Blog: Lost In Bristol

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Another week, another ROCK show!

One of the (many) GRATE things about doing a weekly tour, I am finding, is that you get into a right good RHYTHM. Last Thursday night I packed my bags with the usual assortment of clothes, toileteries, MERCH and laptop, took it all to work on Friday, and then just after lunchtime left for Paddington where I got the train to Bristol, got slightly lost (as is THE LAW when arriving at Bristol Temple Meads), found the Premier Inn I'd booked in, had a shower, and then set off for the venue. I have done much the same on SEVERAl gigs so far, and it is a lovely way to travel!

The venue this time was the New Bristol Brewery, which was ACE. I was told when I arrived that I shouldn't worry, it was much nicer inside than it looked from the outside, and it WAS. Outside it was an industrial unit on a dark street, inside was a lovely warm bar that was part of an Actual Genuine Real Brewery. Everyone was VERY friendly too, even giving us a LOT of free beer through the evening - the 'If Bristol Could Talk' beer was described as FRESH and it really was, it was delicious!

Matt and I soundchecked, then we were joined by the ever delightful Mr Gavin Osborn, who I had not seen for AGES. We were ALSO joined by a LOT of other people - the bar had a 75 person capacity, and we'd sold 68 (!) tickets which, with door sales and guests, meant it ended up being a SELLOUT!

Gav went on first, and as it was his first gig in about three months he decided to do a HITS set and OH MY but what hits they were - singing along with 'Albert' and all the others reminded me of just how GRATE he is, to the extent that I worried about following him. Still, on I went and did THIS:

20 Things To Do Before You're 30

Hibbett's Golden Rules Of Beer

Can We Be Friends?

Come On Apocalypse

I Don't Have To Worry About That

You're A Tory Now

Cheer Up Love

Chips And Cheese, Pint Of Wine

In The North Stand

Two Blokes, One Pub

It Only Works Because You're here

The Lesson Of The Smiths

It went pretty well I think - I was very pleased to do TWO (2) songs that I'd not done before, and there was much happy singing along throughout, but there was some Heavy Lifting for me. I think it was because of the venue's TIN ROOF, which meant that ANY talking ANYWHERE, even at the bar, got amplified, which meant that anybody else who wanted to say something to their neighbour had to SPEAK UP, and so gradually throughout the set the volume of talking got louder. It wasn't like people were being RUDE or anything, but by the end it did make it difficult to be heard - as in so many cases, I believe DRAPES would be the answer here!

I was followed by the MAGNIFICENT Mr Tiller, who was GRATE as always, even including a song that I had not heard before, on this tour or elsewhere, and a proper actual encore too! It all finished WELL before closing so there was time for YET MORE beer, including a BROWN ALE that tasted a) a bit like cola and also b) DELICIOUS, and also some CHAT with the lovely people who had come down. I think I must have caught a cold, or possibly been hit on the head with a heavy object at some point though, as when I left the building I found myself slightly CONFUSED, and it took about twice as long to get back to the hotel as it did going. I can think of no other explanation!

In summary then, gigs in Breweries a) are GRATE though b) may require DRAPES, while touring is just FAB in general. Only one date left now, at Totally Acoustic on Thursday. I'm going to miss all this when it's done!

posted 18/3/2019 by MJ Hibbett

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