Unbreakable.

I awoke with the sweet smell of vomit in my nostrils, I was praying it wasn’t mine, it had been a friend’s birthday and to say that we had been a tad boisterous would have been an understatement! I jumped on the bus from Gimpsville to Witton Gilbert to meet up with some of the gang, a bottle of cider on the bus to while away the 30 minute journey, straight into the travellers rests a couple of pints then everybody back on the bus to the Salutation in Durham, from there it turns into a drunken haze and I don’t really remember much, I know we bumped into people at the bus station heading back to me Pity Me heading to a party did we want to join, boy did we, a quick jaunt to a pub (the Lambton something or other my memory is pretty crap it was 31 years ago) the landlord was happy with the last minute carry out trade, onto the party and then I only remember waking up with that smell and not knowing where I was, thankfully it wasn’t me it was some guy on the settee he had puked then rolled over thankfully he was alive! It was like an episode of the walking dead, bodies everywhere, people seemed to have enjoyed themselves, to be honest in those days I used to drink to oblivion, the party could have been the best party in the world, I don’t even remember leaving the pub with the beer!

Thankfully I wasn’t working the Friday so after a quick jaunt to a mate’s house for a quick shower and a change of clothes (I always had clean clothes stashed, its best to be prepared) off to Durham for some breakfast head into Volume Records and then off to Newcastle on the train as we intended to see FM at the Mayfair, once in the town we hit the usual hostelries and did the same all over again arriving at the Mayfair I started to sober up, I rarely drank there as the beer was shite, am I saying it was watered down , hell no, but it was sponsored by Northumbrian Water! a bottle of dog at the end of the night to keep me topped up, FM were as always great, the crowd were fun and as always a great night was had by all, I had intended to head home but I had my arm twisted to go back to Pity Me for a nightcap, again I woke with the sun splitting the sky with a blanket on me and people happy to see me, Saturday wasn’t going to be lost,  a good breakfast more fresh clothes after a shower (I did this a  lot) we headed to the Salutation for a lunch time aperitif (well it would have been rude to say no) then somebody came up with the idea of going to Manchester to see FM there, why not it would give my liver a rest, sort of!

We had a friend who had a van so we piled in with some beer and got to Manchester about six , we found a café and had some nosh, found a pub and generally had a great time, off to the venue (thankfully not sold out) paid on the door some more beer, got rowdy, met up with some people who we knew from Manchester, got invited to another party, the next morning I awoke to that familiar smell, please god let it not be me, I was ok again it was somebody else, again someone I didn’t know, I was fragile as there had been some Pernod offered, I had made a pig of myself well the way I felt, I had, we all piled into the van to head home we stopped somewhere for a breakfast/lunch we must have looked  a sorry sight, after Pernod all I could eat was toast, it was my staple recovery device, I slept the rest of the way hitting the Salutation for a last pint before getting a bus back to Gimpsville sleeping all the way home, being woken by a friendly driver at our destination, walking home and then off to my pit, it had been a great weekend!

If there was no planned overtime for the weekend and I usually took a couple of days off to have a long weekend, did I tell you I liked a drink and some fun with a capital F! the usual journey to Durham, Thursday arrived and the weekend as always started,some beers at dinner time and then a cunning plan we all had rail cards so we could go and see bands, who’s playing somewhere? No internet in those days so it was the music press, nobody took our fancy close to home, oooh look FM are playing the Astoria in London lets jump a train, we headed to the train station and got there just as a London train pulled in we paid on board, we had some beers (there’s a surprise) just to be friendly of course, and tumbled out into the station at our destination, off to a pub (I have no idea) met up with friends in the capitol arranged somewhere to sleep for the night (in Croydon) some more pubs, then to the Astoria, the same set as the last weekend, I was getting sick of Hot Legs as the encore, more drink, then a train to Croydon I’m guessing by this point I have no idea, I didn’t then and don’t now!, I awoke in the back garden I wasn’t happy as I really didn’t have a bloody clue where I was and I was “moist” because of the morning dew, no change of clothes, thankfully being an early riser they were thrown in the dryer while I had a shower (I do like to be clean) thankfully I knew everybody in the flat, I made everybody a nice cup of tea I was always a good guest, then down the road to my fave café for the best breakfast in Croydon, damn it was good, a quick pint, well it was a Friday, you simply must, then try to catch a train, lots of people heading out of London for the weekend, we managed to get a spot were we were all together close to the bar, we were naughty we stayed on until Newcastle instead of Durham, a raucous night around the town in which I ended up with friends in Heaton, I really did need to get home . Saturday morning, I was up bright and early as my friends went off to work, I headed for the bus station and a journey home to Gimpsville , my soul was calling out to the delta,  for a long soak, I need to dry out just a little!

Did I stay in? hell no it was a Saturday I ended up staying at another friend’s house in the afternoon, then an evening in the club and I had a lovely walk home along the railway lines (abandoned I must add, I was safe) just as well as I never did make it home, I found a nice spot and I rested there for the night, I did this often in the summer months, I was woken by the start of some morning rain that was quite light, but got heavier as I made it closer to the house, Sunday was always a day of rest I was back to work the next day and I would driving my little Honda scooter, I didn’t want any blood in my alcohol system (you know what I mean) the end  of another cracking weekend, which to be honest was the norm!

I do miss those days (my liver doesn’t) we really were unbreakable, I  miss all of my friends, but the world moves on, it’s still good when I bump into them, that’s not to say that there aren’t fresh adventures to have, but I think we need to get past these crazy times and then we can have those new times and adventures will be just around  the corner, there you have it a historical one for everyone who wanted one, normal may resume at some point,  now I’m off to cook the tea (Spag Bol anyone) stay safe, stay alive, watch the skies for incoming, until the next one…………Toodles!

Too Many People.

Actually, that should read as Too Many Thick People, but I don’t know a song with that title! Being back to work full time has put a microscope on people that inhabit my work space (not the staff to be honest they are all fab), I am an equal opportunity hater I hate everybody equally, after being back too work even more so.

Now I will admit that 98% of people abide by the new rules are usually pleasant (well ok I use the word usually sparingly) and go with the flow, but the ones that don’t……ignorant swine, now I’m certainly not going into details, I need my job but how have these people survived. Obviously Mummy and Daddy have spoilt you rotten, you feel that you have the right to do whatever you feel like, and heaven help anybody who asks you to conform to these new rules, I’m going to stop at this point as I can feel myself spiralling off into a huge rant, something that I thought I had got out of the habit long ago. All I will say is that this rotten disease has killed the wrong people, you are all oxygen thieves!

I’m missing human contact, I know I’m at work, but of my friends, I miss that interaction the crack! I know I don’t reach out much, but I could do with a big bunch of us sitting in a pub taking the piss and generally having fun (I miss you all) I have not got a death wish of putting anybody in harm’s way, but I do feel old and just a little lonely!

I am also suffering a great deal of pain with my knees, but my work mates are helping me tremendously, I do go home in a tremendous amount of pain, I haven’t turned to drink or drugs (maybe chocolate) yet but there is time. My rest days are spent doing very little and suffering and telling everybody within ear shot how much pain I am in, well ok making grim noises as I try to stand on my weary knees.

I did tell you that I would keep these short and I’m not expecting to pull great numbers (although we have great consistent numbers for all of the blogs of late, again thank you) I’m just simply keeping the information highways open, the next one is a historical one (I know I have been promising) but I wanted to get this bile out of the way, we are alive and well, if not just a little fractious with each other, the wife has discovered the wonderful world of Kiss Jigsaws so that should keep her occupied! Its either that or anything about serial killers on Netflix, anything to soothe the savage beast, no I’m not calling my wife a beast, I have to sleep sometime!

Thanks for all the  kind comments, but yes the blog ends on blog 500 and not even money would change that, Some of you think I’m not a man of my word! cunning plans abound, so until the next time stay safe, watch the skies for incoming but until then ……………..Toodles!

It’s Late.

I know it’s bloody late, as a fair few of you have been hounding me, unfortunately I am back to work and have been so damn busy I seem to have anxiety issues about another blog! A long week back to work and my knees are crippled from all of  the walking on the incredibly hard surfaces at my place of work I have had a weekend to lie around like a loppy dog but I am still in a great deal of pain, I’m not looking forward to the coming week!

To top that off the wife has been poorly and I have a furry visitor in my loft again, all impacting on my sleep patterns, yes that why I’m typing this at silly o clock, on top of that a late night phone call from the Kraken feeling unwell has added to my stress levels, she rarely complains about ill health and she genuinely sounded off colour, we have to wait until later in the day to see an improvement.

I still have tons to do at work what with a hard shift pattern and tasks on top of my usual duties blogs may be thin on the ground for the next couple of weeks as I’m tending to only check my computer as I sit and munch on breakfast, don’t say that I haven’t warned you all. The new cunning plan has hit a speed bump nothing that can’t be sorted just not expected, shit happens so they say.

My diabetes isn’t helping and I know I will fail miserably at my  next batch of blood tests, I have been good of late but even that is not helping me with the scourge of my pancreas, I am back on track dietary wise simply because work is 100% full on.

So that’s the blog I’m afraid, simply to get people off my back, yes, I have ideas, I simply don’t have the time to let them form properly and to get them down onto paper so to speak, I cant imagine that I’m the best company at the moment as I sleep most nights away after a small evening meal, so stay alive, stay safe, and there will be something more substantial along soon, so watch the skies for a proper blog coming a long as soon as possible, but until then …………….Toodles!

Calling all the Heroes.

There are some bands that you are simply never going to get to see, no matter what happens the gods simply throw obstacles in the way, I had been given a four track sampler in March of 1986 from a nice person from Virgin Records ( I wish I still had it) of a new band called It Bites I used to get samplers all the time I rarely played them, this one however took my interest as it came with a proper picture sleeve and the band had hair, Ok I was interested, the sampler had three  tracks off the new album and a track called staring at the whitewash, I loved all of the songs I was hooked, however they had (allegedly) just played Newcastle and I had missed them, then my tales of woe had started and I got a menial task with a cleaning company, we occasionally were sent off site down the country to do initial clean ups after contractors had been on site.

I was sent off with some other bods to Bradford in October 1986 to do one such job, when we got there it was bedlam and we were told we had a 24 hour paid holiday go on the lash and enjoy yourself, eight hairy arsed contractors loose in Bradford what could go wrong, well lots actually, I didn’t care for my work mates at this point all short haired “clubbers” there was only one other chap of a similar mind set we split from the pack to see if we could find a rock bar of sorts, we located it but it emptied as we got there, not my broken hoop I can assure you, we got a pint and enquired what was going on to be informed that there was a band on at the university just up the road called “it Bites” we guzzled our pints and headed up to the venue, we got in after some crap at the door (bloody students) just as the band came  on to a crowd of about 100 if it was that, they were fantastic, did about an hour and a bit, played like they were at Wembley arena, this was a band to keep an eye on.

When we met up at the van to travel to the site the next day there was a bunch of black eyes and broken teeth one lad was in hospital ( I never saw him again and we were  there for nearly three weeks) and one had been arrested, they had had an eventful night and they called us worse than shite as we would have fought for them…………..erm NO! I was determined to see It Bites again but whenever they played Newcastle I was screwed either on a shift I couldn’t get out of, or I was away seeing other bands, I did get to see them play the Royal Standard  in London again it coincided with a court date for me and my publisher (the good old days) I had taken a sickie and met up with some peeps, we had a drink or three and jumped around, I have no recollection of the band or anything that resembles  the show, I did enjoy them, I must have, as I broke a bone in my foot and was crippled the next morning. I couldn’t put my boot on and was given a load of sympathy from the court who adjourned the case and told me to go and get some treatment(result). I saw them again in Bradford and at the Astoria in London but yet again missed them at the Riverside in Newcastle.

I saw them support Robert Plant at the city hall in Newcastle, actually that was the gig that I decided to stop drinking when going to see bands as I was carried out by the bouncers and deposited on the steps of the venue thankfully before Robert Plant came on hahaha, I’m only serious LOL! Somebody complained of the drunk who couldn’t move when they were trying to access their seats , I mean I was on the aisle they could have pushed passed, oh dear I was poorly all the way home on the bus, I have no idea how I actually got on  the right bus, some guardian angel probably took pity on me whoever it was thank you, but I wasn’t sick until I got off the bus in Gimpsville!

I finally got to see them headline in Newcastle on the “Eat Me in St Louis” tour in the Mayfair, this time I was sober and thoroughly enjoyed them, although I thought the tap board solo was a tad long, I loved them, go figure. The last time I got to see them was in April 1990, I was away on an educational course for work and they were playing Manchester Apollo I enjoyed the gig but they appeared to have issues with themselves, I do remember them playing a “new” song which was Welcome to the wild country which eventually turned up on Francis Dunnery’s debut solo album, I followed Francis as I liked his voice his style of writing and his guitar playing, even if he had disappeared from these shores.

The rest carried on under the name of Navajo Kiss (dreadful) and then I saw them one last time at the riverside under the name of Sister Sarah ( I had lost interest by now) they simply had taken too long to get back in the spotlight, they resurfaced with John Mitchell about 20 years later and although they were nice albums, they were missing something, I like all the bands John Mitchell has played in and he did a good job, they might have done better under another name! John Beck turned up in Fish’s solo band and did a couple of tours, but he seems to have faded from the spotlight and has endured a few drink related injuries whilst on the road, I hope he gets better.

Their music is still played on a regular basis even the jolly spiffing B sides that weren’t on any albums, I can’t recommend them highly enough, a band that should have been massive, one day I will get to see Francis and his version of the band, as it looks like he now has a claim to the name.

And now we head down the slippery slide to number 500, I had forgotten all about this one as I discovered it in my notes, just as well as the one I intended to write is proving difficult,  my mind is foggy and although some of it is at the front of my brain I will need to confirm some of the facts, dammit I don’t wish to get sued, so enjoy and do whatever you lot are doing as the numbers are damn consistent, watch the skies for incoming, no later than next weekend as it would appear I’m needed at my place of work, so I could be a tad busy in the coming week, so stay safe stay alive and watch the skies for incoming, until then read some of the old ones, but until then………..Toodles!