Blog: The Buffalo Bar

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I was getting myself a bit worked up about this gig, as we weren't going to be able to make it for a soundcheck. We were "headlining" (on last) which meant we were supposed to be there at 5pm - and as Tim and Emma weren't going to be able to drop Young Team Pattison off at babysitters at 6pm, that was probably not going to happen.

So, as I say, I was getting myself in a LATHER about it, PANICKING, but as ever there was really really no need. Rose, the promoter, was completely fine with it, the other bands brought loads of gear, and a quick chat with the (EXCELLENT) soundman mean it'd be FINE. I thus RELAXED and went upstairs for a fine chat with some of The Young People, and was having a RIGHT old larf when Tim, Tom and Emma arrived. We settled down to eat our tea (a nice, but TINY, bowl of chips).

I was trying very hard NOT to drink too much, so did a lot of FLITTING between pub and downstairs venue, also returning to my old scheme of drinking COCA COLA in between Proper Beers, which all worked out rather well. The other bands were mostly DEAD YOUNG, and some of them were of the kind of band that are Trying To Make It - it was a bit STRANGE for me really, as we rarely play with those sorts these days. My favourite one was in the middle, they had a great big Andy Kershaw Band From The '80's Sound (i.e. JANGLY), the same shirts, the same haircuts and played their guitars ALARMINGLY high on their chests. The band after were sort of like M People, sort of, but also fairly MODERN - the sort of band who are a) very competent b) very friendly but c) ALWAYS play for too long because d) they've brought loads of friends.

The GRATE thing about this was that, as always with this sort of band, the Loads Of Friends were Normal Human Beings (i.e. not people who go to loads of gigs), so up for a night out and happy to stay and watch other bands, which in this case was US, so along with the variety of PALS who'd come along (including Mr S Hewitt with a BRILLIANT badge saying "I'm Missing Newsnight For This" - T-SHIRTS AHOY!) we had a fair crowd as we went on and did THIS:

Better Things To Do

Do The Indie Kid

It Only Works Because You're Here

Being Happy Doesn't Make You Stupid

Mental Judo

Glory Days

Easily Impressed

The Lesson Of The Smiths

We had a GRATE time - as ever, the sound was FANTASTIC, you could hear everything really nicely, and from reactions I believe the audience could hear too. Better Things To Do and It Only Works Because You're Here sounded DEAD good too, BOTH, i feel, nudging their way into the next lot of setlists, and we got a GRATE response for the "Oi Hibbett" bit in Easily Impressed.

My favourite bit though was doing Glory Days... or rather, not doing it for quite a long time, as I was playing the Ukelele Chords rather than guitar ones. It allowed for an EXTENDED period of CHAT - if there's one thing I know how to do, it is to cover up COCK-UPS with BANTER, as i have had a LOT of practice - which in turn led to an awful lot MORE talking between songs.

It was all HIGHLY enjoyable, made even more so by the knowledge that the Victoria Line was running for a change (The Buffalo Bar is RIGHT next door to Highbury & Islington Station, which is usually DEAD handy but lately the tube has STOPPED at 10pm in the week, which makes getting home RATHER difficult) so we could all get home with EASE. It was still quite late though, so we all got packed up and ready to go. I had a quick chat with Rose the promoter, who seemed a bit depressed about the lack of big crowds, and I don't think me CLEARLY thinking it WAS a decent sized crowd helped much!

We said our goodbyes and set off home, me sitting on the tube REMARKING to myself how strange it had been to dip our toes back into that world of Bands Trying To Make It. I think that was maybe why Rose had been fed up, as in that sort of circuit you're MEANT to have massive crowds going NUTS, and the usual DIY/doing it for a LARF kind of medium crowd of people smiling, the sort that I LOVE, won't really do. It was nice to have a TOE DIP, but I don't think we'll be fully immersing ourselves in it.

The evening came to a proper end with a DELIGHTFUL coincidence on Leytonstone High Road - earlier in the evening I'd been telling Mr N Golding about the GRATE pub "The North Star" in Leytonstone, as he'd recently moved into the area. I was just thinking "I must remember to drag Nick to the PUB sometime" when a 257 Bus came to a halt next to me, and there was Mr N Golding, getting off it! He was thus able to show me EXACTLY where he lived!

It was a nice end to a nice evening, and set me up good and proper for next week, when I am off on holiday. HOORAH!

posted 19/9/2008 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

Fun show - glad I dragged myself out (on a school night too) to see the band. I'll try to pop by The Lamb next month.
posted 19/9/2008 by PaulW

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