Gigs are good.

 

We like them a lot. In fact we like them enough to bother telling you internet peoples about the one's we've just been doing. Firstly let me say a very big thank you to everyone who turned up to our lovely RGR at The Cluny event last month, we love you long time. And what a night it was!

The Soviets, on a real post-studio high, closed the night with one of the tightest performances we've ever played. We, like, rocked and that. Support came in the form of the ever-entertaining Hattie Murdoch, who opened the night with a brilliant solo set. Gary Phelan closed up the acoustic acts, performing a polished and engaging set that held the crowd from start to finish.

And on the third set, the lord created The Kush, and he saw that it was good. I think I'm in love with this band, all I really remember from the set is the hypnotic and terribly unsettling effect a man in a pigs mask can have. Who was this vicious swine-beast? What did he want. Is he a gimmick or a terrible warning of things to come. The proto-humans are coming my friends, and I urge you to arm yourselves to the teeth and to head for the hills. 'Get yer pig oot' all you want, but don't come crying to me when it eats your children.

 

Which brings me on nicely to last months other noteworthy gig. Up in aforementioned hills, the Electric Barn festival was possibly the most fun I've ever had.  Seriously. Donkey punching Keith Chegwin? Not even close. Fearsome sunshine and a well thought out line up packed with local talent combined to provide a beer-soaked, BBQ-fuelled mini-festival that will undoubtedly be running for years. The music goddamn it! Get back to the music.

Right!  A whole slew of acoustic acts dominated the first few hours, starting perfectly with the marvellous Ian Courtney and ending with the mental Nick Gladdish via Kelly Brownell, Ian Bredis and more. At this point, with the sun starting to lower and the BBQ rapidly approaching completion, it was deemed to safe to unpack the drummers. A truly staggering performance from the always impressive Verity Burton band demonstrated exactly why she continues to reap praise where ever she goes, and worked to scare the following bands into playing as well as they possibly could. SHAZAM! SOVIETS TIME!

There are many ways in which you could describe the Unstable Tables set, but I don't want to. Instead, lets look at what they weren't. Subtle, clean-shaven and completely lacking in cool ska riffs.  There we go. Special dancing time! Liveoke closed the night, bringing a perfect end to a fantastic night, allowing those who spent all day watching and chance to join in on the musical fun. And all this despite the musicians involved in Liveoke coming down with crippling, last-minute case of food poisoning (Nb: by 'food' we may mean 'beer').

 

The music is long since finished, and the sun went down some time ago. Things started to get a bit... Apocalypse Now. Back in the camp-site, Guy-ropes snatched at ankles like vicious Punji traps (albeit minus the human faeces), and the screams of the falling pierced the night. Huddled around wind-up lanterns, us few remaining revellers fought back against the encroaching morning with anything we could - a whirlwind of acoustic guitars, beer and Chili.

 

The most fun I've ever had?

Yeah, probably.