I was born in Birkenhead, St. Caths hospital, but haven’t lived there for a long time and I’m always a bit freaked out when I go back. My first job was hitting bits of metal at Cammel Lairds. I was great at that as you can imagine…
The area round Hamilton Square hasn’t changed much since the first band I was in used to practice around there, but it seems kind of ghostly. The square itself is beautiful and elegant and I looked fondly toward the courthouse where as a pup of 18 I was fined twice in 3 months for drunk & disorderly behaviour. I was not guilty one of those times. Oh the shame.
The Pacific Road Arts Centre is a great place and has the finest backstage area EVER. It is a tram and olde double decker bus workshop and museum. It also houses KGB music fine luthiers and guitar repairers. I bought my 12 string guitar from them a few years ago.
While we were waiting to soundcheck I had a funny turn (no not like Torville & Dean on hot ice) and went partially blind! This has happened a few times since I lost my glasses and bought a pair of those cheapo ones you can pick up without prescription. I have to get my eyes checked out before I lose it completely. Anyway the bar opened and I got better….
The first band on played some lovely soothing sounds and were quite lovely people. I’m afraid I can’t remember what they were called though…. I think this may have something to do with the pipe of peace they so kindly shared with us after the gig. I will investigate and report back. I think they are signed to Probe Plus.
I LOVE playing with The Bank of England. Martyn, Chris and Steve, I have the best time on stage with them than I ever had with a band. We’re a pretty loose combo in that we don’t rehearse together often but we groove man.
The place was about half full as we played. Nigel from Halmanhalf Biscuit was watching which added to my fun as he I have to confess is a hero of mine. Don’t know if he enjoyed us as you can’t ask him things like that, it would be…….. wrong.
Set list
Holy Moses
Speke to Waterloo
Little Bird
Taking It All To Heart
Your Papers Please
Heartbreak
Ballad of Alaska
King of The Swingers
The last one we had decided to do as I’ve now got a ukulele and Martyn and Chris had the backing vocals down pat. Mean kazzoo solo by Mart too.
We seemed to go down great and sold a few CDs. Someone said she thought we were fascists because of our name!
Jegsy is a legend and his poems are truthful and funny. Grumpy Old Men, Student Types, Pete Marsh, Only Football Can Break Your Heart, all of them classics. His band were great too and his crowd loved him.
Back to Liverpool and a few drinks. Rolled into bed and rolled out again 5 hours later to go into Radio Merseyside to play a couple of songs on Billy Butler’s show. Aaaaaggghh. I was seriously brain dead and this was my first time promoting the Captain Pop record. I managed to stumble through the interview thanks to Billy’s charm and professionalism and sang, not too badly, Falling Apart and Runaway from Shut Up & Sing. Billy played Waiting For The Storm To Come from the album, thankfully, as I couldn’t have hit the high notes if you’d lifted me up on a ladder.
Thanks to Jegsy for inviting me to play.
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