Whenever i get back to the UK i try to get out for the odd night with my world famous actor nephew Leighton Kyle. So this is an update on our nights out so far.
Cardiff 28/10/11
One week back in the UK from Greece and it was time for my first visit to Cardiff to meet up with Leighton Kyle and the footy boys Daz, Tim and Ian. Unfortunately the footy boys were under orders from their other halves to take them out on the Saturday so they bottled going out on the Friday LOL I understand guys nothing is worth the wrath of a woman.
So it was up to myself and Leighton to keep the Friday tradition going. We started off in a local that had a refurb and very nice it was too. It had a very large beer garden area built with plush seating, TVs and outdoor heating, shame that 90% of the year it chucks it down in the UK. Perhaps pac-a-macs and wellies for hire would have been a better option for the outdoor area.
On to our next regular watering hole The Pen & Wig, the music as we entered was great, so good old school indie. That soon changed within the sip of our first drinks, gone was the music with great lyrics and cool tunes and in slammed this crap thump thump thump brainless dance crap that i was creating with a ZX Spectrum many years ago. Is there anyone with talent in the music world these days? No! haha
After a rubbish period of time on the pub quiz game only winning £2 it was time to move on.
The Live Lounge was our next stop where the band that was playing was OK, I've heard better but at least they were playing and singing live which is very rare these days. A few drinks later it was time to go to our local personal jukebox bar The Old Library. As you may have read before we always end up here as it plays Indie/Rock all night and its usually quiet enough that we use the DJ as our own personal jukebox but on this night it was very very busy. As soon as we got in the music was good so we hit the dance floor where we stayed most of the night. After about an hour the night got a bit bizarre. As i was in mid mosh i felt something clatter in to my ankles, i looked down and there was a guy writhing around on a wet booze covered dance floor. He had slid in from the side on the dance floor and was throwing himself around the floor. At first i thought he was just having a laugh but he was actually trying to seriously breakdance to Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. After a few sly kicks to his kidneys he got up and continued to dance in a 70's disco style to the same song, definately not playing with a full deck. After he had worn his little arms and legs out he disappeared off the dance floor taking his stale beer soaked odour with him.
Not long after freaky dance man had left the dance floor on speeds an older guy riding a mobility scooter and mows his way through to start dancing, in his mobility scooter. First to the right, forward and reverse, then to the left, forward and reverse. Continue this movement through the whole of the song then reverse off the dance floor. The funny thing was he had great moves and had obviously been practicing his mobility scooter manoeuvres in a confined space but the song he was dancing to was "Jump Around", not once did i see that guy jump. If i was voting him on Strictly Come Mobility Scooter he'd get a 4. I was starting to wonder if I'd slipped in to a scene from One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest. My stomach was calling for food so it was time to head home for my usual kebab meat and chips with BBQ sauce and another great Friday night was over.
Bristol 11/11/11
I had missed Adam Ant when he played Cardiff as it was in May and i was in Greece but Leighton had got us tickets for Bristol as Adam Ant had added more dates.
I booked a hotel for the night, so it was going to be a good one. On arrival at the hotel it was very posh, 4 stars and we looked as if we were squatters in the wrong place. Ladies with furs and skirt suits, guys with Armani trousers and Ralph Lauren shirts, where as we were in t-shirts with skulls on and jeans with rips in, i think we brought a touch of class to the place myself LOL.
We checked in, got our room cards and off we went. On entering the room i thought they had given us the wrong keys and we had entered the broom cupboard. Our view out the window was of a wall and flat roof with a bin bag on it and just below the window ledge was guttering. 1 foot above my bed the wallpaper was peeling off badly and Leighton's bed sheets had holes in them. I guess they took one look at us and thought "yep, they get the worse room in the hotel". Wasn't a problem though, you only sleep and shower in a room after all.
We popped out for a pint and some food as soon as we got there. We went to a nice little bar called The Elephant. Now, when we go out its usually raining and we get ripped off at some point and today was no different. We had good food and pints were nice, we had a deal 2 meals for 1, both meals were 8.95 and 2 pints so i was expecting a bill around £14, nope £19.50, one pint was over £4 and service charge was £2.50. Note to self, check bill don't just pay.
We headed back for a siesta to let our food settle ready for the night ahead. 7.30pm we headed off towards the o2 Academy where the gig was. There was still an hour before Adam Ant was about to start so we popped in to a friendly pub with a friendly name "The Hatchet inn". It was an old style pub with slate floor tiles and wooden beams with rock music playing, fantastic! In there were people who were going to the gig all dressed in different versions of Adam Ant also along side them stood the old school punks as Adam originally started off as a punk before becoming an Indian, dandy highwayman and prince.
I must say though, when you see a 50+ year old punk with a beer belly sporting a pink thinning mohican, anarchy t-shirt and chaos armband it is less intimidating. In saying all that it was a relaxed atmosphere as everyone in there was there for the music and the beer.
Time for the gig to begin so we headed over and got or place near the front but the place was packed out so we ducked dived our way through. On came the man himself and straight away it was like being back in the 80's, all the flare and showmanship of when he first hit the scene with Kings of the wild Frontier. Music was spot on, voice didn't sound any different and he had the awesome double drummers that gives all his songs that amazing sound. From start to finish the fans didn't let up, after every song a huge cheer and if he had played on for another 2 hours i don't think anyone would have got bored. Amazing and loved it. There was the odd problem with fans in front of me as I'm short. One woman kept her arms up swaying them back and forth for most the concert which was a pain so she got the odd elbow in the ribs and another was dancing side to side and put her stiletto heel through my toes more than once, that hurt. In all, the concert didn't have any crowd trouble and we all left happy to go back to The Hatchet Inn. In the bar we sat down and had a good laugh and a good drink, Leighton's memory of lyrics of songs is crazy, i can just about remember the lyrics to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star LOL. Such a shame such a great bar isn't in Cardiff. Its a long way to go to listen to proper music in a friendly atmosphere. People just started talking to us for no reason and shaking our hand when they left. Really good night finished off again with Kebab meat and chips with BBQ sauce.
A few Adam Ant Concert pics.
On leaving the gig we were handed numerous flyer's for live acts coming to Bristol over Christmas and a few of them i wouldn't mind seeing. These are the ones that caught my eye the most. Obviously to make more money some people are now becoming solo artists singing songs of bands to save splitting the money which is a great ideaJake That, if you missed Take That on tour this is the next best thing.
If you like the songs of Iron Maiden but want to listen to them a bit more laid back then Brian Maiden's your man.
Pour some sugar on me with the sweet sound of Geoff Leopard.
And deservedly voted the 5th best Pet Shop Boys Tribute act, classic Pet Shop Boys but without the huge electric bill.
I'm heading off to my fourth home tomorrow Simbec. Got another medical study to take part in so its a few days of needles, 4 meals a day and newspapers in bed, its a hard life LOL
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