Saints Alive

We’re heading for Southampton and we’re late. I won’t go into the reasons. The radio session with Power FM has had to be cancelled and the woman on the desk at the travel lodge is not exactly helpful. And yes it really is a bloody long way. We get directions from St Mary’s stadium, naturally Peter Crouch gets mentioned [as there’s only one Rodney Trotter], and arrive at Joiners around 5pm. This bit of town looks like Salford precinct! Whatever happened to the affluent south? We feel kind of at home in a worried about getting the gear robbed kind of way. We’re met by Sebastian and things fall into place, there’s a Kenneth Williams poster amongst several comedic icons that Sebastian has used in posters for the gig and very fine they look too. Sebastian is an aficionado of the golden era of British comedic greats and has written and researched his subject in depth. He’s even in touch with peoples estates!He knows most of what there is to know about Hancock, Rossiter and Howard to name but a few. 'A right old enthusiast' as Ben aptly notes but in a good way. After the sound check I end up waffling away to him about Billy Liar [I overdo the detail as usual and try not to sound like some film geek in need of praise and reassurance], I also listen to Sebastian recounting the tragic lives of the funny-sad men we know and love, all fascinating stuff. Then after some superb pasta we head back to the hotel to slob out a bit and do nothing. Ben and I are sharing a room,it feels nice to have the space away from the venue. Ben watches gardening programmes on TV while I attempt to book tickets on-line with Mike for our Swedish dates [see tour diary]. This takes pretty much forever. We return to Joiners in time to catch some of the supports though I miss most of them as I have to fix a guitar bridge and reset the intonation…[no guitar techs in this band I'm afraid...all strictly DIY]. We do the gig and it goes pretty well, the crowd are in the main fairly quiet, attentive and respectful until I mention football, then all hell breaks out. It’s going to be touch and go at the end of the season for the Saints. Afterwards it’s good to meet up with people including some West Ham fans who claim we [Aston Villa] stole their kit, now there’s a thing. Hmmm...I seem to be mentioning football a lot. Then we’re signing loads of Sebastian’s posters and drifting away into the night to the hotel bar and later to rooms for more of the Rourke Ipod. It’s good to see Karina and Sid again both down from Aldershot which I thought was close but turns out to be an hour away. Thanks to Karina for the menthol filters, I really must curb my emerging weed habit, at rate I’ll get addicted. Next day it's an eight hour bank holiday drive home, Ben at the wheel, a right old stamina test it was too [so thanks Ben from all of us], VPx