Bristol Gig & Nottingham Diary - Gaz Whelan
Saturday 21st April 2007

En-route we watch Ike and Tina's 1973 tour of Ghana, West Africa. A country I am personally familiar with as my father-in-law is from Ghana and I have visited several times. We discuss the previous evening's shenanigans and the last two days spent in Bristol which we really enjoyed. 'X', Shaun's nickname for the past 20 yrs (I will explain more at a later date) exclaiming that he liked Bristol especially the 'middle class pigeons'. He had a good point, the ones we saw were sporting very impressive plumage and cooing with almost regal overtones.......seriously!

We arrive in Nottingham and sound check then head out to the nearest restaurant. We find a small establishment that appears to have potential. As we enter we are greeted by two, not one but two of the 'skinniest' waitress's I have ever seen, who were both obviously and sadly suffering from chronic eating disorders. This didn't exactly fill us with confidence regarding the menu...think a leper selling moisturiser?? We were fittingly seated right next to the toilets and our initial fears were soon realised as the food didn't match the inflated price. But to be fair, the place was busy and 12 sweaty, hung-over post-sound check musicians wasn't their usual or ideal customer.

We returned to the venue which was a great little place. The kind of venue I would imagine Ronnie Wood to have in his back garden so he could perform as well as go to gigs without leaving home.

The gig itself was again a quantum leap back to the good old days. There is something about a cramped, sweaty gig that fuels onstage energy and attitude. Maybe it's the 'cornered fighter', nowhere to escape analogy and all that bullshit? The gig turns out to be one we all really enjoyed. Some of us even discard certain items of clothing for the encore! Umm classy.

After the show I join X for an extended interview with UNCUT magazine, extended because some lunatic has parked their car directly behind the tour bus blocking us in. The Guinness flowed and subsequently loosened our tongues, not sure if this is a good or bad thing, only time will tell? After about an hour Bez joins us for a short time and sums up with a few carefully placed profanities pretty much what X and I have been tentatively pontificating for the past hour or so (yes, yes I know it's an oxymoron).

Bez then announces that he had better 'get off' as he had parked directly behind the tour bus and was blocking us in, unbelievable....yet priceless!

Three days off then 'Coachella'.
Until then...love, light and all that hippie shit...