Blog: The Lamb

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It was a very short stroll through London's Scenic Bloomsbury for me after work on Wednesday to The Lamb, for what I was hoping would be the start of a semi-regular residency for Totally Acoustic gigs. I was getting a bit worried about it all - I'd been CONVINCED that NOBODY would come, until someone emailed to say they were bringing some pals and i PANICKED and went online to check the capacity of the room, to see how many we could CRAM IN.

I needn't have worried either way... I arrived to find Mr Carsmile Steve already ensconced, and other people gradually and BEAUTIFULLY wandered in over the next hour or so. I went upstairs and set things up in The Cabaret Style i.e. with tables and chairs ARTFULLY scattered around. I worried a bit more, not least because Mr Pete Green had yet to arrive, so went downstairs and did The Promoter's Hand Wring. You'll see this RITUAL going on outside venues up and down the nation every evening, as a GIG PROMOTER has a PANIC (usually WELL before things kick off, often before doors have officially opened) so goes and stands outside to look up and down the street, WRINGING THEIR HANDS.

It had the desired effect as Pete arrived shortly afterwards along with pretty much EXACTLY the right number of people, making the room FULL, but not unpleasantly so. The room upstairs at the Lamb is LOVELY and, as it was full of lovely PEOPLE the atmosphere was... well, LOVELY really. We waited a few minutes for Pete's sister-in-law to arrive and then he was ON, and he was GRATE. It's really brilliant seeing him play these days as he's got PROPER STAGE CHARISMA, also confidence, but in a really nice, CHUMMY kind of way - i stood right at the back watching him WIN OVER the room almost instantly, and take them along. He even did SINGALONGS and SONG VOTING, it was like a ROCK AND ROLL MASTERCLASS. "HOORAY!" i thought, also "I've got to follow that!"

Pete finished and we had a brief BAR/Toilet/Fag break, before i went on and did THIS:

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

I Did A Gig In New York

It Only Works Because You're Here

Do The Indie Kid

The Gay Train

Easily Impressed

The Lesson Of The Smiths

Boom Shake The Room

Leave My Brother Alone

My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once

OH but I had a BRILLIANT time, i REALLY enjoyed myself. Everything seemed to go down well, i had LOTS of fun doing INTERACTION (perhaps too much, looking back it was bordering on TOMMY COOPER) and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. These sort of gigs ALWAYS feel more PALLY and pleasant than ordinary ones, and this was no exception.

Afterwards one of the more BRILLIANT aspects of Totally Acoustic gigs showed itself: because we'd started at 7.30pm we were all DONE by just after nine o'clock, so there was LOADS of time for everyone to sit around having beers and chat, which is exactly what we did. INDEED we had such a brilliant time that The Hands On My Analogue Clock and myself found ourselves being CHUCKED OUT AT CLOSING TIME! In That London! This almost NEVER happens, but we'd been discussing MANY Issues Of Import with people various, including me and Steve's planned trip to The Edinburgh Festival next year (we sealed the deal with a HUG - thus PUB TALK must be backed up!), so time had flown. We said our farewells then hit the TUBE with Mr Peter Knight and arrived home very late, but very happy. It was brilliant - we'll DEFINITELY be doing THAT again!

posted 24/8/2007 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

Mark, that was a gloriously lovely night! My cheeks are still hurting from all that smiling. Not only were you and Pete completely brilliant, the audience were also a bunch of beauties. More! More!
posted 24/8/2007 by Marianthi

Thanks again for having us on, Mark. It was bloody ace! I wanna set up a Totally Acoustic franchise in Sheffield now!
posted 24/8/2007 by Pete Green

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