Blu Bar Wed 3rd Mar

Always further than you think Rhyl is one of those places that feel like they should be just down the road when in fact it's bloody miles away; and I'm late for the sound check. The Blu Bar is already filling up with a young metal-goth crowd most of whom are here to see GINTIS [sounding like a punk rock pink Floyd with a great line in moog oscillation]. A couple have bought a copy of Ironing the Soul with them for signing which is nice. They also buy Growing Up with after the show so Mike and Rachel...this man salutes you with appreciation and gratitude. As the night moves on I'm surprised just how busy the [youth!] club gets. GINTIS play for 40minutes to great acclaim and wild old school hippy dancing, the kind Dave Berrick made his own in Bromsgrove in the late 1970's. It's 11.30 when I finally get on stage after the bizarre removal of my effects pedals by an over zealous stage hand [somebody's mum tidying up apparently]. The pedals are returned, apologies exchanged and off we go. As it happens it turns out to be a great little gig, people are up for it, listen, laugh and there's a crowd when its all over at the CD stall. So taken by surprise am I that I end up giving away far more stuff than I should. I take a wrong turn out of Rhyl and find myself crawling up the coast road at 1pm in a kind of trance looking for the elusive A55 and numb to the digital numbers,numb 2,3,4,5,6, lost in a faraway slumber, where the oil drums are beaten with sticks...John Cooper Clarke egh, don't you just love him, VPx