My Exciting Life in ROCK (part 2): 30/10/2003 - Cube Cinema, Bristol

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We've spoken before of THE FEAR, the intense sensation of DREAD, also DOOM that you sometimes get in the build up to a gig. It's RUBBISH, but luckily for me I almost always get over it within 2 seconds of getting onnstage and starting the gig.

ALMOST always.

The day of the gig started off with XTREME Rock, also Roll, ACTION. After The Sheets On My Bed had heard about be asking STRANGE MEN if I could sleep in their basement she'd decided that THIS time I was going to be staying in a HOTEL, so had very kindly booked me into The Holiday Inn Express. It was a kindness that has had Financial Implications, as ever SINCE then I have got a bit of a TASTE for kipping in cheap hotels/B&Bs rather than on people's floors. It ends up costing quite a bit more, but it DOES mean you can go off to bed whenever you like without having to wait for everyone else and ALSO that you've got somewhere to sit and watch The Paul O'Grady show before soundcheck.

TALES OF THE ROAD: in hotels the only programme that is EVER on when I get there is The Paul O'Grady show. I have NEVER seen it anywhere else and frankly doubt it is even BROADCAST anywhere else, but the bit where he starts playing the organ is Hotel Telly Language for "NOW LEAVE THE BUILDING: SOUNDCHECK TIME".

THIS time, however, the advent of The Organ Game on this particular day was the signal for a RADIO SESSION. I'd originally been booked in to do a session with local DJ Legend Gary Smith (veteran of several commercial stations, interweb broadcasting and now The BBC) but this had been CANCELLED because Will Young was going to be visiting the station, and needed somewhere to do HIS session. The cheek! I was there first! THUS Gary came over to my hotel room for a LENGTHY "interview" (NB: RANT from me) and some songs, including my own version of Mr Young's big hit, "Evergreen".

We both felt RATHER GROOVY, having ROCKED the Hotel Room Session, then set off for the gig. I was a bit confused by the loud BEEPING noise behind me... for about ten minutes, until I realised it was my tuner. AHA!

We arrived at The Cube, a crumbly but beautiful former cinema, and DIVED into the delicious sandwiches that were provided. Gary had to FLEE - I've seen him every time I've ever been to Bristol, but he's NEVER been able to make it to a gig - and as he did so the RAIN began to fall. We could hear it pelting down but pretty soon we could also SEE it, as an ACTUAL WATERFALL started to cascade down from the ceiling, POUNDING into a dustbin set up to catch it.

Things were looking rather dodgy as the building was on the verge of going from CRUMBLY to STRUCTURALLY UNSAFE, and they closed off the theatre/cinema area where we were meant to be playing. After some discussion it was decided that the evening could go ahead, but only as acoustic sets in the bar area. This was fine with me - INDEED I got quite excited about it, running through all the songs I could play and how much fun it would be - but LESS so for the other act, The Chris TT Band. I don't think he'd been playing with a full band very much at that point and they were VERY dissapointed that they'd come all that way and wouldn't get to play.

Luckily for them the rain eventually abated, the floors were mop, and we were back in the main performance area. For some reason, however, this change back completely took the wind out of my sails - I'd got so KEEN on playing the small bar that the idea of being in a BIG THEATRE had become rather frightening. As I say, USUALLY when I get The Fear like this it stops as soon as I get onto the stage, but this time it DiDN'T.

I found myself stood in front of a HUGE room, TERRIFIED. People gradually came in a sat sporadically around the room - the fact that i could clearly see a) many empty seats and b) the faces on people concentrating made me CONVINCED that most people were choosing not to come in and see me, and that those that HAD were GLARING at me. The door was open and you could hear people chatting in the bar next door, which in my foolishly paranoid state became a place with HOARDES of people, all saying "That Hibbett guy is CRAP! Let's stay here and CHAT while our Immensely Critical Friends sit in there and GLARE at him."

It was HORRIBLE, i completely LOST it and made all sorts of cock-ups. Yes, I know, i also make all sorts of cock-ups when I'm ENJOYING myself, but these were DIFFERENT ones - not Delightful Accidents or Hilarious Mishaps, but DREADFUL MISTAKES. It was awful!

Afterwards I MOPED around a bit and watched Chris TT being GRATE (which is NEVER helpful when you yourself have just been rubbish!). HOWEVER, things soon looked up. In the bar afterwards a GIRL said it was really good, and that she'd seen me before in Winchester. As we have discussed before, GIRLS count DOUBLE in this sort of situation, though the score was INCREASED when her boyfriend came over and said "Ooh! Did you tell him about seeing him in Winchester?"

I was so pleased that I gave them both a free CD, and when another chap came over to ask where he could buy an album i GAVE him one, SO GRATEFUL was I to know that, actually, it hadn't been as bad as I'd thought.

I was IMMENSELY cheered, but it'd still be MANY years before I'd DARE to go to Bristol again: THE FEAR, it is a DREADFUL FOE!

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