Yesterday was the last gig of the year for me in my promoter hat on, and it was the easiest and hardest I have ever done. There had been a lot of enthusiasm from the artists for this and I had no pressure when it came to setting up as there was no need for messing about with soundchecks and stuff because this was going to be as improvised as possible. Due to the welcome we received during the last filming day in the summer, I had asked if we could stage the launch of a compilation CD at The Royal Children and (possibly due to the fact that it wouldn't encroach on the pub at all) they said yes. Looking back I made a slight error because The Royal Children is a Nottingham Forest supporters' pub and I had deliberately picked a Saturday when there wasn't a home match thinking there wouldn't be the rowdiness. I should really have picked a day when there was a match because we would have had a window of relative quiet when they all pissed off to watch twenty two men running around.
Even the day after the gig I am not totally sure if the gig was a success or not. Cameron Sinclair-Harris opened the show and was brilliant, as were all of the performers. The trouble is that the crowded pub paid very little attention to what was going on and carried on as if there wasn't a gig going on. On the other hand, everybody stuck around (apart from Cameron who had to go to work which is fair enough) and had a great day out which is what the sessions was all about to begin with, a social event where we just happen to make music videos. The only time the pub stirred something like interest in what was happening on the stage was when a cover version they recognised was performed and they could sing, or rather do that shouty groany noise, along. Jay Brow got them singing along to 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', and Gerry Trimble deserved a round of applause for his unique renditions of both 'Dancing Queen' and 'Delilah'. He also took the CDs round and got one of the rowdy football types to buy one (this is not going to be a bestseller I can tell, but at least it is only me that has lost money and I haven't ripped off the performers. I will probably take them out to gigs and try and flog them, maybe this time next year I'll be able to give the artists their share as it isn't worth giving out the odd pound and penny every now and again.
By the end of the show around teatime, (we had to clear the way for a birthday party DJ), the battle between audience and show had been fought bravely on both sides but the audience, if they can be called that, won in the end. As the pub got busier the performers seemed to be getting quieter with a few notable exceptions such as King of Rome whose singer Martin Carey shouted his voice into oblivion and Paul Carbuncle (who headlined by default as he didn't turn up until late) who carried on regardless.
All in all it wasn't the worst way to spend a Saturday, but I don't think I'll be rushing to do an all acoustic gig in a noisy pub again.
Big thanks to everyone who played: Jay Brow, Cameron Sinclair-Harris, Andy Parr, Vincent Watts, King of Rome, Gerry Trimble, John Hardy, and Claudine West, who would have played a great set I'm sure but didn't turn up until the birthday DJ had taken over.
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