Blog: Hello Archway

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It was off to North London for me last night, to play at The Archway Tavern. I was met there by Charlie from The Fighting Cocks, who REMARKED upon what a clean venue it was - "There's a wine bar FIGHTING to get out of here" he said, correctly. We sat for ages watching the other bands soundcheck, one of which was PARTICULARLY Professional, Competent, Rocking And Tight and spent AGES playing ENTIRE songs through then asking for minute TWEAKS on the vocal TREBLE. After all this, when it was my turn, i did the traditional One Minute Soundcheck, as it is the LAW that this must be done.

The soundman came over at 8.30 and asked if i wanted to go on now - it was a bit early, but as there was nobody there I thought I might as well get started, and then if nothing else i could get home a bit earlier. I know - ROCK AND ROLL! I started up, and realised I might as well do a few New To The Live Arena SONGS, and so played (in roughly this order):

Things'll Be Different
Girlfriend Alarmed
The Peterborough All-Saints Wide Game Team (Group B)
Rock & Roll Mayhem
Billy Jones Is Dead
Leave My Brother Alone
Clubbing In The Week
The Lesson Of The Smiths
Boom Shake The Room

It was all fairly FINE really - we had the ECHOING HANDCLAP when people noticed I'd finished, but i had a nice enough time - ESPECIALLY when, as sometimes BEAUTIFULLY happens (and as noted in Let The Weird Band Win) the girlfriends of the other bands started LISTENING to my set, and appearing to LIKE it. This ALWAYS winds up Other Bands, and is ALWAYS funny to watch. HO!

Afterwards the next band on, Phugs, all came over and said "Well done" and that, which was quite nice - it is always a WISE Next Band On who does this, as they know it makes you DUTY BOUND to watch at least SOME of their set, which we did, and they were Actually All Right. They HADN'T done a soundcheck earlier - aaah! Just as i was sitting down a young man called MYLES came over and said he'd come ESPECIALLY to see the gig, having seen it on the webpage, but had only just caught the last two songs. I felt a bit BAD about this, especially as it turned out he'd come all the way from Lewisham (NB This is a good long way on the TOOB), so offered him a PRIVATE MINI GIG. This, by the way, is available to anyone making up 50% or more of the audience, look out for it at future gigs!

So yes, we then TOOK HIM INTO THE LAVATORY, where he was SERVICE. i.e. I did "Hey Hey 16K" and "Work's All Right", as those were the two songs he'd come to hear, and then, on request of Charlie, "Bands From London (are shit)". It was, i must say, ACE - after the slight disappointment of a Nothing Much gig, doing THAT made the whole thing worthwhile. HOORAH!

Shortly afterwards we made our ESCAPE into the darkness, where Charlie gave me a LIFT all the way back to my front door - i was home before 10pm! HOOPLA!

I know i WON'T be home by then after tonight's gig (at The Vic in Derby, if anyone's just happened to pop by today and live in the area), but hopefully there'll be a few more people and a LOT more Validators there. Hopefully it'll end up being as LOVELY as last night's did. We shall see...

posted 11/1/2005 by MJ Hibbett

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