weekend 1/2 December 07

[ramtops]

Was topped out by a Show of Hands gig last night. Regular readers will know that this is one of my absolute favourite bands, particularly live - we have seen them loads of times.

About 10 days ago, Steve Knightly, one of the Hands announced that his 6 year old son, Jack, had leukaemia. The first four dates of the tour were cancelled, then Phil and Miranda (the others) picked it up and did the show on their own. No problem with that - seen him and Miranda many times, and it's always an excellent evening.

As it happens, Jack is in Bristol Children's Hospital, so Steve actually did the gig last night (the only night of the tour he is performing) - and what an evening. Palpable emotion from audience and stage, and Steve's solo encore brought tears to many hoary old eyes. Including mine.

I Promise You
I promise you long days
I promise you summer twilight
I promise you soft waves

But first we must bear
The winter

I promise you blue skies
I promise you the rolling moors
I promise you barefoot sunrise
I promise you open doors

But first we must bear
The winter

The rain and the gates
And the frost and the hail
The hard biting nails
Of winter

I promise you light returning
I promise you hope reborn
I promise you gentle mornings
I promise you new dawn

But first we must bear
The winter


Great night. If good will could make Jack better, then he will be better.

The rest of the weekend was fairly spodding, due to this horrible cold. We lazed in front of PotC 3 yesterday afternoon, pausing to eat pigeon pie with roast potatoes, sprouts (yes, I LIKE THEM, ok?) and red cabbage, then home made cheese scones.

Went down to Axbridge on Saturday to collect a tuner/amp very kindly offered by an acquaintance, which is now cabled up with some old Sony speakers from the garage. No word from the insurance company on television, amplifier and speakers, which probably bodes a bit.

That's it. I'm done.

Comments

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

I think Show of Hands are brilliant, and ended up seeing them twice in the same weekend in August, once at Cropredy and once with The Levellers at Regents Park (http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_magician/sets/72157601455798132/)

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

Hah! perlmonger and I were at that Regents Park gig. First time I'd seen The Levellers - not sure if I liked them or no.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Darn, it would have been nice to have met up and say hello ... I was about five rows back in the middle (just a couple of rows behind the drunken female couple that started smoking early on and had to be stopped by security) and strangely enough I was snapping away with my camera :-)

I thought the first act were very good (though I can't recall who they were, but it was something like The Hansons) ...

... but I agree with you that it was the first time *I'd* seen the Levellers and while they seemed to be having a fun time, and the people bouncing around down the front and throwing bottles on the grassy stage area etc. were having a great time, personally I started hoping they'd finish soon so I could go home and unpack my camping stuff ...

[ramtops.livejournal.com]

The Levellers did seem to attract a more, er, boisterous element, didn't they?

We were towards the left as you looked at the stage.