Roger Green:
It always makes an evening of it when you have a support band worth crossing the road for. Blyth Power are one of not many bands who have been going as long as HMHB and did a tidy set, including one about The Cod War, a topic that has not been dealt with nearly enough through the recent history of music.
Then came the main act. It might be easier to mention some of the regulars that were left out tonight - Trumpton Riots, Dukla Prague and Everything's AOR were all given a miss, while Feel My Wraith, Running Order, Vitas Gerulaitis and Whit Week Malarkey were all included. Most of Trouble Over Bridgwater was played, including an excellent Evil Gazebo, although Goth was missing. Of the very new stuff, the Slipknot song seems to have been incorporated into Squadrophenia. There were also the usual bits and pieces which I suppose they are working on.
"Alan from Barnsley is there!!" observed Nigel, half way through the set, pointing to the middle of the mosh pit, referring to the On Tour Drum Technician who couldn't make this one. I couldn't claim to have known the bloke, and the sum total of conversations with him was "Fuckin' great, that" now and then at the end of the night. But that was enough to make you realise that something will be missing from these gigs in the future.
Oh, and are you the one who keeps on and on and on shouting "What-did-God-give-us-Neil-God-gave-us-life-Nigel"? Change the record, old love.