It's been a more music and blast from the past-filled week than I've managed for quite a while. On Tuesday we went to The Cornerhouse to see Kyla La Grange who is another in an increasingly long list of people I did quite a few gigs with on an equal footing back in the day who are now zooming off towards stardom. I wonder if that happens to everyone or the universe is just trying to taunt me. Or if I should've tried harder. Her style has become a bit more epic over the years - it was comfortably the biggest sound I've ever heard there. Properly professional. The fairy lights and plastic foliage they brought with them made a real difference to the way the room felt too. Good gig.
On Wednesday Annie and I went to Camden to do a gig with Jinder, who I met when we both played round the corner at the (then) Canaervon Castle in 2004. That night had been hosted by a guy who used to be in Neighbours. It's been downhill ever since. It came up in conversation and I was trying to explain to some of the younger people who came along exactly who he had been in Neighbours but we didn't have any of the same points of reference. It was Cameron, Mrs Mangel's motorcycle riding earring wearing lawyer nephew. Oh my God - some wikipediaing has revealed that he's in Neighbours again playing someone else! I guess he must be related to someone high up in the production team. I never thought I'd reach a time in my life when I wasn't addicted to Neighbours. I blame Channel 5 for taking it over and turning the saturation down.
Anyway, Jinder and I have kept in touch off and on ever since (though I paths hadn't crossed again until this) and he was nice enough to suggest Annie and I to the venue - The Green Note which, is a really nice place. They treated us well too (tasty vegetarian food - I went for a salad with every type of cheese available), but for some reason I felt a bit uncomfortable during my set. Not sure why - there were a lot of friendly faces in the crowd and the sound was excellent too - my guitar sounded nicer than I can remember (they put a mic in front of it as well as pluggin it in). So I dunno.
Set list: The Ghost of Paddy's Night Past, Watertight, This Place is Dead Anyway, A Folly or a Fortress (ably helped by Annie), So Finally a Love Song, Black Coffee and Bromide (new song - might be a bit intense), Edinburgh, You Won't Break My Heart. I meant to play Muscle Memory but forgot.
Jinder is quite the raconteur, both on and off stage. Some of his stories reminded me of the late great Jackie Leven (who was a friend of his), though they were more convincing. Not that I didn't believe the ones that Jackie told. Apart from the one about sneaking in to Mick Jagger's house and having a party. And the one about hiding under a table with Sarah Ferguson at a fancy dinner. Admittedly I was hugely drunk when I heard that one, so it might be a tall tale of my own. Anyway, I particularly enjoyed the tour de force that was Jinder's tour of Britain in accents. He's also one of the most positive people I've met. His new album is for sale on his website and getting a proper release in June. I hope it does really well because he deserves it. And I think there are a lot of people who will really like it if they get to hear it.
Here's a video of 'Edinburgh' from that night. Watch me feel awkward and get annoyed by people talking loudly in the other room and consequently play it a bit too fast.
On Saturday we were teaming up with Jinder again at The Stables in Milton Keynes. We got the coach over after lunch because I wanted to go to Hobgoblin music in Newport Pagnell as part of my search for a new mandolin. The shop is not as big as it looks on the website, and their range of f type mandos numbers precisely two. Unfortunately I tried out the dead expensive one and noticed that it was nicer than any other mandolin I've played. Hard to justify buying one worth that's several times as much as my guitar. Newport Pagnell is kind of nice at first but there is nowhere to get food. If I'd realised we were staying within a short distance of a safari park I think we'd have probably gone to that instead.
The Stables is one of the most proper places I've ever played. Probably there, The Junction here, and Aeolian Hall in London Ontario. We got a green room with sandwiches, fruit, fancy crisps and a small amount of booze. And a gigantic octagonal conference table, complete with projector. We were in the small room, with a David Bowie tribute in the main room. We heard a bit and they sounded good, though the singer was doing his own thing rather than a proper impression. There was the traditional debate about how you pronounce Bowie. I think it's Bowie, but Jinder thought it might be Bowie. I pointed out that his son was called Zowie so it had to be Bowie to rhyme with that. Potato potato tomato tomato.
Setlist: The Ghost of Paddy's Night Past, Watertight, This Place is Dead Anyway, Muscle Memory, A Folly or a Fortress (again with excellent backing from Annie), So Finally a Love Song, Edinburgh, Waiting for You (dunno why - I meant to play Phosphorus Burn but it was an older audience and it has generally gone down well with older audiences), You Won't Break My Heart.
Hungry Horse breakfasts are not good and not as cheap as you would expect. The sausage and bacon tasted of too much and the eggs tasted of absolutely nothing. I've never had such untasty eggs.
Bloody hell, I had a feeling Chelsea would do it tonight. Should've put my money where my feeling was.