Blog: The Final Gig Of The Year

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Like, it seems, about 60% of the UK Population at the moment I was suffering with a rotten COLD yesterday - saw throats, GROGGY, headaches and all that, it was RUBBISH. Luckily I was Working From Home so was able to take full advantage of an article in one of the free papers last week which said that SCIENTISTS had used SCIENCE to PROVE that the only really good way to cure a cold is HOT CORDIAL! ZANG! Apparently Lemsip works because it is a) full of paracetomol (or is it ibuprofen? Anyway, THAT) but to a similar if not greater extent b) basically HOT CORDIAL. The advice - using SCIENCE - was to have LEMSIP and then just keep on drinking as much HOT CORDIAL as you could possibly get down you for the next 4-6 hours until you could have your next Lemsip.

So that's what I did, and though I was still feeling a bit rough when I set out I certainly feel a WHOLE LOT better today. My setting off NEARLY overlapped with other household members coming home. We've all been worried about one of our cats, Charlie, who is coming down with a multitude of Old Lady Diseases at the moment (she's in her mid-80's in Cat Years, according to The Interweb) and was being picked up from the VETS even as I left, and I was EXTREMELY relieved later on to hear she was home safe, minus several TEETH. I almost overlapped with The Whiskers On My Kitten too, but not quite, and we ended up WAVING at each other as she came round the corner and I got on my train to DISTANT BRIXTON, where I was due to ROCK.

Still feeling a bit poorly I nearly dropped off at several points on the journey. Actually, thinking about it, I probably did - the train can't REALLY have been full of cats, can it? I listened to the full set of PENULTIMIXES of the new album on the way - it sounds GRATE - and then found myself having a KNACKERING walk up the big hill in Brixton to The Windmill, where I was due to play.

I felt CRAPPY I must say, and when I did my soundcheck the SWEAT poured off me. I was a bit worried about how it'd go, so went and sat quietly at the back of the room watching The Football for a bit until it was time to go on and do THIS:

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

The Gay Train

I Did A Gig In New York

The Advent Calendar Of FACT

Billy Jones Is Dead

Being Happy Doesn't Make You Stupid

The Lesson Of The Smiths

It all went fine - like last time, it was another case of PUSHING THROUGH the first few songs as people came in and chatted to each other. One of the nice things about The Windmill is that you can go and hide around the corner if you're not that bothered about watching the band intently, but can still see and hear wherever you are - nice if you're in the audience, but always a bit worrying from the stage, as it looks like nobody's watching. Also the fact that people were arriving meant there was quite a bit of chat as they met up with their pals which, CLEARLY, is absolutely right and proper, but again is a bit off-putting when you're playing. "Keep going!" I thought to myself, "And especially don't get annoyed and say anything arsey!"

I took my own advice and, I think, got a sizeable chunk of people onside for a very enjoyable final bunch of songs, especially singing The Lesson Of The Smiths full of the knowledge that this was the END of my LAST gig of the year. As ever The Healing Power Of ROCK had worked its magic and I felt MUCH MUCH BETTER at the end. The Healing Power Of ROCK never fails to do this - I guess maybe it is something to do with ADRENALINE pumping through, also possible SWEAT but hopefully it is all ROCK and BEER that does it.

Anyway, somewhat revived I shared a pint of BEER (The Windmill now has PROPER BEER on tap - HOORAH!) with Mr S Gibb, co-promoter and All Round Good Guy, where we ended up having a VERY grown-up conversation about CAREERS and things like that. ADULT CONTENT! My revival soon began to ebb, however, and just after half past nine I said my farewells and began the long journey East.

The funny thing was, knackered and poorly as I was, overriding all of it was a feeling of ELATION that I am now off the road for a MONTH. I know that, as The Band In My Gig always points out, I will probably be BOUNCING off the WALLS in a few days DESPERATE for a chance to show off do a gig, but for now it feels like I'm on SHORE LEAVE or something. Seventy two gigs in one year is a LOT of gigs, and I think I've done more THOROUGHLY GOOD FUN gigs this year (as a number AND as a percentage, I think) than any other, but for now I'm glad to have finished and am VERY READY INDEED for the opportunity to sit around watching telly for a bit.

If only there was a FESTIVAL of TELLY, BEER and NOT GOING TO WORK on the horizon eh? YOINKS!

posted 18/12/2008 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

I thought I'd had a good year but you've done exactly TWICE as many gigs as me in 2008! Well rocked, that man. You and the Whiskers have a good Xmas and I'll see yer next year. x
posted 18/12/2008 by Pete Green

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