Marlborough Theatre On The Hill Sun March 6th

Another venue where we’ve been re-booked from last time, and another venue where there’s been a late jump in ticket sales. When we played here before we were only the second act to play this brand-new facility, and we had to deal with some teething troubles, such as the fact that they didn’t actually have any three-phase power in the theatre so we had to hire in a big old cable and run the mains in from another part of the building. This time they DO have the three-phase power in the theatre…but they don’t have any of the adapters to step it down to single phase power, which is what we actually need. As it’s a Sunday, there’s no chance of going to one of the supply houses to get one, so Arthur has to dig out the calculator and work out if we can run the whole show off 13amp sockets if we spread the load around enough. The answer is yes, but just, and there’s a moment reminiscent of the scene from Apollo 13 where Gary Sinise is attempting to see how many support systems the crippled spaceship can run. One by one we flick switches, hold our breath….and eventually everything’s working. The whole thing could be totally derailed by an injudiciously switched – on kettle, however, so we set armed guards on the kitchen and make the band wash in cold water in case the hot showers trip the fuses. In fact, as the theatre is actually in a school, the cold showers bring back happy memories of days being thrashed by sadistic games masters, double Latin and nights in the dorm with Fotherington-Smallpiece Minor…but that’s a whole other blog. The small stage and low stage roof make this an intimate place to play, but it’s also a bugger to get a decent onstage sound as the noise rackets around everywhere and the only answer is to turn down, which really goes against the grain. Ironically the sound in the main auditorium is great, but up here it’s a different issue. There’s also the matter of the big gap between the stage and the first row of seats; but as the audience know what to expect this time round we’re hoping that this doesn’t cause us any problems. Kate and Mike from the venue are doing a sterling job, providing us with all the backup we need as well as copious amounts of tea and cakes, and despite the worry about the hair-trigger power situation we’re looking forward to tonight’s show. Last time here we had a smallish crowd but they totally went for it, and we had an unscheduled appearance of Spirit In The Sky as an encore too, so there’s definitely an air of anticipation about tonight. From the first number everything seems to go well, but as the first set progresses we the feeling we’re getting is more of warm appreciation than the looney – tunes abandon of the previous visit. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, and there are loads more people here than before, but it’s just a bit….restrained, somehow. Things do seem to pick up in the second half, but then a really weird thing happens. What we normally do in the Sixties party sequence is get almost to the end before Steve gives them the hard word about getting up and dancing. Tonight, though, Den points out the big space on the dancefloor before Green Onions and suggests everyone uses it. Sure enough there’s a rush to the front where some serious frugging starts to take place, but a lot of the other folks stay in their seats, and when Steve does his “ get up “ bit only a few more actually do; it’s as though there are two audiences, one who want to dance their collective nadgers off and one who just want to sit and watch. It’s all fine but as I say, compared to the last visit it’s very different. The demand for an encore is totally genuine, though, and sure enough the band oblige once again with Spirit In The Sky, which has Tomps and I indulging our inner air-guitarist. It’s as kick-arse as ever ( sorry, can’t do “ kick ass “…it’s just SOOOO American ), and suddenly we’re seeing glimpses of 2010, but then the lads are bowing and coming offstage and it’s all over…..there’s been no Walk Alone, and we’re left having to scramble to jump through the slides and cue up the closing VT insert. Turns out that Den’s voice was starting to go, and as Walk Alone is at the top end of his range he felt it made sense to cut it. It’s not made a difference to the audience, though…they’ve loved it, and the feedback we’re getting is even better than last time. Everyone’s happy as we start to load out into a bitterly cold night, but our spirits are soon dampened when it becomes apparent that Nick’s van is ALSO in trouble, and won’t start. When I finally look back over this farrago that I call a career, I’ll see some fabulous highlights, some great gigs, some amazing people and some willing farm animals. I can, however, state with absolute certainty that way, way down the pantheon of memories will be the recollection of trying to bump start a Sprinter van down a hill outside a school on a freezing cold Wiltshire night. We finally get both the poorly vehicles going, and set out for London. What could possibly go wrong…..?