A time machine for free spirits
It feels like a long time since I wrote my gig-hopping hat-trick thingy blog. Been working and chilling and filming (more of that at a later date).
Quick health update - you'll perhaps remember all the achilles/ankle problems (left side) which plagued the early part of this year, well once again Parky's seems to have pulled out another anomaly because it's doing pretty much the same/similar thing on the right side now. As a result walking is difficult, limping, which is a shame because I've had places to go and things to do!
Last weekend was a gig day, predictable I know but come with me on the journey. Headline show for Wailing Banshee who have been getting some justifiable acclaim recently. I always like to see the improvement bands over a period of time and these guys and girl have come a long way. Promoter Robin Plumbly booked them for Club Academy, Manchester and on our arrival the crowd looked about 150 strong. Nice. In super quick time Lynne was distributing SOS Festival leaflets around the venue - SOS on one side and advertising for Absolva's upcoming live album 'One Night in Mannheim' on the other. So, with my aforementioned leg issue I found a perch - that was me sorted for the night. Nice catch up with Robin and Denis Andrew amongst others.
Sitting alone for a while I had my thoughts to myself and looking across the venue I couldn't help but notice that I was probably in with a shout of being the oldest bloke there. Can't help but wonder how that happened! In turn, that set my thoughts in reverse gear and comparing how the crowd looked compared to my youth hanging out at all the rock clubs such as UMIST, Jilly's, Henry's, The Phoenix and others. You know really not much has changed, that mix of characters. In our rock and metal genre we pretty much confine ourselves to a 'uniform' don't we? Kinda strange when we like to see ourselves as such free spirits. It's the same gear really - the jeans, the boots, the tour t-shirts, the vests, the denim jackets, the leather jackets, the bandanas, the hats. Lynne always looked super cool/cute in a hat, still does, but shhh, don't tell her I said so! We'll just keep that between us 😉
We missed the opening band, sorry - bad form by me but the bit I caught of their closing song sounded pretty good. The Rattlesnakes were up next, they are booked to play SOS next year so it was cool to catch a set by them and they didn't disappoint. Again, it was like being transported back to 1978-1980. The Rattlesnakes are more NWOBHM than NWOBHM! They got around the stage too - made an old man tired just watching. And last but not least, Wailing Banshee rocked up a storm, including their notable version of 'Bible Black' by Heaven and Hell. The band is being managed by my old friend and associate Raz White, from Scotland, so expect that to help give them a lift up the ladder too. Coming to a festival near you, already and soon!
Fast forward to last night and we had the one and only Larry Paterson (drummer- Girlschool and many others over the years including Blaze Bayley 'The Man Who Would Not Die' era) out for dinner. Larry is in Manchester for rehearsals as he deputises on drums for Martin Mcnee in Athens, this coming Saturday. Larry joined Lynne, Luke and myself for a curry at one of our favourite eateries - The Jewel in the Crown, in Bury. Excellent and reasonably priced Indian restaurant, definitely recommended. We had a real good catch-up (it's been a few years), a good few laughs and generally set the world to rights!
Drum roll please! Yes, it's that moment you've all been waiting for - the winner of my competition as set in the blog/newsletter https://www.musicforparkinsons.co.uk/feelgood-air-drumming-free-cd/
The correct answers are as follows...
Steve Vai 'For the Love of God' and Joe Satriani 'Surfing with the Alien'
And the winner is........ Tony Malone!!! Tony wins a free copy of the forthcoming Absolva CD 'One Night in Mannheim'.
So, well done Tony and thanks to every single one of you that entered.
p.s. Tonight Lynne and I will be popping over to the Holy Diver venue, Stockport, to see Crobot and King Kraken. Maybe see you there!?