Blog Gigs Facts Music Shop Links
home >  blog :  current /  archive /  RSS Feed

Blog: Bluebells And Brixton

< previous next >
I do love a Bank Holiday, it's LIKE a normal holiday except it doesn't come out of your Annual Leave Allowance, so you can just tit around without feeling bad about it, and LOADS of other people are off, so you have company while you do so!

Myself and The Dates In My Diary made the most of it this May Day weekend, starting with a day out in glamorous LEYTONSTONE! We went for a stroll in scenic Wanstead Park, where we USED to go a-strolling often when we lived round there but which I haven't been to for a couple of years. It was lovely to be back, especially when the bluebells were out. I don't think I've ever seen quite so many being quite so VIVID - we must have turned up JUST at Peak Bluebell! We then went for a PINT in the Red Lion (which is ACE!), SOURCED some Products in the big Tesco (including VEGAN SALAD CREAM, answer to many prayers!) and then went home and saw this year's first batch of DUCKLINGS in our local pond. I think it may actually be SPRING!

On Sunday we went to The Holborn Whippet to say happy birthday to Mrs M Hewitt and then I zoomed off to distant Brixton where I was due to play at The Walpurgis Nacht Festival, organised by Mr G Gargan. Lazarus Clamp were also playing, which meant Mr T "The Tiger" McClure was there, a fact we celebrated with Chips And Curry Sauce, as is traditional!

As it neared SHOWTIME the FACT of my forthcoming appearance began to weigh heavy upon me, and I realised that I was in a room full of people who'd come to see LOUD ROCK of an UNORTHODOX style, which is not exactly what I do, especially when playing solo. I was also very aware that, with the best will in the world, the Brixton Windmill is NOT the easiest place to play - the sound on stage is BRILL but the pub seems designed to encourage SHOUTED CONVERSATIONS at all times and to remove any SIGHTLINES. "This might be hard work" I thought, as i went on stage and did THIS:

  • The Peterborough All-Saints Wide Game Team (group B)
  • My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once
  • That Guy
  • (You Make Me Feel) Soft Rock
  • We Did It Anyway
  • It Only Works Because You're here
  • 20 Things To Do Before You're 30
  • The Lesson Of The Smiths

  • As it turns out, it WAS hard work but work hard is what I did - as you can see from this FOOTAGE:



    It was all fine though, and I was followed by Lazarus Clamp who were BRILLIANT - in recent years they have seemed to get better every time I see them, and they were ACE to start with!

    There was then a delightful time for CHAT and more bands and, by about 9pm I was thinking it was probably time to go, at which point I bumped into Mr A Farmer AKA Doc from Bearos who said "No, stay and see Otoboke Beaver, they are worth seeing!" So I did, and he was right - they were AMAZING! It was like a cross between RIOT GRRL and POST ROCK, with very very fast very very loud very very ANGULAR structures and entirely EXCITING noises at 1,000,000 miles an hour. The whole room stood AGOG - nobody seemed to know what was going on, but everybody was enjoying it!

    My faith in ROCK once more renewed I headed off into the Brixton night, heading EAST for a whole extra day of FUN, to be discussed NEXT time!

    posted 4/5/2016 by MJ Hibbett

    < previous next >


    Comments:

    Your Comment:
    Your Name:
    SPAMBOT FILTER: an animal that says 'oink' (3)

    (e.g. for an animal that says 'cluck' type 'hen')

    Twitter /  Bandcamp /  Facebook /  YouTube
    Click here to visit the Artists Against Success website An Artists Against Success Presentation