Blog: The Sheffield Pop Weekender

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On Sunday lunchtime I got on the train to Sheffield to go and play my first actual proper solo gig for about TWO AND A HALF FLIPPING YEARS! I've done a couple of Validators gigs, and various online things plus some other bits and bobs, but this was the first time I'd done a gig NOT being promoted by me since way back in March 2019 when I did the "No Headliner" tour with Mr M Tiller! CRUMBS!

I was thus a little nervous about the whole thing, and thus had been Actually Practicing but this did not entirely assuage THE FEAR. It also didn't help that travelling is still a bit SCARY, but I was mightily calmed by the realisation that changing at Doncaster meant I had time to pop into The Draughtsman on Platform One for a delicious half. The last time I was there was, I think, on that tour with Matt too, and it was still GRATE!

I was met at the station by The Landlady, who lives up that way now, and we had lunch and a right old chat before she walked me to my hotel. I am very much out of practice at this and had booked the wrong Premier Inn, which meant it was about a half hour walk a little while later when I headed off the Shakespeare. For LO! it was there that I was gigging, as the HEADLINE ACT (!) of The Sheffield Pop Weekender, organised by the delightful people of Macho Music Is Stupid.

I arrived to find that even COVID could not kill off the core tenets of all-dayers i.e. they must always run about 45-60 minutes late. In this case it was happening because they'd had to find a new soundman at short notice, but if that hadn't occurred I'm sure The Gods Of ROCK would have arranged something else. This did sadly mean that my grand plan to not have too much to drink before GIG O'CLOCK did not exactly pan out as planned, but it did also mean that I got to catch all of the other bands in the Evening Session of the all-dayer and more importantly to spend time with all of the LOVELY PALS who were there. To be honest, the best bit of these gigs is often the PALS, and this is especially so in Sheffield where there are so many of them available, all of whom are ACE.

Eventually it was my turn to go on, and I went and did THIS:

The Peterborough All-Saints Wide Game Team (group B)

We're Old And We're Tired (and we want to go home)

20 Things To Do Before You're 30

Bad Back

We Can Start Having Fun

In The North Stand

People Are All Right (if they are given half a chance)

Theme From Dinosaur Planet

Hey Hey 16K

Clubbing In The Week

It Only Works Because You're here

We Did It Anyway

It turns out that all that practicing actually paid off, as I remembered VERY NEARLY all of the words and most of the chords, even after a few beers! I also managed to not say quite ALL of the "brilliant things to say" I had spent the preceding hours thinking up. I did say A LOT, but there was an awful lot more REMARKS I had that I managed to curtail. It's been two and a half years, I have clearly been saving it all up!

With the gig ROCKED all that remained was to have another beer with the aforesaid pals and then wander off into the streets of Sheffield for the walk home. It was bloody GRATE to be back again in ROCK like this, I just hope it's not another two and a half years before I get to do it again!

posted 31/8/2021 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

I have only just found out I can 'like' your blog posts. Can I just say now that I have liked them all - it will save me going back and pressing like on each one.
posted 31/8/2021 by Chris Evans

Was lovely to see you and glad the gig went well - hic! Luv The Landlady xxx
posted 31/8/2021 by The Landlady

Brilliant to see you and hear you, MJ - thanks for coming! x
posted 31/8/2021 by Pete

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