Blog: A Lovely Time

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I headed SOUTH after work last night, for BRIGHTON, to play at The Ukelele Research and Development Society's second monthly night. It was raining and twilighty when i arrived, and Brighton felt LOVELY. I always like a bit of like drizzle and the way it makes the pavements smell, and that combined with the SEASIDE so close yet so INVISIBLE to mine eye made everything feel FRESH. Also the venue, The Fringe Bar Cafe, was close by the station, and involved walking through the little lanes and streets that are round there, which i like IMMENSELY, so by the time i arrived i was feeling in a Brighton POSITIVE mood.

I got to the venue to find all was WELL, said hello to Jimmy who'd invited me, and tried out his GIG UKELELE. It was a bit LARGER than my one at home, but more importantly had an ELASTICATED STRAP (i'm still talking about a ukelele, by the way, don't go getting any ideas) which was GRATE - usually i get ELBOW ACHE if i strum too long (STILL on the ukelele), but the strap gave support AND room to move. It was GRATE.

The evening soon BEGAN, and a lovely VIBE was present - it was SORT OF like going to one of the old FOLK NIGHTS i used to go to years and years ago, except this was friendlier and CRUCIALLY most people were doing short sets that were GOOD. I went on pretty early (as i was AFEARED about getting the train home in time) and did the following, the first half on guitar, the second on ukelele:

The Peterborough All-Saints Wide Game Team (group B)
Clubbing In The Week
The Lesson Of The Smiths
The Perfect Love Song
Ctrl-Alt-Delete
Fucking Hippy
Easily Impressed
Boom Shake The Room

It was only later on in the evening when i realised that everybody else was doing TWO SONG SETS! Oops! It all seemed to go pretty well anyway - i didn't use the PA, which ALWAYS feels good, and people seemed to get pretty into it. There were the usual corners of RESISTANCE, who tried not to catch my eye, but i WORKED most of them round i reckon - one advantage of NOT using a microphone is that it puts you much more IN THE ROOM, especially when you're standing on the same level as the people watching. I think using a PA and a STAGE both ALIENATE you from the audience, which is why it's usually so easy to forget that you're in the same room as each other, rather than passively watching on telly.

ANYWAY it was all GOOD, although i did discover halfway through singing it for the first time live EVER that maybe "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" has a limited appeal for most people, so that will probably also be the last time live EVER too.

Loads of other people played and i was surprised how GOOD everything was, especially Chap From Anal Beard who played a couple of songs, The Bobby McGees, and the ever-lovely POG. There was a guy doing MAGIC on when i left - it was very exciting as, AGAIN, we get used to seeing it on telly and taking it for granted, but when somebody starts producing LIMES out of thin air a few feet from your face it's pretty bloody impressive.

As it was so early to be going home i treated myself to a BEER for the journey home, foolishly getting a BOTTLE and so SHREDDED my knuckles (well, a bit) trying to get it open with a key. I succeeded in the end though, and it was a very contented (if slightly bloody) Hibbett who arrived home just before midnight. I'll hopefully be heading back for the Anti-Folk Weekender in July - details added to the GIGS page even now. I look forward to it IMMENSELY!

posted 17/5/2005 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

for just such occasions... what i got, and what i want next, ideal for glastonbury...
posted 17/5/2005 by Pauly

sorry i missed you mark, i fell asleep (for a change)

joni
posted 19/5/2005 by Anonymous

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