how it all went and stuff!
Our first gig since returning from this years Creetown Country Music Festival up in Scotland brings us to The Minstrel public house in Chorley.
I played here a couple of months back with Brass Routes and remembered that best place to park for unloading the gear was in the car park at the back of the pub. However the back of the pub is completely inaccessible in a car from the front. So ensued a 10 minute drive trying to get around the back, which we eventually found just when we weren't expecting it!
Setting up was simple enough as the stage area is just through the back door via a small 'conservatory' area.
Unfortunately (for us!) , a 'Help For Heroes' event had been arranged at the club down the road and Dennis ( Landlord Nick's Dad), informed us that most of his regular punters would be attending that function (hey - it's a good cause so no gripes and we've done one of those ourselves!).
The clientele in on the night were a mixed bunch from the young lads playing snooker in the adjacent room to some older dedicated country music fans seated in the main room.
There was a problem with the sound in the first spot - the main vocals weren't loud enough! You tend to forget sometimes - this ain't rock and roll ( well ok some of it is actually!) and your average country music fan needs to hear the song lyrics.
Hopefully the sound gremlins had been sorted out on set two ( Dennis told us it was much better), and after kicking off with our Steve Earle medley of Nowhere Road/Hillbilly Highway we were into a country groove! ( One guy at the bar wanted more Steve Earle - we didn't know any - ok we could've delivered a rough version of Copperhead Road if pressed... but hopefully we'll have a few more in the set by the time we come to play The Minstrel again).
We got them all singing along to 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' and had a request for 'Bad Things' ( the theme to vampire saga 'True Blood') from Nick (via Dennis!).
We finished off with rocker 'High Class Lady' and were asked to do some Johnny Cash for an encore - we obliged with 'Ring Of Fire'!
So overall a really good night which could've been great with a bigger crowd. Hopefully that'll all be rectified when we return early in the new year!
Thanks to Dennis and Nick for the great hospitality!
