At last, it seemed that I'd been waiting that long for the day of the gig to come, that it would never come. Nick, my son and his partner Gaby were coming to pick me up, they live in Bolton, like me they had never seen Half Man Half Biscuit before. The group has been a favourite of mine and Nicks for many years, Gaby has only just been introduced to them since meeting Nick, hearing tracks like Joy Division Oven Gloves is sure to catch your attention! Oh, I live in Batley.
Because Nick and Gaby had been working, then rushing over to Batley, there wasn't much time for feeding, we had a quick omolette and then it was off to Holmfirth.
The journey over there is pleasant once you get out of Batley, and away from the divis who stick one finger up at you for no apparent reason, it was a female at that, perhaps she was jealous of Nicks' new Honda, with a blue display on the dashboard, travelling in style I couldn't help but think.
Huddersfield tried to cock things up, there were road works with a detour, nothing that could baffle the sat nav though!
We got to Holmfirth, Nick went to park the car up while Gaby and I went to get us all a drink at the pub so conveniently adjacent to the Picturedrome, the venue for the gig. It was a beautiful balmy summer evening, there is a stream running right by the pub. Holmfirth is better known as being the place where Last of the Summer Wine is shot, it's as far from your imagination for being where Half Man Half Biscuit would be appearing. But they were and we had tickets for it and we were here sat outside the venue with a glass of alcohol to hand, just relaxing before making the decision to enter the Picturedrome.
It was heaving in Holmfirth.
Enter the Picturedrome we did.
The support band was Sisters of Murphy, playing tracks of another of our favourites, I was thinking that Half Man would have to go some to beat this.
The place was really rocking and filling up nicely, the Sisters finished their session, and a very good one it was too, and on came Half Man to a wonderful loud ovation.
I can't recall what sequence they played tracks in, I can't recall all of the tracks that they played, but I do know they started with Shit Arm Bad Tattoo, followed by Corgi Registered Friends. The place was really rocking now, the Picturedrome was previously a picture house, it still has seating and also a section where people can dance and bounce up and down........and get much nearer the band.
I was really chuffed when they did some of their older stuff, Fuckin Hell it's Fred Titmus, everything went down well. Of course Joy Division Oven Gloves was played, and I'm so glad to say was Twenty Four Hour Garage People, the Ipod selection from 'chief' went without a hitch, much to everyones delight and humour. The caravan guitar came out.
My favourite A Lilac Harry Quinn was played.
Nigel saw a Rotherham fan in the crowd and made some comment, his team Tranmere are now managed by the ex Rotherham manager, and he's doing well for Tranmere, no doubt much to Nigels' joy.
The whole evening was brilliant, Half Man came back to rapturous applause and finished with maybe three more songs for an encore, the evening couldn't have been bettered, all those people in one room and not one spot of bother, could this really be Britain we were in?
The only sour note, we couldn't get a bag of chips when we came out of the Picturedrome, but what can you really expect from a quaint little Northern town who only usually see tourists who come to look at the place where Last Of The Summer Wine is filmed!
Just to finish with this request, please come back.........soon.