Just before nine the next morning, I headed off for a short stint on the merch stand with the rest of the Web UK. The rush must have come the previous evening as it never got to an unmanageable level. At one point, we were all able to stand back and eavesdrop on one of 'Team A' as he flourished a messenger bag at a potential punter with the words, 'Now, I don't really need to sell this bag to you, as it sells itself...' He got a round of applause from the entire room for his skillz!
As we headed off to the large venue where we were to hold the now traditional pub quiz, I received the following:
Nice! But a part of me did want to be there. Text messaging is very useful and a boon for sure, but it's nothing like being there. I had half a worry that, with Olivia being not even three weeks old, during my five days away, she'd forget about me.
The quiz was incredible, and I don't say that simply because a few of the people who assisted in doing the marking read this blog, but because it's never gone so smoothly before. The venue was better, the PA was clear, we had the marking down to a fine art and we even slipped in a few funnies that actually got laughs! The team that won are our mates, and won the previous convention's quiz too, but it wasn't a fix; they're just really anoraky. We've come up with a way to ensure they don't win the next one by getting them to set the questions. They've already said they want to do a round called 'Whose Fart Is It Anyway' in which they play Marillion songs on a keyboard loaded with a sample of someone breaking wind... It'll be a scream.
After another shift on the merch, there was time to get a quick change of clothes and head off for the evening show . First though, there was just time for a medicinal pint with G_____ and A___ who co-ordinated the merch organisation and some chat about Olivia. I don't think it was even me that brought her up either, but I was glad to speak about her. It's lovely how of our friends have embraced Olivia. I don't just mean cooing and saying she's beautiful (though she certainly is) but taking to G_____, it was very touching to hear how even our friends who don't want kids for themselves have felt an attachment to her and how they are looking forward to meeting her.
The theme for Saturday's show (we missed the support band again) was 'covers and rarities'. I wasn't struck with all of the covers, to be honest, but it was only a couple of tracks in a setlist full of never & rarely played numbers and some choices that were absolute genius. Keane's Bedshaped was one - it was the standout track on their first album anyway and the addition of guitar made a great song even better.
Their own The Bell in the Sea was a track that many fans had been requesting for a long time and it was wonderful to hear it, and ditto two tracks from the era of their first singer, Fish; Blind Curve and the Warm Wet Circles trilogy (even if there was no singing on the first part, Hotel Hobbies, for some reason).
It was none of these tracks that made the biggest impression on me. It was a track by a band that I am to a large degree indifferent; REM. I sometimes feel that I should like REM, but most of the time, I feel about them much as I do about the UK's similarly lauded The Smiths; great band, but the singer's voice makes me want to punch myself in the face until unconsciousness ensues...
Possibly, then, it was just the change of singer that did it, because the Marillos did a pretty faithful cover version of Everybody Hurts (which I freely admit is a great song anyway, with no caveats attached) but all I know is that I started thinking about K___ and Olivia and how I was missing them. In my mind's... I was going to say 'eye', but I suppose 'my mind's finger' is probably more accurate, however stupid it may sound... so, in my mind's finger, I could feel Olivia's tiny cheek under my touch, specifically when she is crying and I'm attempting to soothe her. I suppose I lost track of the song to a large extent, but by the time it reached the final chords, there were silent tears running down my cheeks and try as I might, I couldn't stop for much longer than I would have preferred. Hugs from various friends, L___, V____ and S________ were much appreciated.
My friend M___ later said he'd been crying too as had quite a few others. It's difficult to reveal that a song has made you weep, not least because of 'real men don't cry' fucktitude, and also because saying, 'Marillion played a song and it made me cry' rather invites 'I would probably feel the same way if I had to listen to one of their songs'* but I'm not ashamed.
The rest of the set was in a slightly more up-tempo vein and lead singer Steve Hogarth coming out for a cover of Abba's Money Money Money in drag had the crowd in tears of laughter. A cover of the greatest and most daft prog song ever, the wonk-eyed monster that is Hocus Pocus by Focus was the set ender we could never have hoped for, but it was slightly marred as K___ (and other missing girlfriends from our group) really should have been there for it. The crowd went mad, especially the Cloggies, as Focus were/ are Dutch.
Again, a completely wonderful day, but there was that big hole in it again.
As we headed off to the large venue where we were to hold the now traditional pub quiz, I received the following:
Floodgates open.
Rivers of poo.
Five so far today.
Bet you wish you
were here!
Rivers of poo.
Five so far today.
Bet you wish you
were here!
Nice! But a part of me did want to be there. Text messaging is very useful and a boon for sure, but it's nothing like being there. I had half a worry that, with Olivia being not even three weeks old, during my five days away, she'd forget about me.
The quiz was incredible, and I don't say that simply because a few of the people who assisted in doing the marking read this blog, but because it's never gone so smoothly before. The venue was better, the PA was clear, we had the marking down to a fine art and we even slipped in a few funnies that actually got laughs! The team that won are our mates, and won the previous convention's quiz too, but it wasn't a fix; they're just really anoraky. We've come up with a way to ensure they don't win the next one by getting them to set the questions. They've already said they want to do a round called 'Whose Fart Is It Anyway' in which they play Marillion songs on a keyboard loaded with a sample of someone breaking wind... It'll be a scream.
After another shift on the merch, there was time to get a quick change of clothes and head off for the evening show . First though, there was just time for a medicinal pint with G_____ and A___ who co-ordinated the merch organisation and some chat about Olivia. I don't think it was even me that brought her up either, but I was glad to speak about her. It's lovely how of our friends have embraced Olivia. I don't just mean cooing and saying she's beautiful (though she certainly is) but taking to G_____, it was very touching to hear how even our friends who don't want kids for themselves have felt an attachment to her and how they are looking forward to meeting her.
The theme for Saturday's show (we missed the support band again) was 'covers and rarities'. I wasn't struck with all of the covers, to be honest, but it was only a couple of tracks in a setlist full of never & rarely played numbers and some choices that were absolute genius. Keane's Bedshaped was one - it was the standout track on their first album anyway and the addition of guitar made a great song even better.
Their own The Bell in the Sea was a track that many fans had been requesting for a long time and it was wonderful to hear it, and ditto two tracks from the era of their first singer, Fish; Blind Curve and the Warm Wet Circles trilogy (even if there was no singing on the first part, Hotel Hobbies, for some reason).
It was none of these tracks that made the biggest impression on me. It was a track by a band that I am to a large degree indifferent; REM. I sometimes feel that I should like REM, but most of the time, I feel about them much as I do about the UK's similarly lauded The Smiths; great band, but the singer's voice makes me want to punch myself in the face until unconsciousness ensues...
Possibly, then, it was just the change of singer that did it, because the Marillos did a pretty faithful cover version of Everybody Hurts (which I freely admit is a great song anyway, with no caveats attached) but all I know is that I started thinking about K___ and Olivia and how I was missing them. In my mind's... I was going to say 'eye', but I suppose 'my mind's finger' is probably more accurate, however stupid it may sound... so, in my mind's finger, I could feel Olivia's tiny cheek under my touch, specifically when she is crying and I'm attempting to soothe her. I suppose I lost track of the song to a large extent, but by the time it reached the final chords, there were silent tears running down my cheeks and try as I might, I couldn't stop for much longer than I would have preferred. Hugs from various friends, L___, V____ and S________ were much appreciated.
My friend M___ later said he'd been crying too as had quite a few others. It's difficult to reveal that a song has made you weep, not least because of 'real men don't cry' fucktitude, and also because saying, 'Marillion played a song and it made me cry' rather invites 'I would probably feel the same way if I had to listen to one of their songs'* but I'm not ashamed.
The rest of the set was in a slightly more up-tempo vein and lead singer Steve Hogarth coming out for a cover of Abba's Money Money Money in drag had the crowd in tears of laughter. A cover of the greatest and most daft prog song ever, the wonk-eyed monster that is Hocus Pocus by Focus was the set ender we could never have hoped for, but it was slightly marred as K___ (and other missing girlfriends from our group) really should have been there for it. The crowd went mad, especially the Cloggies, as Focus were/ are Dutch.
Again, a completely wonderful day, but there was that big hole in it again.
* Incidentally, if anyone is intrigued to actually hear this band that I keep banging on about, you might want to check out their Crash Course cds. As long as you're not already on their mailing list, they'll send you a free eight track CD full of gems. I won't promise it's for everyone, because it isn't, but if you appreciate well-crafted, excellently played and emotive rock music, then please check 'em out - and let me know what you think!
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