I’ve moaned and whined like a little bitch about Proper Music Venues a fair bit in these pages. Tonight was a salutory reminder, however, that there’s more to life than just eating pies and complaining about the sound system.
The Northern Monkey is essentially still a pub. Once upon a time known as The Dog and Trumpet and latterly by another name that totally escapes me because I hardly ever go into town these days and if I did I probably wouldn’t wander up this way for a drink because mainly it’s bars that charge over 3 squids for a bottle of lager that you could buy for 80p if you stayed at home and went to ASDA instead.
Anyways, it’s discovered a new lease of life as a live venue. And luckily for us, the guy who promotes there was in the year below us at school. So after a bit of uhhming and ahhhing you got our shit together and booked ourselves in for a gig.
It’s quite a cool room, if a bit unusual. Very high-ceilinged and not enormous, it puts you pretty much face to face with the audience (assuming you have one, of course). Tonight the place was packed. Not really for us especially – the band after us – and I will have to apologise for not knowing their name – were on a UK tour.
In the modern manner, there were 4 bands on. Now, I think that’s one too many bands, frankly. Everywhere does it these days, and it means that you only get 40 minutes onstage or so and there’s not much room for everyone’s gear and… suddenly I’m sounding like my dad so I’ll shut it.
The first band up (whose name I have also forgotten) reminded me of us when we were kids all those years ago. A little bit loose around the edges perhaps, but giving it plenty of welly and making a pretty decent racket. But you’re not here for them, you’re here for us… and you’re itching to know how well it went.
The answer: really good. The crowd seemed to dig the sound and we were fucking loud. But tonight had another significance… the first time I’ve played a keyboard! My keyboard fingers are, frankly, fat and clumsy. Richard Clayderman I ain’t – although I’d love his jacket and twinkling smile. Basically I know my way around the chord shapes and fake it from there, which is all I need to know for the purposes of what we do. Even so, it was pretty nerve-wracking sitting down and playing while singing in this way. I’m used to being able to throw my guitar around a bit, but sat there on a couple of beer crates, below most people’s eye level was a tiny bit odd. Maybe I need a dramatic staircase which I can ascend to play the keyboard from on high like ELP or something.
I survived the ordeal though and – a few bum notes aside – it was fine. I don’t have much else to add, except that every one of the band totally loved the gig and I think (false modesty to one side for a second) we sounded pretty fucking awesome. We’re definitely back! If you came, thanks for coming and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did 
Setlist
- In The End
- Substitute (The Who)
- I Still Don’t Understand
- Everything I Want
- Here Come The Mandarins
- Tin Soldier (The Small Faces)
- Until Tomorrow
- You’ve Got it in You
I didn’t stay to see the final act, but the bands either side of us were both great in their own ways. The band after us were astonishingly well-drilled and a reminder that however good we might get in our own little sphere, there’s still a gulf when you step up to the Serious Touring level. Luckily, we never will!