There’s an unpleasant feeling of agitation in the air tonight as our merry band of misfits are bound for the north to play Plymouth Barbican’s esteemed B-Bar. I can’t shake the feeling from the night prior that there could possibly be too much Joe to take in one solid block. It’s true that I’m starting to get sick of the sound of my own voice wittering on like a demented cockerel in the midst of an eternal sunrise and if it’s bothering me then I shudder to think what it must be doing to everyone else. Before getting in the car I make a pact with myself to shut the hell up a bit, but I can’t help myself and before long I’m warbling and bickering away with Dan and Harry like always.
On arrival, we get a little bit lost. The roads of Plymouth are a little different to the roads of Cornwall and the birds of ill omen are chirping. A road related incident will take place later on tonight and it will be totally unfair and it will piss everyone well and truly off. It will be such an irritating and deflating turn of affairs for someone in particular that when it happens, I decide I won’t be blogging about it in any detail because to do so would be both aggravating and pointless. But it will happen.
Eventually we feel our way blindly to the entrance of B-Bar. Now, those damned birds must be chirping again because for the first time I discover that B-Bar is in fact a noodle bar, with a stage most likely designed for journeyman singer songwriters and quaint three piece dinner Jazz bands. It definitely is not the venue or stage for a five piece, fully kitted out, double bass wielding bunch of delinquents such as ourselves. Standing in the middle of cascading red velvet curtains, ambient mood lighting and surrounded by candlelit tables, I feel more like a travelling troupe of magicians than musicians.
Not that I’m bitter. No, seriously I’m not. Seriously! I don’t blame anyone for the mismatch. I’m grateful we could play and I would happily play there again. I’m a happy person!
Seriously!
Case and point, the gig itself is actually a lot of fun. The sound engineer is particularly friendly. I can’t help but notice to my amusement that the more gear we drag in from outside, the more nervous he starts to look, especially when the double bass makes its appearance. Of course, by some miracle and not a small amount of creative space management, we cram into the small stage with a surprising amount of room to move around. And like I said, the gig is actually a lot of fun. The Goose Dance goes down particularly well, even if my strangely subdued audience banter does not. I attribute it to the atmosphere that the room demanded as opposed to any sort of shortcoming of my own part because I’m amazing and if you don’t agree I hate you and I’m not playing anymore!
I almost lose my cool to a fit of the giggles on a couple of occasions during the show. Firstly because of an accidental pronunciation of my own that nobody else notices but me (Everybody wuvs you…) and secondly because during a particularly energetic, upbeat number… I can’t remember which… I look down to the very front table (where the bands’ long suffering friends and significant others sit) and see the whole lot of them looking bored out of their minds. I don’t blame them, they’ve seen so many of our shows by now it must be terribly dull, but I can’t help but feel amused by the whole thing. In a way it lends a sublime sort of absurdity to the whole thing which really appeals to my sense of humour.
Sadly, by the shows end, I’m tired, I’m hungry and the whole mood of the band is on the floor thanks to the aforementioned vehicular misunderstanding. When I finally stagger through the door, I make myself some tinned hotdog sandwiches to satiate my insane hunger. When I discover that the mustard jar is empty, I almost want to cry. I’m certainly not in the mood to fill out a blog entry, by any stretch of the imagination.
I’m happy to now, though. See? I am a happy person!
Setlist for 17/2/12:
Lillipad Lover
Inspector Katz
Forget You (cover)
Mr. Dinosaur
Herb the Taxi Driver
Love is in the Sole
Goose in 4D
Made With Love
Dayglow
A Miskito Called James
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Hey Ya (cover)
Chad
Mary the Snowdeer, I Hate You
Pirate (In My Heart)
Quickstep
My Voice
Rubber Ball
D.U.I.
David Bryant Tried to Section and Kill Me
Too Late to Mate
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Bonkers (cover)
The Rules
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