Blog: The Press Launch

< previous

next >

It's not far from my work to The Cross Kings, the pub where we were having the Press Launch for My Exciting Life In ROCK, but it FELT like it last night. For LO! I was carrying not just my guitar and ukelele but ALSO the easel, the signs, badges AND a huge box full of CDs for sale. CUNNINGLY I had taken a spare shirt with me, for it was a very sweaty Hibbett who arrived at the pub.

I discovered Mr Pete Green there already, along with Atomic Beat Records' Marianthi, and after a quick chat I went downstairs to meet the lovely Soundman, Alex, who was very keen that we should LOVE the sound he was giving us. The sound was LOVELY and so, indeed, was the room itself which had been set out in the THEATRICAL style. I briefly considered changing it to CABARET, but it looked so COOL I decided not to bother.

With that all done it was time to wander round the pub saying hello to the SEVERAL people who had come along, including The Songs In My Musical, who rather brilliantly arrived bearing a CAMERA. HOORAH! After a while it was time to start the round up, to get people downstairs to the basement where we were set up. Mr S Hewitt, STAGE MANAGER, stood and did the door while I did the traditional Promoter's Ritual of going upstairs and looking down the street to see if I could find new people. Surprisingly this kept on WORKING, so well in fact I even managed to get some Mylands in - featuring the gentleman known as Mileage who features in so many songs.

The evening kicked off with Pete doing a HITS set, which was brilliant, especially as he did a LOT of talking between songs and thus, as ever, completely WOOED the audience. After that we had a quick break and it was time for ME to go on, and do the show as follows:

(theme from) My Exciting Life in ROCK

I Did A Gig In New York

Fucking Hippy

Professional, Competetent, Rocking And Tight

Do The Indie Kid

Sod It, Let's Get Pissed

Hey Hey 16K

It Only Works Because You're Here

The Lesson Of The Smiths

Easily Impressed

Boom Shake The Room

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

It all seemed to go pretty well - I was trying out doing Fucking Hippy instead of The Peterborough All-Saints' Wide Game Team (Group B) but it felt a bit AGGRESSIVE so I'll be changing that back. For some reason the whole thing last 69 minutes, rather than the target 60 - I'm not sure how, I took several bits OUT from the 61 minute version we did the other week, and I certainly FELT as if I was rattling through at a fair old pace!

The strangest thing was a couple of points where I found I couldn't say my words properly. SOME PEOPLE may suggest this is hardly UNUSUAL, given my delightful Fenland BURR, but I think this time it was a bit of the NERVES as they came out quite strangely. Still, I think I managed to get it under control and people DID say they'd enjoyed it, so looks like we are GO for the next performance, which is going to be Indietracks. I can't believe it's FINALLY almost upon us!

The evening ended with another BEER and a bit of chat, before I once again struggled MANFULLY with my various items on the train. I'm not looking forward to trying to lug it all ALL the way to Edinburgh, but hopefully I'll be coming back with less than I take!

posted 15/7/2008 by MJ Hibbett

< previous

next >

Comments:

Your Comment:
Your Name:
SPAMBOT FILTER: an animal that says 'moo' (3)
	(e.g. for an animal that says 'cluck' type 'hen')