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Blog: In The Amphitheatre

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I had a bit of a trip down memory TRAMLINE on Saturday, as I was back in Sheffield to play at the University Students' Union. I used to play there about twice a year for AGES when my friend Ms P Blackham was Ents Manager, but it's over four YEARS since I was last there, as Penny has since left. HOWEVER it just so happened that she was back again for a month and so I got BOOKED again, to appear at the Late Lunch Sessions all-dayer. This was the all day climax of a THING they've been doing at lunchtimes to launch "The Amphitheatre", a new BIT they have built on the side of the Students' Union, where BANDS come and play in it.

The Trams Of Sheffield were part suspended so I had to WALK half the way and as I did MEMORIES flew in of all the other occasions I'd been there. I found the Amphitheatre by following the noise of guitars being tuned up, and arrived just in time to see Mr Matt Abbott of Skint & Demoralised introducing The Mini Skips.

I plonked myself down on a deckchair and had a delightful half hour watching them, before getting up for HUGZ with all and sundry. After a short gap between acts it was my turn to go on - Matt gave me a choice of poems, a "fumble" or an "epiphany" so I chose the LATTER. He did a poem, and then I was on, doing THIS:

  • The Peterborough All-Saints Wide Game Team (group B)
  • Get Over It
  • The Perfect Love Song
  • My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once
  • (You Make Me Feel) Soft Rock
  • It Only Works Because You're here
  • Billy Jones Is Dead
  • The Lesson Of The Smiths
  • Easily Impressed
  • Boom Shake The Room

  • I had a LOVELY time - there wasn't a HUGE amount of people there (it was Saturday lunchtime, I assume most students were in BED) but those that WERE there seemed to like it. I'd broken a string just before starting so borrowed Vinnie from the Mini-Skips's AXE and was wearing my new ZENITH t-shirt under a raincoat. I looked like i WAS Zenith, doing a very low key comeback gig!

    Afterwards two young first year ladies came and offered me a BANANA - they'd bought far too many - and I had a chat to pals various before we relocated to the Interval Bar. As we entered EVEN MORE memories flooded in, not least the time I played there with Frankie Machine and I did my cover version of "Stan", which had been BANNED by the Student Union. Nobody noticed, but it's the thought that counts.

    I've just looked that gig up - it was OVER TWELVE YEARS AGO. Crikey!

    There were beers, there was a MASSIVE burrito (it took me half an hour to get through it!) and soon it was time to wobble off homewards again. I'm back in Sheffield in a few weeks, playing at The Rutland Arms on November 16th supporting Helen McCookerybook - it can't come too soon, Sheffield is GRATE!

    posted 22/10/2013 by MJ Hibbett

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