As per usual I’ve been pretty slack on the updates of Andresworld of late but despite being unemployed I find myself quite busy [okay you can pick yourselves off of the floor now, its not that funny]. So come with me back in time to rediscover November… doo dee doo doo, doo dee doo doo.
So, first up Vicky Spain’s 23rd birthday bash. And not just any ordinary bash I tell thee – one which included compulsory fancy dress and none other than the infamous Soup Lady Sophie Baxter. Sophie and Vicky dressed as men for the evening, or rather flowerpot men, or at least very effeminate flowerpot men. Some might have even called them flowerpot women, but to be quite frank that’d just be silly, who’s ever heard of a bird called Bill or Ben?
Everyone was impeccably dressed, and those that failed to don a costume were booed out the house and subjected to an assault of empty Red Stripe cans. In hindsight that’s quite harsh…
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So, for some the most important night of the year, and for Fuse the culmination of a spectacular set of efforts that has seen the station host an awesome launch party and nominations party already. The Student Radio Awards was back this year and bigger and better than ever. A dazzling array of stars attended the ceremony including Tim Westwood, Edith Bowman, Scott Mills and Steve Lamacq. Of course, this time we got to see them thanks to two large screens either side of the stage, however the acoustics of The New Connaught Rooms meant we couldn’t understand a word they said.
The reason we were all there? James Collins and Becca Day Preston of course. JC was up for Best Entertainment and Becca up for Best Female. Both were up against stiff competition from full time established student radio stations but Fuse still managed to upset the big boys and come away with a Bronze Award in Best Female for Becca.
Good time was had by all, well played for all of those who made the trip down, and thank you to Rich and the UEA Livewire boys who joined us on our table. And of course a big round of applause to station manager Sarah Vale for organising it all and not killing anyone after having 2 and half half ours spent on her hair.
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Back from London on Friday after all that Student Radio nonsense for Tim’s 23rd birthday. An incredibly civilised affair, which is not to say a meeting with the boys can’t be civilised, just that they normally involve vast quantities of carnage. A sit down curry at the Shalimar followed by a few drinks at The Bless and some early departures for work commitments probably means the countdown has begun to wife, kids, and mortgage. Joy.
Happy Birthday Tim!
Finally, to round off the weekend, a Sunday evenings visit to The Clubroom, aka the upstairs of Revo’s in Derby. Support bands The Victorian English Gentleman’s Club and The BeauPeep Show were both excellent, hats off for braving what turned into a snowy winters evening. However, the real stars of the show were Sons and Daughters, who are touring to support their current single Guilt Complex and in anticipation of a new album very very soon.
Lead singer Adele Bethel was as enticing as ever, lunging off the stage and holding her mic cable like she was about to engage in sexual foreplay with lead guitarist and king of cool Scott Paterson. Paterson added an extra special something to the set by playing with a range of effects and techniques not used on the album recordings. The greatest example, was a breakdown into The Stooge’s I Wanna Be Your Dog, in the middle of Johnny Cash – with great play made on Bethel’s monotonous key bashing, something I’ve tried to recreate on Anablogue. Drummer David Gow was tight and dressed in braces, shirt, and flat cap, and lastly bassist Ailidh Lennon combined some steps to and fro to compliment her sexy solitary shoe gazing look.
What was not quite so fantastic though was the pitiful turn out that constituted the Derby audience that had come to see this superb live act. Amid Peterson’s comments of the crowd being ‘very quiet’, I wondered whether the lack lustre lighting was just bright enough to blind him from counting the thirty or so gig goers who actually made it. I appreciate a snowy bitterly cold Sunday evening isn’t the best of times but I am sure there’ll be a more faithful turnout at the Foals gig at The Charlotte this Sunday. At least then I’ll be saved the embarrassment and the overwhelming need to apologise to anyone affiliated with the bands.
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NB. I was obviously so overwhelmed by the aforementioned bassist that I failed notice that the tour t-shirt she sold me was a small whilst clearly marked medium. Consumers beware! 😉
