Saturday, February 25, 2006
Borderline
We had a top time at The Borderline last night.
This is a legendary venue - I saw R.E.M. perform on this very stage (under the alias of Bingo Hand Job) - and having now played there myself I can see why it is so highly regarded. Everything about the place is quietly efficient. All the staff are switched on, and the equipment too. The in-house mixing desk guy (Mike) is brilliant - four bands soundchecked with a minimum of fuss and ready for the doors to open at 7pm. Everything ticks over with a calm sense of purpose.
We were the first group on - at 7.45 prompt - and although it was kind of sparse out front to begin with, it felt like a serious gig, partly because the sound on stage was brilliant, and partly because the lights were so bright you couldn't see who was (or wasn't) out there. Actually it filled up pretty fast and even if it hadn't, George, Drew and I were grooving so much on just being up there that I don't think we'd have noticed.
We played a short set, but not, it turned out, short enough. It went by in a flash, and when we came off, I figured we must have hit our half-hour target about bang on. But I was dismayed to discover we had overrun by ten minutes, severely cutting into the changeover time for the next band, our MySpace friends Jebo. This was totally unplanned, and all the more unfortunate, since Jebo had been kind enough to let us use their backline (to save yet another changeover of equipment), and had been unfailingly helpful and friendly when we were setting up. I wasn't wearing a watch, which I should have been, and lost track. My apologies, then, to Jebo, who had to get themselves organised double quick to make their start time of 8.30.
Afterwards, we did a photo session in the backstage area with Marilyn for some CD artwork which is gradually coming together. Look out for some new shots on the website before too long.
And next week we have got three gigs. It's starting to feel like a real band.
Next stop Nottingham!
The Borderline, Feb 24: The Happiness/Jack Viper/Jebo/David Sinclair
Set list: Jammed/Time is the Simplest Thing/Dusted & Rusted/Pennies on a Plate/Not Another Wasted Day/Bouquet of Weeds/Going to do Something/Life's Too Serious/The Song Marches on
¶ 9:01 pm This is a legendary venue - I saw R.E.M. perform on this very stage (under the alias of Bingo Hand Job) - and having now played there myself I can see why it is so highly regarded. Everything about the place is quietly efficient. All the staff are switched on, and the equipment too. The in-house mixing desk guy (Mike) is brilliant - four bands soundchecked with a minimum of fuss and ready for the doors to open at 7pm. Everything ticks over with a calm sense of purpose.
We were the first group on - at 7.45 prompt - and although it was kind of sparse out front to begin with, it felt like a serious gig, partly because the sound on stage was brilliant, and partly because the lights were so bright you couldn't see who was (or wasn't) out there. Actually it filled up pretty fast and even if it hadn't, George, Drew and I were grooving so much on just being up there that I don't think we'd have noticed.
We played a short set, but not, it turned out, short enough. It went by in a flash, and when we came off, I figured we must have hit our half-hour target about bang on. But I was dismayed to discover we had overrun by ten minutes, severely cutting into the changeover time for the next band, our MySpace friends Jebo. This was totally unplanned, and all the more unfortunate, since Jebo had been kind enough to let us use their backline (to save yet another changeover of equipment), and had been unfailingly helpful and friendly when we were setting up. I wasn't wearing a watch, which I should have been, and lost track. My apologies, then, to Jebo, who had to get themselves organised double quick to make their start time of 8.30.
Afterwards, we did a photo session in the backstage area with Marilyn for some CD artwork which is gradually coming together. Look out for some new shots on the website before too long.
And next week we have got three gigs. It's starting to feel like a real band.
Next stop Nottingham!
The Borderline, Feb 24: The Happiness/Jack Viper/Jebo/David Sinclair
Set list: Jammed/Time is the Simplest Thing/Dusted & Rusted/Pennies on a Plate/Not Another Wasted Day/Bouquet of Weeds/Going to do Something/Life's Too Serious/The Song Marches on
