it runs like clockwork

6th February 2009 Friday

Hi thought you would like to know the gig last Friday ran like clockwork. It was fantastic and wearing our corporate band hat everyone was very pleased with the evening and the performance. Apart from the food and refreshments but as I have mentioned before this often creates horrendous problems when it should just be very simple. Anyway the details about our food experiences are worthy of a whole blog on their own so I will enter that shortly.

Our sound engineers who act as roadies and drive the van are fantastic lads they are supplied to us by JSS Audio, York (link to them on our website) and I would recommend anyone to use this company as it is very ably run by Jem who likes everyone to think he is a real toughie but I think he is a big pussycat really .... gosh, if he reads this he might not be so nice to me next time ... eeeeeek.

Our roadies picked up all the gear and then I drove Helen and Ann to the gig whilst the boys came in Mikes car.

When we arrived at the hotel we were suitably impressed, it was a large hotel overlooking a beautiful lake. The Ballroom was at the back of the hotel with doors leading straight into the carpark for loading all the gear directly onto the stage. We love it when the loading and unloading is easy, you would'nt believe how difficult it can be sometimes and what people expect us to do. It has been known for punters to expect us to lug gear up two flights of stairs in a building with no lift. Nowadays we dont accept gigs like that, too much like hard work. Besides the boys would have a fit if I even dared to suggest they did that. The PA system and all the monitors are very heavy!

The hotel very kindly gave us two bedrooms for changing which was most welcome. Often we have 4 - 5 hours from setting the gear on the stage to actually playing the gig. So to have a nice place to sit for that time is essential but sadly doesnt always happen. But this night it did. Sooo hooray to the Hotel for that.

We have two female lead singers that we use and this night they both performed. We finally got on stage at about 10.30 having finished setting up at 5.30 .... long night. The band at this time sometimes feel like going to sleep from boredom, just as they are expected to go on stage, but the minute they are on stage and playing the adrenalin kicks in and they could play for hours.

The band was so well received everyone loved them and you can always judge the success of a band by how full the dancefloor is and that night the floor was full all night long.

Our sound engineers did a wonderful job for us a usual and a good time was had by all. We finished at 1.30 a.m. and because the loading out was so easy we were in our cars and on our way home by 2.10 a.m.

It should have taken us about an hour to get back to Boroughbridge but unfortunately the A1 maintenance people had decided to close a large section of the road that night and we were sent on a huge detour which we were not familiar with at all and in typical British fashion the detour signs ran out after the first few miles ... we could have been anywhere ... hooray for Sat Nav ... it found our way home for us.

A very weary band but a good night behind us. Well worth all the effort.

I crawled into bed at about 3.45 a.m. trying very hard not to wake my husband and thinking is this all worth it maybe its time I stopped being a 'rock chick' but it took me all of 45 seconds to decide ... Nah, I love it far too much to even consider not doing it.

Goodnight everyone .....