never fails to dazzle me and is quite simply one of the finest singers I've ever heard. 

The journey home was fun. Last train cancelled, please bugger off to the bus station for the crappy bus that's gonna get you home at some point this year. That's what the sign actually said. Maybe. Anyway, a bus home that adds a good hour onto the journey. Stopped every-bloody-where just for no-one to get on or off apart from Rotherham. Oh and my iPod had died and the radio was counting down the top 40 worst songs in the history of history. Heading into Donny it went right past my flat. I wanted to get off due to a combination of jeans and belt malfunction. And I was wearing the wrong kind of socks. 'Can't stop here mate.I'm not allowed.' But that's my flat and that thing right outside it is a bus stop. 'Sorry mate. Rules is rules.' Got to Donny train station at 1am to find most of Doncaster pretty much shut. Donny is obviously the antithesis of Jesus. Comes alive on Good Friday but definitely dead by Easter Sunday.

Sunday 20/04/14

Early taxi back to Balby to rectify the failed jeans/belt combo then back to Wheatley for Easter Sunday activities. Food, wine, Baileys, mead, quizzes. (Won again - oh yeah). A couple of strong coffees and off to Sine for this week's The Other Way. Finally got Julie to talk on air. She had promised to thank all the musicians who helped out Friday night but think the wine may have had something to do with it too. Tried to do an Easter themed show but only really came up with four remotely relevant songs. Taxi straight after the show to The Blacksmith's Arms, Harworth to see Jack's House and Polkadodge. Great gig though the room was a veritable sweat box. Still, worked the quiche and cake off. Claudia the chicken had no issues this week either as Polkadodge sweated their way through one of the most energetic sets I've seen for some time. Another band for whom the question is when, not if.

So that's it. I'm sure there's loads more but I'm becoming increasingly aware how fallible I am. 46 tomorrow for God's sake. Plus there's still corsets on the computer next to me so think I can be excused.

Laters

SS

The Other Way Playlist Sunday 20/04/14

The Other Way - Polkadodge
Roll Away The Stone - Mott The Hoople
Born Under A Bad Sign - Richard Hawley
Meet Cute (Welsh Version) - The Wedding Present
Itchy Feet - The Monday Club
F.E.A.R. - Ian Brown
Can Stand The Rain - The Talks
Cured Of Youth - Tennis
Life On Mars - David Bowie
I Am The Resurrection - The Stone Roses
April Skies - The Jesus And Mary Chain
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Had Enough - The Enemy
Johannesburg - Bang Bang Romeo
China Grove (Recorded Live at Cask Corner) - Smoking Beagles
Loosy Lucy - The Steeples
The Way Were Made (Made In England) - Missing Andy
Falling Down - The 48ks
Red Light Spells Danger - Billy Ocean
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Don't Go - Curtis Faultless & Alicia Awa (Music Bomb)
The Catfish - Polkadodge
The Light Is Always Green - The Housemartins
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
Rango - Catfish And The Bottlemen
Let 'Em In - Paul McCartney & Wings
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life - Monty Python
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

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