Secret Gig - brilliant start; Loopin's improv miming during the "Pssst! Sshhh" was very silly ... LOL, as they say in Delph.
From what I can remember it all just got better and better as the night went on. Nwobble disappeared into the moshpit leaving Loops, Kid and me to dance in a confined space. (I'm sure I set fire to at least one of you at least once, and do apologise.)
'Improv Workshop' was just marvellous. I mean ... singing "Cokeheads! Cokeheads! Cokeheads!" with several hundred other people is frankly fucking ace, and should happen more often. Should be in them lists of "Things to do Before You're 40/50/60". Sort of restores your faith in humanity ... in the daftest possible way. Not eloquently expressed, but you know what I mean...dead punk.
All the the new stuff was wonderful, too ... "CORGI Registered" a great sing-along, and "What is Chatteris?" belted out with ... aplomb. I'm exhausting me superlatives.
Managed a few live links to the Taylors. "SOS Calls Only" - well, obviously. The pair of you were, of course, greatly missed.
... And almost inevitably, Mike Cresswell appeared (I went to the bar). An OFSTED plaudit and a motoring atlas to you, Mr C. Did you spot the Billing Aquadrome sign on the way home, by the way? Stellar with an "r".
Marvellous: "No frills, handy for the hills, that's the way you spell New Mills," and some pogo-ing. Highlights for me were probably Them's the Vagaries; Evil Gazebo (it was do-your-own big friendly bear night); Turned Up, Clocked on, Laid Off; Third Track Main Camera and of course, Joy Division Oven Gloves.
"Ooh-ooh tickling me Laird" ??? ????
Great to see the forumistas again, and meet big fat Fatty Bowling, and Jackie (who is NOT unstable), and Jamie from the US. (He looks NOTHING like Pob, by the way.) Hope you got/get back OK. Everyone was dead friendly and it was all very nice. I'm sorry if I was blethering pointlessly ... I'd taken a considerable drop, and I'd not had me tea.
Car managed it back to Manchester (noisily), via Sherwood's "Major Oak" - it's a fucking big tree. Or possibly two smaller trees. Quality souvenir shop, though.
Kid kindly emptied the ashtray in the Apollo car park - rock'n'roll. Thanks for the CDs, by the way. "Baby I'm a fine artiste ..." marvellous.
With this Kid Spoons you need never buy a record again.
He doesn't know Judy Collins' take on "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?" though!