Glissando BIRMINGHAM
We’re currently on the drive to Birmingham, the potential of tonight’s show being a full-scale disaster is fairly high due to the promoter (Robot Professor) not returning emails for the previous few weeks… it’s a worry.
I watch a DVD about a band called Refused – a now defunct Swedish hard-core band who made one of my favorite records in ‘The Shape of Punk to Come’, this film always pushes me to try and find new limits with our band, it’s a real inspiration.
Everyone has suddenly found a new lease of life – Jeff Buckley is leading the way along with some hideously over-priced serve station coffee……
….. and so my gut feeling turned out true. There is no show, no promoter and bunch of pissed off people outside to venue in the midlands rain. (Please see the photos for the note I left on the door of the venue).
However we are nothing if not resilient and we arm ourselves with beers and head back to Leicester for a brief ‘Calla family visit before the real action begins.
Today (Monday), Tom and I are battered and bruised from our late-night slam dancing festival in the back of the van on the journey back North last night. At the Drive-In hold a special place for me and we took that place to the nxt level with a little help from a couple of rock monster girls.
No one can doubt the ability of ROCK to change the world.
Her Name Is Calla
It was the best of days, it was the worst of days. In all honesty for anyone else it would have been a very shit day but we had a brilliant time.
It all started quite reasonably, we woke up late after a brilliant gig in York which left us knackered but pretty damn happy, attempted to leave on time and left late. Upon arriving outside the venue (Concrete in Birmingham) it all started to go downhill. After numerous attempts to get in contact with the promoter over the past month with no response, we were feeling dubious about the gig and when we arrived our worries were confirmed when the doors were locked, the lights were off and the bastard (Robot Professor for all bands’ future reference) was nowhere to be seen. A phone call went straight to his voicemail. So a 280 mile round trip to Birmingham for no reason whatsoever left us feeling slightly disgruntled to say the least.
Pints were downed in a local pub, where a man on the neighbouring table was serenading the room with Irish folk songs. Back into the van, where we were treated to a surprise strip-tease from Mike, which got a bit violent when Rich started whipping him with his own belt, and then a stopover in Leicester where half the gang went off to see their lady partners. We said goodbye to Dave our cello player and the rest of us went to a parent and baby party to see Tom’s wife and daughter who gave us all a top-notch glockenspiel performance after pushing Tom out the way when he tried to show her what to do, good lass!
A few hours and beers later we started the drive back to Leeds, at which point the inspired decision was made to soundtrack our journey with the king of poop himself, the much misunderstood Jacko. As ‘Earth Song’ crashed out of the speakers Tom ripped off his t-shirt to a less than adoring crowd. A whole hour of the legend’s hits kept us entertained for the majority of the journey before At The Drive In made an appearance and we had a mini mosh in the back of the bus, with Tom and Rich attempting to prove their rock credentials by getting semi-naked. Nevertheless, the girls still out-rocked them good and proper. So, a weird day, not particularly useful for us as a band and a huge waste of time but a whole heap of fun nevertheless. Newcastle tomorrow should definitely be a belter now we’ve had an unexpected break.
Setlist
Earth Song
Earth Song
Earth Song
Earth Song
Earth Song
P.S Mike’s gay. (thom’s edit)
By Sophie
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