I'm not usually one for using the word Wow, or indeed the word Awesome, but both completely fit in this particular case!
On Sunday evening I took my car loaded with mine and Ryan James's musical equipment down to The Garage, Uplands. It's a fairly unasuming looking venue, with more chewing gum on the carpet than anywhere else I've ever seen. We were greeted by a sound engineer who was trying to open up one of the monitor speakers as it had stopped working. We got everything in, and started setting up on the small, but perfectly formed, stage. We then got on with moving tables about, giving the place a bit more sense of occasion, and scattering the tables with flyers, business cards and the obligatory origami birds crafted by Ryan himself.
Ryan's soundcheck was not without its trials and hiccups, including the moment he got scared by the sound engineer speaking to him through the PA - the photo is priceless! My soundcheck by contrast was quick and easy, as was Rachel Rimmer's.
Rachel's set was beautiful, a lush mix of originals and covers, that really suited the early evening and the building mood of excitement of what was to come. During her set, I got the nicest surprise, Anne-Marie Helder, lead singer of Panic Room, and winner, for the second year running, of Best Female Vocalist in the Classic Rock Presents Prog Readers' Poll, walked in! She said hello to Ryan, they've known eachother for years and have worked together, then to me. She stayed for the whole evening, listening attentively to my set, complimenting me on my songwriting and singing afterwards, then chatting to me about Ryan and his set which she, and the rest of the room were rightly blown away by.
I know people will say I'm biased, I am touring with him after all, but I have never met anyone as bold as Ryan when it comes to personal expression through music. The poem he opened his set with was a real call to arms, an elloquent war cry to all those who have struggled with love, but still chose to wear their heart on their sleeve. The video is available here: Army of the Loveless
An amazing set of amazing original songs and a few completely leftfield covers followed, and I was left elated, and exausted at the thought of what I've let myself in for!
Since then, I've been working hard on getting ready for Friday's gig at The Grain Barge, Hotwell Road, Bristol. Can not wait to see all the Bristol lovelies out in force, it will be amazing!
I'll write more soon, but for now, I'll leave you with a line from my song Division Street "Every morning I throw the curtains wide, to watch my flowers fill, the divide".
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