Blog: Brighton

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It was off to London Bridge and thence SOUTH to Brighton for me last night, followed by a very short stroll down the hill to The Albert, to play me a GIG. I said hello, soundchecked, had a beer, and watched a bloke being thrown out of the pub by several annoyed looking barstaff. He left shouting threats, then turned to a bunch of people sitting outside and shouted "I HAVEN'T GOT A CONTRACT WITH CHANNEL 4!" Only in Brighton, I feel, is this a point which needs to be made clear.

Soon it was time for me to play, and this is what I played:

The Peterborough All-Saints' Wide Game Team (Group B)

The Perfect Love Song

Dino At The Sands

It Only Works Because You're Here

The Fight For History

Hey Hey 16K

The Lesson Of The Smiths

Clubbing In The Week

As ever in Brighton, it was a FUNNY OLD GIG. I've been determined to CRACK Brighton for ages - it's so easy to get to, it seems rude not to try, and I really like the feel of the places, but unlike, say, CAMBRIDGE, I don't feel I've ever got very far. For instance, I know LOADS of people in Brighton and yet this time none of them at all came along, altho Jimmy from The Bobby McGees did send an EMISSARY in his place, bless him! Also very few people ever seem to turn up on purpose - this time there was a couple of people, including an old pal of Emma, but otherwise it seemed to be all for the other band on. Neither of these things should really make a difference, and really it is just me being WEAK and also ROCK STAR PAMPERED to even think of such things - the big thing I always feel about Brighton Gigs is that the audience is always a bit stoney faced. People clap and that, but when I do bits that NORMALLY get a LAFF or SMILES in the room, in Brighton i get GLARED AT.

HENCE the set changed a bit as it went through - planned attempts at The Gay Train and We Only Ever Meet In Church were replaced by songs I felt more confident about, and I swiftly decided to do Clubbing In The Week as the last song instead of risking Audience Participation Failure (again!) with Easily Impressed.

I must say I rather got INTO the gig as I went along, and enjoyed the STONEY FACEDNESS of it all as a CHALLENGE, but when I came off stage I thought to myself "Maybe I should CEASE my CRACKAGE attempts?" I got myself a (LOVELY) pint of BEER (Pullman's Bitter, it's GRATE) and went back upstairs, thinking only of how long it was until the train came. Truly, at this point, i was as arms folded and face glaring at Brighton as, I thought, Brighton had been to me.

BUT THEN - someone accosted me on the way in to say how much they'd enjoyed it. I got talking to the aforementioned couple featuring Old Friend of Emma, who both seemed to have liked it, and were dead nice people ALSO. During that a couple MORE people came over specifically to say they liked it, and then the soundman did too and then... well, then I felt a bit PLEASED and also a bit of a TWIT in my ROCK STAR HUFFING.

As I went to get my train home, much happier now that I'd had the EGO FLUFFED a bit, I realised that it was much the same as when I've played Hull, another place where I've thought I've DIED on my FUNKY ASS, but then had people all chuffed afterwards. Maybe it is a SEASIDE thing, that the COLD SEA BREAZES make people more reticent in their applause. I don't know, but I take it as a LESSON to myself, not to get so arrogantly upset about a percieved lack of PLAUDITS, rather to just ENJOY what I'm doing and wait until afterwards to see what people think.

This is the kind of telling off I've given myself MANY times in the past, but I never seem to listen! Oh well - it's about five weeks until my next gig now, let's see if it sinks in!

posted 8/9/2006 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

Please don't stop playing in Brighton! I didn't know about this particular gig but all the other times I've seen you in Brighton (and anywhere else) you've been GRATE!

-Scott
posted 11/9/2006 by Scott

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