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The gigs which I was going to with people had all seemed to bunch together, which was enjoyably sociable: on the Thursday before last I met up with Joey after work in Camden and we headed along to the Electric Ballroom to see The Blinders. Support came in the form of Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, who I'd seen a few times before and not been a fan of, so we lurked near the back, although they irritated me less than they had previously. The Blinders were again amazing though.
I was back in Camden on Friday for Day 2 of Frank Turner's Lost Evenings residency at the Roundhouse: I'd chosen that evening because the support were Pet Needs, who I'd seen a bit on his livestreams and seemed cool, but since then he had also added one of my favourite young bands False Heads to the bill on the smaller, Nick Alexander Stage, which had been set up in one of the bars. The two of them kind of clashed so I ditched Pet Needs and headed straight to the smaller space where I met up with E and a friend of hers. We first watched one-dude-with-guitar Misery Gutz who was very endearing, then False Heads who were playing for the first time since pre-Covid- they got a good crowd and it was fantastic to see them. For once I was a bit sad I wasn't on my own as I would have made more of an effort to go and speak to them, but we headed into the main space and watched the end of Jamie Lenman, who I struggled to really focus on, before Frank Turner came on. That night's set was the first three albums and it was great being surrounded by people singing along to the old classics. I niddled around for a bit afterwards, waking part-way home with E, then heading back to Camden for a felafel before catching the bus home.
On Saturday I caught the train down Cornwall, as A had got me a ticket to see Idles at the Eden Project. The original plan had been for J to be over but of course everything had been rearranged and she wasn't even sure she would go until fairly recently, so it was all a bit last minute. We had some alarming experiences in Cornwall's narrow lanes in her 2-seater convertible before going for a little wander around Padstow then back to hers to hang out in her lovely garden before a friend came to take us off to the Eden Project.
It was a lovely venue for a gig, it was happening outside, in front of the domes, and we found a spot up near the back to watch from as A's doctor has told her no more moshpits. The vocals weren't quite as clear as they could have been but there was definitely a lot of energy going on and, whilst I get some of the criticisms of them, there is something cathartic about their unapologetically confrontational politics. We managed to escape pretty easily and then, in typical Ellison manner, A & I stayed up partying until 4.30am.
Her partner was being super-Covid cautious still, he'd not let J and the kids visit at all last year and when she insisted they came this Summer they all had to sleep in the garden, so I was out in the tent as well, although it had a blow-up bed and pillow and was much more cosy than I am used to! I didn't see him the whole time I was there, I assume he was hiding away inside somewhere, but we mostly stayed in the garden, other than when we came back from the gig. The morning involved Bloody Marys, then I was back on the train to London.
I had a very quiet week until Friday when I met up with Cousin A and Culture Club Claire for food in Chinatown prior to seeing Leopoldstadt, another thing booked pre-Covid that was finally happening after multiple rearrangements. It's interesting that, unlike gigs, I've not really rushed back to booking up theatre since things became possible again: not sure if my interests are narrowing as I'm getting older or I've just been out of the habit of giving it mental space. The play was good: less ideas-orientated and more emotional-impact that most Stoppards and going through without an interval (presumably for Covid reasons?) was quite hard work.
I was back in Camden on Friday for Day 2 of Frank Turner's Lost Evenings residency at the Roundhouse: I'd chosen that evening because the support were Pet Needs, who I'd seen a bit on his livestreams and seemed cool, but since then he had also added one of my favourite young bands False Heads to the bill on the smaller, Nick Alexander Stage, which had been set up in one of the bars. The two of them kind of clashed so I ditched Pet Needs and headed straight to the smaller space where I met up with E and a friend of hers. We first watched one-dude-with-guitar Misery Gutz who was very endearing, then False Heads who were playing for the first time since pre-Covid- they got a good crowd and it was fantastic to see them. For once I was a bit sad I wasn't on my own as I would have made more of an effort to go and speak to them, but we headed into the main space and watched the end of Jamie Lenman, who I struggled to really focus on, before Frank Turner came on. That night's set was the first three albums and it was great being surrounded by people singing along to the old classics. I niddled around for a bit afterwards, waking part-way home with E, then heading back to Camden for a felafel before catching the bus home.
On Saturday I caught the train down Cornwall, as A had got me a ticket to see Idles at the Eden Project. The original plan had been for J to be over but of course everything had been rearranged and she wasn't even sure she would go until fairly recently, so it was all a bit last minute. We had some alarming experiences in Cornwall's narrow lanes in her 2-seater convertible before going for a little wander around Padstow then back to hers to hang out in her lovely garden before a friend came to take us off to the Eden Project.
It was a lovely venue for a gig, it was happening outside, in front of the domes, and we found a spot up near the back to watch from as A's doctor has told her no more moshpits. The vocals weren't quite as clear as they could have been but there was definitely a lot of energy going on and, whilst I get some of the criticisms of them, there is something cathartic about their unapologetically confrontational politics. We managed to escape pretty easily and then, in typical Ellison manner, A & I stayed up partying until 4.30am.
Her partner was being super-Covid cautious still, he'd not let J and the kids visit at all last year and when she insisted they came this Summer they all had to sleep in the garden, so I was out in the tent as well, although it had a blow-up bed and pillow and was much more cosy than I am used to! I didn't see him the whole time I was there, I assume he was hiding away inside somewhere, but we mostly stayed in the garden, other than when we came back from the gig. The morning involved Bloody Marys, then I was back on the train to London.
I had a very quiet week until Friday when I met up with Cousin A and Culture Club Claire for food in Chinatown prior to seeing Leopoldstadt, another thing booked pre-Covid that was finally happening after multiple rearrangements. It's interesting that, unlike gigs, I've not really rushed back to booking up theatre since things became possible again: not sure if my interests are narrowing as I'm getting older or I've just been out of the habit of giving it mental space. The play was good: less ideas-orientated and more emotional-impact that most Stoppards and going through without an interval (presumably for Covid reasons?) was quite hard work.
