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

Friday 13th April 2007
The Lazy Lizard, Weymouth

The Dawn Chorus
Del Nil

2pm: Leave Fareham in the DC van for Weymouth.

2.20pm: Already getting very sweaty in the van and not enjoying the shaky steering. Me, Paul and Simone in the front, Neil and Matt in the back with all the gear.

2.50pm: Traffic. Discuss the finer points of cricket with Neil. The long and short of it was: Neil once told Geoff Boycott that he had good line & length in a toilet, and I don't need to wear pads because I know how to defend my wicket.

3.30pm: Very very sweaty back.

4pm: Arrive in Weymouth and look for venue.

4.30pm: Find venue (it was obscured by scaffolding). Unload gear. Meet the very friendly promoter and soundman and discuss shit old TV shows about bands: (Pugwall's Summer, North & South, some others).

5.30pm: Park car but not enough pound coins in the piggy bank to pay for parking. I have to visit 3 shops before someone will give me change. Bastards. Put 8 hours on the meter, which takes us to 1.30am, surely that's plenty of time?

6pm: Buffet chinese. Fat boys and girls. Followed up with a nice walk on the beach. Buy some souvenirs.

8pm: Soundcheck goes very smoothly. Soundman asks to have a go on Paul's keyboard and turns out to be Liberace.

8.45pm: Soundcheck finished, we're told to come back at 12!! Play lots of hands of cards and go for another walk. It's going to be a long night.

11.30pm: Take a wander back to the venue. Still empty. Apparently people come when the pubs clear out but there's no sign of them here.

12.00am: Few people in the venue now, but still no sign of Del Nil. Thinking about maybe having to move the van.

12.15am: Del Nil arrive and labouriously unpack gear. Decide that the van will have to be moved. It would be just our luck to get done by a traffic warden at 1.30am.

12.45am: Get back to the venue. Starting to feel slightly stressed and tired.

1.05am: "We've got 1 more song". Thank fuck for that. I like Del Nil but I just want them to finish, so we can get on, get done and get out.

1.10am: Two songs later and they're threatening to do more. I have to be a dick and go and tell them to just finish. I didn't feel stupid though, because every punter in the place was steaming pissed anyway. I just wanted to leave.

1.25 am: Del Nil don't bother taking their stuff off stage so we have to do that before we can set up. Finally manage to play our set. Quite a few people bob about a bit but nobody seems to clap. Del Nil are very very pissed and dancing a lot. I totally lose my voice by the end of the set but don't really care. I am tired.

2am: Reload the van. There are lots of very pissed people all over the place. Just need to get paid now.

2.30pm: Finally paid by the promoter. Homeward bound.

3.15am: Sudden braking to avoid a baby rabbit nearly causes Neil and Simone to be crushed by amps. But the rabbit lived.

3.45am: Torrential rain. Please let us get home.

4.30pm: Home. Bed. Relief.