Blog: Sheffield Sans Guitar

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The whole "not doing as many gigs" THING this year is bringing out all kinds of effects good and bad. On the one hand, loads more time at home not feeling knackered and hungover, but on the other not seeing some of my friends as much. A particularly PIQUANT example of this is Sheffield - normally around this time I'd be getting ready to head up to play a Bank Holiday Fuzztival, but due to Various Events that's not happening AT ALL anymore, so i am down at LEAST two visits to Sheffield and it's Delightful People.

I was BEMOANING this general Lack Of Seeing Pals a few weeks ago at home when The Bands On My Bill said "You could always just go and SEE them." I was stunned - go and SEE my friends? Is that allowed? As luck would have it I'd ALSO seen that there was a gig with an AMAZING bill happening in Sheffield, so decided to try out this KRAZY SCHEME.

So it was that I found myself getting off the train in Sheffield last night, feeling WEIRD. Every single other time I've EVER got off the train in Sheffield I've had a guitar with me, and the LACK of same this time was FREAKING ME OUT. As I walked along the tramway I had to keep reassuring myself that, contrary to what my SPIDER SENSE was telling me, i DIDN'T need to run back to the train to retrieve my AXE.

I still felt ODD half an hour later when I got into a CAR without even my GIG BAG, but managed to QUELL this by entering into a Good Old Chat with Ms S Jenkins who'd picked me up, and we were soon in Walkley, striding up a HILL. And then STAGGERING up a hill - not Steph, who was POORLY, but ME, as I just can't deal with inclines. It's not natural.

We met Ms P Blackham in a curry house and settled down for further chat, also DELICIOUS CURRY. I had a Sag Paneer and it was the CHEESIEST paneer I've ever had - it went all stringy like Asterix In Switzerland!

We were only allowed to sit at out table until 8pm due to Reservations (for the table, not about us...) so we popped over the road for a Swift Pint before Steph, in a move of immense Adult Sensibleness, went back home to continue her Recovery, while Penny and I got a taxi into town to The Stockroom, where THE GIG was happening.

Unfortunately i MISSED the first band, The 10p Mixes, who i haven't seen for AGES, but DID get to see The Pete Green Corporate Juggernaut, who appeared to be on ROCKING form. There was a TON of new material of a DISTINCTLY rocky nature, and New Drummer Fairy was slotted RIGHT in. It was ACE!

Next up was Allo Darlin', who I don't think I've ever seen before, and not heard much of either. I've seen Elizabeth play on her own, I think, but everyone keeps going on about how GRATE they are so I wanted to find out if they were right.

They were VERY right - COR! They were ACE, it was a half hour of TUNES and jumping around and general EXCITING SCENES of How Gigs Should Be! BRILLIANT!

At this point I bought a whole BATCH of CDs, had a bit of an old chat (various) and then settled in to see The School - see, i told you it was an AMAZING BILL. They were, of course, FANTASTIC as they always are, and it was a very very happy Hibbett INDEED who said his farewells and stumbled out into the Sheffield night and back to The Ibis. Turns out going to see you friends WITHOUT having to do a gig works out pretty good!

posted 12/3/2010 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

You were in Walkley too! I didn't realise. That's the Juggernaut's manor!
posted 13/3/2010 by Pete Green

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