Yesterday was one of the most stressful yet brilliant days since I became mildly involved in the local music scene. I started my day by quickly posting all the advertising for the podcast before checking everything was order and I had everything I needed for a full day out as host of one of the stages at this year's Hockley Hustle. Town was a bit quiet when I got there around noon so I headed to my base for the day, Bunkers Hill, where a few people were milling around making things happen. Feeling a bit in the way I decided to go and eat so had a breakfast at Hockley Cafe. Things were running smoothly in the run up to the start of the gig yet I decided fairly early on to relax and let things happen. This didn't go well as I was a bag of nerves for most of the day.

Although I was pleased to be given a stage at this year's festival I soon became aware of how far away from the action Bunkers Hill was which worried me a little as I remembered from last year that most of the live music takes place in the main area. This year was put together on a much smaller scale with far fewer venues taking part which I wasn't sure about. Thankfully I had a pretty respectable crowd for the opening set from Misk Hills Mountain Rambler, and with most of the bands milling around throughout the day I realised that Jonny Olley hadn't turned up when he was due on next. Of course he did turn up and played a great set, he hasn't been around the circuit very long so it was good to be able to give him the chance to play yesterday. To be honest I couldn't understand why he hadn't already been asked, especially as some bands and solo singers (and it isn't for me to say whether it is right or wrong - but it's wrong) were playing twice. He came to me recommended by Alexa Hawksworth when Prefontaine unfortunately had to pull out and went down really well with the crowd.

The crowd stayed consistently healthy throughout the day and the pressure was off to a degree because I didn't have to worry about how much money I made on the door. As it was a charity festival everybody came wearing a wristband but the only issue was that the organisers hadn't provided me with someone to check people. In fact I wasn't fully staffed for most of the day but it didn't seem to matter. 

Of course it is easy for me to say, and I am not the only person to say it, but general opinion was that Bunkers Hill carried the best line up of the whole day. I had planned ahead by asking around the day after last year's event and left the running order up to the artists to sort out by way of a message conversation on Facebook. Unusually for Hockley we also ran pretty much to time, each act being allocated half an hour with a fifteen minute changeover which was a little optimistic but seemed to work. Subway Circus, Little Bribes, and The Amber Herd all played a blinder taking the stage into the early evening with Lisa De Ville playing solo at seven o'clock. Lisa is the person I am going to give a special mention to because I have seen her play on numerous occasions but never to as many people as she deserves. The last time I saw her was (without checking my diary) at the Golden Fleece to a small gathering, and I have seen her play to a virtually empty Maze too which baffled me. Last year she played the Hustle with a set at Pepper Rocks (I know it isn't in Hockley but that isn't my issue) to an indifferent collection of people who carried on talking for the main part. However yesterday not only did I watch her play to a full room, it was my full room and I have never felt more proud. The room was silent throughout her breathtaking performance and she was given a well deserved (although unexpected simply due to the nature of the gig) standing ovation and asked for more, I let her go on and she lifted the room. Meanwhile the first major derailment was happening downstairs as Fleets had been told they couldn't perform. The lead singer Cameron is not yet eighteen and as such was not allowed in the pub after eight o'clock. To be honest I hadn't thought about this and despite trying to reason with the staff (including my assurance that I would vouch for him as his older brother) they wouldn't budge. He's also not really my younger brother.

This little hiccup allowed City of Kites an extended set and while they were playing a panic stricken attempt to patch up the hole left by Fleets was taking place. Lisa came back to play twenty minutes to keep everyone going until it was time for Bowman, Hull and The Instant Band to play. I've not seen them as a band before, I've seen Bowman and Hull a long time ago and they are a side project of the Golden Troubadours who I am a big fan of, and they took the day to another level getting everyone up and dancing. My perfectly timed running order was thrown out of the window to let them play an encore and a pleasing amount of people stayed for The Wild Man of Europe who closed my day of playing with the big boys of Nottingham music promotion brilliantly. By the end I had gone forty five minutes over which in Hockley counts as running to time.

I honestly could not have asked for a better show and am grateful to everyone who played so well. My initial concerns about being so far away from the action was unfounded as being hidden away from the main thrust of things perfectly suited the ethos of The Sunday Alternative and my own standing within the Nottingham music scene as the outsider. Before the last note was played I had already called dibs on the venue for next year. 

The Sunday Alternative Podcast #59 is available from here

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October Housekeeping

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