I know, it has been a while hasn't it? Many internet gremlins have stopped my updates recently, but we're finally back...well for now at least!
I'll admit it, 8 months in and I've covered a variety of experiences but carrying on to the end of the year seemed a harder task than I'd like to admit. It's easy to say "12 tasks, pah! That's easy!" But getting around to doing them is something totally different. I'm not making excuses, but on top of these experiences I have also been busy reviving my online Punk webzine (which is a lot of work for one person) and assisting a local Ska band sell their merch at shows - which has been a busy schedule since August, hence the delay in updates and what leads me on to August's experience...
AUGUST - 'EXPERIENCE A NEW FESTIVAL'
Anyone that knows me would tell you how much I love music. Be it live shows, listening to my ipod or boring my friends by going on and on about how great a recent album I've heard is and why they should have it in their collection - like yesterday! I've done the major UK Festivals a few times now, heavy rock/metal festival 'Download' x 3 & 'Reading Festival' x 3. This year it was time for a change, and with the local Ska band added to a 4 day all punk/ska festival in Blackpool titled 'Rebellion, how could I resist?!
No free entry and backstage passes this time. That's for band members only. But for a 4 day punk riot it was only 70 pounds! On top of that I had booked my accommodation in advance, well I say accommodation it was hardly the 'Hilton' but a local 'B&B' not far from the venue.
The first night we arrived in Blackpool, it was already 10.30pm, so we decided to go and check out the venue - grab a beer and watch some bands. We finally left at 1am, I thought this would be fine to go and grab my room key and crash out after a long day - I almost ended up sleeping in the van with the band...almost. I typed the address in to my phones maps application and started to wonder off in to the night with my hand raised above my head looking like Spock on the search for new life forms. I eventually stumbled on to the 'B&B's street - it looked pretty close to the image I saw on Google Maps - enough for me to go on at 1am!
I walked up the stairs leading to the front door and got a shock when the door was locked. 'Shit, was I meant to come earlier? I'm sure he said "we're open 24/7"' I thought to myself, thinking that any minute I'd be on the phone to the band asking to sleep in the back next to the amps and guitar cases. Apparently the B&B was 24/7 accessable, you just had to collect your key at a reasonable time on the first night. Whoops!
So like the scene from 'Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade' i blow cold air in to my sweaty palms and reach for the door bell. 'I'm sure he won't mind, I surely can't be the first who's done this???....right??' I see a shadow of a huge guy walking towards the front door and think 'shit, i'm dead'.
'Hello' he says wiping his eyes and standing there in his boxer shorts.
'Erm. Hi. I have a room booked tonight?!'
'Aah. You must be Warren!'
'Yep, sorry if it's a little late' I reply, hoping he's not just about to tell me to take a walk.
He grabs the room key and I follow him up the stairs towards my room. Also getting an eye full from behind as his boxers aren't quite that fitting. Not quite the great end to a long day that I was hoping for!
I apologise for waking him and he wonders back downstairs to lock up as I enter my room. Now the UK has been 'no smoking' indoors for sometime now, but maybe the last guest thought the rules didn't apply to him, and my room stinks of cigarettes. Not ideal for an asthmatic! Time to open a window. No, it's not double glazing, but looks like If I go to open the window it's bound to fall out and I think Paul (Boxer shorts host) won't be too happy about that! Anyway, this room needs fresh air so I open the window, push up and realise there isn't any 'latches' to keep the window open - only a small piece of wood - how high tech! Unfort. this doesn't support the window as much as I was hoping and the window soon comes down with a thud, probably waking most of the guests up at 1.30am, and letting them all know I've arrived. Can't wait to meet them all at breakfast tomorrow! :(
I wake up around 9am, head downstairs at 9.30 and it seems a little quiet. I really must of pissed the guests off last night. Not really. It turns out breakfast is between 7-8, not really my ideal time - so I go without and munch on a muffin bar I found squashed at the bottom of my bag. The bathroom wasn't much better. It wasn't until I got out of the shower that I realised Paul had kindly given me a hand towel and not a full size towel. I felt like I was a giant! Once the 'turbo' watering can flow of water called a shower was done, I walked back to my room and got changed. The room had a small basin, TV and a cupboard which felt like it was going to collapse at any minute. More paper based than wood that's for sure!
I decide to go to the toilet before leaving the B&B, which is handy as it's only next to my room. One or the only perks. I try to get back in to my room and have seemed to find myself stuck outside my own room - locked out! Ah great, time to visit Paul again.
I finally get myself together and go and meet the guys in the band at the car park about 10mins from where I'm staying. It looks like most of them have had a rough night. Bleary eyed I feel a bit bad standing there with my bacon roll freshly made from a coffee shop while they tuck into some cereal bars. We make a move back to the venue to catch day 2 of the action and the whole four days was incredible. I checked out a vast mix of bands and genre's within those four days, drank many beers, many pints of water the day after to aid the hangovers and met some fantastic people! No fights broke out, just a huge fun, festival vibe with scenes of old friends catching up and sharing a drink or many together and really just enjoying each others company and embracing the festival with open arms.
Yes the festival was wall to wall mohawks, I'd never seen so many in one place before. It almost felt like being transported back to the `70's again. Ripped jeans, pins on jackets, mohawks - and if you could've seen my face, it would have been like Christmas morning! It was sad to leave on Sunday with every bands 'goodbye's' taking 20-30 mins each, nobody wanted to leave this event - but we've always got next year :)
