The Hockley Hustle festival ceased to be in 2010, I have never attended this event as in the years leading up to the final Hustle I was regularly with my daughter during that particular weekend, and on several occasions it fell during half term. Also, in 2010 I wasn’t yet a figure within the local music scene. Not that being a figure within the local music scene cut any ice today, as I wasn’t asked to have any official involvement. Sometimes it is good to be an outsider I suppose, as this meant that I wasn’t tied to one particular venue and could enjoy a day of live music as a regular member of the public. The night before I made a list of the sets I wanted to see, which I doubted I’d have been able to stick to rigidly given how these things operate. I had made a deliberate decision not to watch anyone I had already seen, as I wanted to use this day as an opportunity to see people I hadn’t yet caught; some that I had worked with but not seen.

Before all that though, partly to compensate for my lack of Sunday lunch, I went alone to Café Hockley for a breakfast. Gary was due to meet me around lunchtime and I wanted to watch Cibele opening proceedings (or so I thought – she was third on) at a new (to me) venue. She was scheduled to start at ten past twelve but didn’t go on until nearer to one o’clock, by which time it was too late to get over to Contemporary for Aja so I stayed at Pilot to catch Gerry Trimble, already breaking my ‘not watching people I’ve already seen rule’. The other exception was Captain Dangerous at Jam Café, a brilliant combination that finished my night.

Although I was a little offended at first at not being asked to get involved, it was nice not to have the pressure of sound quality or bums on seats to worry about, or writing about it for the paper. This is home when I got home soaking wet thanks to the tram terminating three stops from my own and a little the worst for drink and was just able to get undressed, dry my hair and crawl into bed. I enjoyed socialising with Gary and Adam Clarkson among others. The list went a little off kilter but I was glad in a way because thanks to Adam’s recommendation that I should see them we went to watch The Breakfast Club at Bunker’s Hill.

I had originally intended to not drink alcohol and began the day with good intentions; tea with my breakfast, Coca-Cola in a couple of venues, and a coffee to wake/warm me up during the afternoon. This plan went the same way as my gig list, and my main problem was mixing; real ale in a number of venues, but lager in others. I even managed a glass of wine in a hotel room but that’s a private story.

The general feeling this morning was that today was not going to be productive. I managed a day in Crown Court on autopilot and vowed that next year I would book a day off on the Monday to sleep for as long as it took to feel human again. Maybe Monday and Tuesday might be needed.

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