Stamps

It’s a year since I played here and it must be said very little has changed which has to be a good thing. The decor is splendidly down at heel despite the recent paint job, the atmosphere is getting there. There are less people here than expected but give it time, it’s not exactly going out weather but that’s never stopped us before. I’m talking with Steve Roberts here, as the torrents flood past the front door and the mobile signal dies. Steve is something of a cultural attaché for song writing in these parts and has done more for the city of culture than any number of woebegone city council laminated types. He’s also a great singer songwriter in his own right. Tonight sharing the bill with yours truly is poet James Davidson who delivers some fierce and tender poems with great passion and eloquence and for a minute Stamps feels like The Gaslight in New York City circa 1965, James is Allen Ginsberg and I’m Bob Dylan waiting in the wings, robbing everyone’s records and turning my back on the audience. This feeling, unsurprisingly, doesn’t last. James finishes his set and I’m thinking I wished I did more gigs with poets because I like them and James is an exceptional talent. He reads it like he lives it. His poem ‘Vocation’ about being on the dole and managing the not altogether subtle pressures of family seemed especially poignant to me. I remember it like it was yesterday. After the gig we swop merch. His book is called Littering, he can be reached at jdavidson4@hotmail.com So don’t hesitate now just do it. As the venue fills up I’m touched to see so many familiar faces which is great but also something of a challenge as anyone who does this kind of thing will tell you it’s harder playing to people you know…especially when they know you as well as some of these people know me. I think I wing in the end. I certainly enjoy the gig, I end up not trying out as much of the new stuff as I’d planned to. Last minute apprehension gets the better of me. Of the new ones I do S.A.D. and Revolt into Style go down pretty well. I’m still ending the set with Calm Me Down after all this time which is also causing me concern…in a neurotic self self self kind of way, that frankly doesn’t really matter as much as I think it might. On that note and on any other come to think of it I bid you goodnight, VPx