This was definitely one to test your commitment. One or two familiar faces were there, but to start with there was only myself, David and one other Dukla shirt down at the front. Apparently this venue used to be a cinema and has now been turned into a 250-capacity arts centre which looked like it had been painted in preparation for a medieval banquet. These days you get used to seeing places packed out, so it was good to have a bit of elbow room at this one, although it did feel a little like a private viewing to start with. Having seen Brian Barron in the vicinity about an hour before the doors opened, I thought there might have been a celebrity presence at the gig, but he obviously had a last minute change of heart.
There were some interesting requests from the crowd. I am obviously not the only one who would like to hear Brian May Blues again. And there were calls for Visitor For Mr Edmonds and Stavanger Toestub. But Nigel had to put them right over the pronunctiation of Stavanger. It's not Stavanjer. Another top show (what do you expect?), featuring Nigel's observations on the inside of a table tennis ball and some excellent stomping in the stalls during Twenty Four Hour Garage People. And having mentioned to David that they don't seem to do covers any more, they then dropped an old favourite into the set. The list read as follows...
Fred Titmus
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
CORGI Registered Friends
Squabble Fest
Pancake Day
Vitas Geralitis
CAMRA Man (Cornish Knocker : top ale / top name)
For What Is Chatteris
Letters Sent
Foot Up In Europe
Bob Wilson Anchorman
Lark Descending
Monmore
Len Ganley Stance
Wrong Grave For 23 Years
PRS Yearbook
Vatican Broadside
Twenty-Four Hour Garage People
Them's The Vagaries
Dukla Prague Away Kit
Look Dad No Tunes
Time Flies By
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Everything's AOR
99% Of Gargoyles
And the encore was
Help Me Rhonda
Trumpton Riots
Quick paddle in the sea and then it's off to Exeter...