It's 3.41 am, and we're just back from Pompey. What a great night it was, following on from the damp squib that was Oxstock. Let's go chronologically...
The day was hectic, certainly. Van behaved on the way down (obviously got the sense of the axe hanging...), and we got there only slightly late for a radio interview on Victory FM (live, and middling...). Down to the venue, then just enough time to get all the gear in and set up, before Andy, Jase and Jim went to a tiny indie record shop across the road for an acoustic instore set (I had too much to do to join in sadly, since Matt needs to be at the Dome for a couple of days, to argue with Peter Gabriel about something or other, so apart from my usual duties I was also doing some of the tour management). A good interview with Mel and Anelyse from the unnoficial fanzine after a meal, and then it was down to the music.
After my almost derogatory comments about local supports in one of the diaries, I have to take it all back for Vivid, who were kicking the show off. Preposterously talented for their apparently very young age, but also with a grasp of how to behave that some bands don't learn after years of touring, they started off an excellent evening. And nothing was running late!
David Poe and his band were revelatory (despite drummer Sim complaining that he "wasn't in his zone" afterwards), I can't reccommend them too highly. And when David broke a guitar string mid-set, the Tuning Song that the band jammed and played while David changed his string (and I mean he was playing and singing onstage while putting this string on) was utter genius.
We came on to a shockingly full room, but the fact that Vivid had brought 100 of their (similarly aged) friends along made, for me, the front row rather off-puttingly lissom (indeed I fluffed a couple of drumming bits entirely after catching the eye of a pouting bundle of lovliness). But I think that only added to the good vibes that had been building and building all evening, and I speak for everyone when I say that we had a great time, and played certainly the best show of this tour, possibly ever. We finally managed to capture a gig on minidisc, so hopefully I can either prove that I'm telling the truth, or that I'm deeply self delusional. And, just to stop him going on and on on the message board (just kidding mate!) we did Roadside # 1 for Ed Morrish, and did it very well at that, I think. And just to prove it wasn't all in our heads, the T-shirts (and CDs - see updates) sold like proverbial hotcakes.
Off to Nottingham early tomorrow. I think we're hitting our stride now.