Secret Treaties

I have followed BOC since 1976 after I bought a second hand copy of “On Your Feet or On Your Knees” from a friend of my brothers, he had been trying to off load it on my brother , however he wasn’t that bothered, but I fell in love with them from the first time I heard it kick in, they are still one of my top three bands of all time, now let’s move on 40 plus years and see what the blog brings.

I had missed their last visit as the wife had been a sickly bairn (how dare she) and I wasn’t prepared to push it, I could have gone by myself but I felt slightly unfaithful especially as she was poorly, I thought I might catch them the next time around (hey they ain’t getting any younger) imagine my surprise when it was announced late last year that they were coming back around again, I instantly wanted to go however financial constraints at the time were stifling the ability to go and get tickets and the longer I left it the less likely I was going to get them, I was starting to through a multitude of excuses from washing my hair through to shaving my feet (I’m sure that you get the picture).

Time dragged on and various people started to poke me with a big stick for me to get my finger out and actually buy some tickets! I kept my head down and kept using work as an excuse, but I started to waiver, I had an exceptionally busy day last Wednesday were things just seemed to fall into place it was a good day, I felt invincible, that wasn’t going to last long!

Thursday morning, I decided to get me and the wife some tickets I still couldn’t afford it but dammit we needed a musical night out and honestly, they ain’t going to be around forever, I have the distinct impression they certainly “don’t fear the reaper” see what I did there oh how we all laughed (not!) I had a window of opportunity so I hopped on the plague carrier into the big city and I got there before the box office opened that’s where it all started to go gloriously wrong.

Firstly a gaggle of charvas pushed in, no worry, do not go on a killing spree just yet, be the better person, breathe easy, you only want two tickets and they definitely are not going to see Buck and the gang, they took ages getting whatever it was they wanted each one of them buying a single ticket each instead of clashing their money and simply buying six of the crap that they wanted, now I had a gaggle of students behind me and my window of opportunity was closing, Charvas get the fuck out of the way I stepped up and purchased my two tickets handed my cash, yes you read that right cash, only to be told that there was £7 booking fee, erm WTF!!!!!!

Now I was  angry and I enquired “pardon” the lady behind the glass that I want to punch repeatedly, that’s the glass not the lady by the way, repeated that there was an additional charge “But I have paid cash” I knew  I wasn’t going to win, I didn’t have the time to argue and I wanted the bloody tickets, I paid up and instantly did not want to go the gig anymore, I had to run to catch my plague carrier to return to work, and people kept the hell out of my way as apparently I had a face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle! To say the least the wife wasn’t happy either when I relayed the tale, however I didn’t have a receipt so I couldn’t prove it anyway (robbing bastards) and it had already soured my experience, I didn’t want the wife kicking off and being carried out of the venue.

I hate the venue, as a hall its ok but they have their own PA so bands use it to save them money however, about 95% of the bands that I have seen there have had some of the worst sound ever, anyway I had a good deed to do for someone who was also attending and I had even more technology issues (me with my reputation) my week was turning decidedly crap in the end instead of copying the discs I decided to put them on a memory stick, well four turned into two hundred and eleven              ( allegedly) task complete I then tried to cheer myself up with music and plenty of it, the day of the gig came and we got there just before BOC  came on stage, you try and find a parking spot close to the venue when you are trying to get there before the band come on,  we didn’t cause a scene when we got there, although I wasn’t a happy camper (it really did sour the experience) we met with a certain lighting technician who was happy to receive the music and we engaged in music related conversation that did cheer me up, the band well I won’t go into great detail I enjoyed the gig it wasn’t the best concert I have seen them play, but it also wasn’t anywhere near the worst either, a good gig marred by a muddy sound (no surprise there for the venue ) although the sound in the venue was like listening to a bloody radio, BOC should be LOUD!

The set was as I expected and I enjoyed it, honest I did,  the band were tight apart from one tiny mistake, which had the band chuckling and one or two in the audience, even the wife enjoyed the gig (that’s a win win then) we filtered out slowly and bumped into one or two people that we hadn’t seen in an age, mutual conversation over we headed back to the car which was parked what seemed like miles away, it wasn’t but I like to whinge, while we waited for one of our party to retrieve their car to come and pick up the other member of the party who really couldn’t walk to the car park we chatted some more and then a drunk appeared in our midst and I really thought I was going to have to fight to defend our honour or at least shove him away from us as he was really was invading our space, think of Germany and Poland in 1939 and you will get the picture, thankfully the chariot arrived and we said our goodbyes.

We headed back to the car and were home before the car turned into a pumpkin, after standing for over two hours my own knees were in some serious need of painkillers and I also had a need for some sleep, I awoke this morning to G sending me a preview of one of his pictures (it was gorgeous I cant wait for the rest of them) today was a day of rest however I pissed in my pool and was a pain in the arse, thankfully only to  myself as the youngest simply ignored me for clarity and the wife was  at work, thankfully I gave my head a shake before she came home and did it for me, after a wonderful Sunday dinner (me modest hell no) its back to more music and to try and get the bloody blog back on track, what I had in mind this morning was wittier and more concise, this one is kind of m’eh, however the gig was a success (apart from the sound) I hated the venue beforehand I genuinely hate it now, it was my issue I shouldn’t have tried to do the trip and back in an hour and I have to admit I simply didn’t want to show myself up, if I had had more time I would have queried the price there and then, once I walked away I had lost and they had won, I won’t go for tickets again I will unleash the wife, now she will pull them through the security window.

As the day draws to a close I sit listening to lots and lots of music (hell I might even listen to The Enid next) I wait with baited breath for the full compliment of G’s shots, I have to climb the wooden hill soon as I have an early (and very long day) shift tomorrow and then ten straight days including four days with me actually in charge of the asylum ( I hope my mood improves LOL) that’s the blog done, I hope you enjoy it as I struggled to put the positive spin on it, and I have to stress today was great it was simply me being a dumb ass, so until the next time watch the skies for incoming and keep spreading the disease until the next time…………….Toodles!