OK, due to computer malfunction this is a Warming Up first. I am writing this blog on my iPhone. We will see if it works. Or if it just takes forever. My MacBook has been a bit dodgy for a while, with the screen going to black for a few minutes before pinging back into action. I meant to back up before I left for my gig, aware there was a good chance things may go wrong on this leg of the tour, but in the rush I didn't get time. But only the screen is screwed so hopefully nothing will be lost.
I was quite proud that I managed to write yesterday's blog during the interval at Southsea. It looks like that would be pretty much the last thing I would do with that laptop.
It was another stressful Saturday, with the 6music show in the morning, a brief visit to the 6music protest outside of Broadcasting House, then back to the Westfield to do a bit of quick shopping before dashing home, loading the car with 8 gigs worth of programmes and all the other stuff I would need then zooming off towards Portsmouth and the massive Kings theatre. I had sold just over 200 seats of the 1600 capacity!
Earlier I had been waiting for my girlfriend at the Westfield and the Saturday morning christians were out in force. One of them shouting through a megaphone said turning to Jesus had meant he had given up on masturbation. There was a negative bit of advertising. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand ( and that's all that had been there for a while) and then he blew it (which presumably hadn't happened for a while either).
A woman in front of me was trying to convert a quiet teenage boy who I suspect was only acquiesing because he was in the unusual position of being talked to by a female. How excited he must have been when she asked to hold his hand and pray with him. Let's hope it didn't lead to any masturbatory thoughts or the woman might have unwittingly created a convert for the other side.
Earlier still we had met Adam Buxton at the BBC. He was recording his new show and we had a nice chat about how we were coping in his slot. He thanked us for helping out. "Our pleasure," I replied maintaining a veneer of cool. Collings over excitedly blurted out that it was like being on Jim'll Fix It for us. How I failed to mock him for this on air I do not know. Though I did manage to obliquely discuss the fact that I had broken a caravan window by having a wank. In the 6Music version I was blowing my nose. But you can hear the real story on one of the extras on the Headmaster's Son DVD.
The gig in Southsea was OK, but for the first time the lighting was such that I couldn't even see the people in the front row. I felt a bit detached and in a vaccuum, though the response was good given the theatre was mainly empty.
I was feeling stressed and a little unwell again. It had been very difficult finding a parking space and I actually couldn't find my car for a good 20 minutes after the show.
But it was a lovely theatre and every word came out crisply through the sound system and I could go very very quiet and still be heard. If this place was full then it would be a beautiful space to play, but next time I would get the house lights up a bit.
Though they had been fully on as I walked on, which only served for me to see how empty the place was.
Right let's see how this goes. It's hopped around in time a bit, like a Quentin Tarratino film, mainly cos it's too fiddly to go back and insert things in.
Looking forward to getting my new computer!
