The Dawn Chorus / The Retrospective Soundtrack Players - Blogging all over the World

Friday 27th October 2006
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

Fade Out
Sallyforth
The Dawn Chorus
The Arkwrights

It’s interesting how one’s perspective on things can change over time. If you had told me a year ago that we’d have played the Wedge twice by next Autumn, I’d have been dead chuffed. Yet a year on – although it was very enjoyable and seemed to go pretty well – I’m hungry for even more of it. I don’t want to sound like some Johnny Borrell-esque careerist prick, I just know that we can go on and make even better music and put on better shows. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t.

^^What a strange way to start writing about a good show. Well it just came out and who am I to stem the flow of the blog? Obviously the wedge was no way near full, but we played to probably around 100 people which is pretty cool for a local band bill. The Arkwrights seemed pretty non-plussed about the turnout, but the last time they played here they were top of the bill for the showcase final, so it was always going to be a huge contrast.

Luckily, our simply atrocious soundcheck didn’t seem to hamper our sound too much. In fact, I don’t even want to write about the soundcheck. It was awful, and it sent our morale plummeting. It’s amazing just how great or terrible a soundcheck can make you feel. And this one was about as bad as it gets. However, it went well and we played a brand new song ‘End of the World Party’ for the first time with the full band.

I didn’t see Sallyforth cos I was doing merch at the time, but I can report that they were wearing matching waistcoats. Fade Out played pretty well, but by the time they played the crowd was seriously withering, which was a shame for them. I took a bottle of champagne with me (end of quarter at work), but we didn’t get round to drinking it and I left it in the venue, because I’m a dick.