It’s Saturday morning, I’m at work, and I’m munching on the remains of last nights pizza. I’m trying to absorb and make sense of last nights escapades but I keep getting interrupted by quite possibly the most boring man in the universe. Right now I’m as far from Rock n Roll as I could possibly imagine.
Last night The Yalla Yallas played a show at The Temple of Boom in Leeds with the infamous Barb Wire Dolls, and Manchester band The Empty Page. I’ve never visited this venue before, and as I clamber into the venue with a bass guitar in each hand I imagined CBGB’s and if this is what it would have been like in its prime. I find it fitting that the lyrics to Iggy and the Stooges ‘Search and Destroy’ are painted on the ceiling. The toilet never stops flushing and it’s like a maze to find the bar. The Clash are on the record player. This feels like home.
I spent most of the evening being anti-social behind the merch stall. Though I was having intermittent conversations with the Barb Wire Dolls tour manager. She offered me her leftover food as the first band The Empty Page kicked off the show. WOW. I was blown away, They reminded me of various 90’s Post-Punk/Grunge/Riot Girl bands. I loved the singer Kelii’s voice and presence. Very endearing. Our bass player Dempsey was in love with her short scale squire bass, and he was even more envious tonight because he had to borrow my bass guitar as his had broken the previous night, and attempts to fix his in the hours leading up to the show had failed.
While the band are being well received to an ever growing crowd I start to psyche myself up, I’m hoping to at least match the brilliance of the opening band. I’m looking forward to this one. I tell The Yallas to set up quick so we can steal an extra few minutes and that means we could squeeze another song in. Earlier we sound checked and I wasn’t impressed with the sound onstage. However now the room had filled up things sounded much better. The room is about three quarters full and we kick things off with ‘Stand Up’. Earlier in the evening myself and our drummer Joel had been talking to a disabled man in a wheelchair, I noticed that he was parked up at the front. During ‘Stand Up’ he leaped from his wheelchair and joined in the action. I realised he was a little too drunk. Never mind, we like drunk people I thought. We smash through the set and felt like we were on fire. Photographers seemed to be in an abundance tonight and they appeared to be having fun.
I could see them trying to figure out my next move. Things took a turn during ‘Retaliation’. The drunk disabled guy who was out of his wheelchair and on his feet dancing in a chaotic manner decided for some reason to grab me by my throat with both hands and squeeze. Now I’m used to being manhandled at gigs, you expect it to a degree, one thing I don’t expect nor do I accept is anyone grabbing me by the throat with both hands. Naturally I wanted to hit him. Newspaper headlines appeared in my head “YALLAS FRONTMAN BEATS UP DISABLED MAN” I decide to not hit him for this reason, he does fall over though. I drop the mic and tell him quite clearly to not touch me again, and probably even to fuck off. Some brilliant people in the crowd create a little barrier and I resume singing the song, afterwards I’m made aware that the band didn’t notice what happened. Our last song is our usual finisher. ‘Rock n Roll Kid’, I was angered by now, and I’d lost a little focused and midway through the song the man grabbed me again and I asked for him to be removed from the crowd. I HATED doing this but I felt like he was distracting everyone including myself from the show. We finish with a flurry of energy and anger. I remember beating the floor as if I was King Kong over the closing notes and singing ‘I Put a Spell on You’ over the feedback, It was chaotic, destructive, and brutal. That’s the way I like it.
After the set I was approached by a few friends asking me if I was ok, I was ok, just a little annoyed that I let someone wind me up. A drink is passed to me and I rejoin the Merch stall and flog a few CD’s. I remained there for the rest of the night chatting with the singer from The Empty Page whilst watching the Barb Wire Dolls. I’m still undecided as to what I think about their show. I loved the energy, I think Isis is an incredible front woman, and the band are tight. I just think the songs are weak … Maybe? Is it possible that they rely too much on their image? I don’t know. I notice that the guy I had removed was allowed back in for the Barb Wire Dolls show, and three songs in he is once again ejected by the crowd. I don’t know why but it did please me to know that it wasn’t only me who had a problem with him. I had been questioning if I had been a little over the top in my reaction.
After the show people came up to the stall for Barb Wire Dolls merch and photos with Isis, whilst waiting people were complimenting Kelii and myself that they enjoyed both our bands, it’s always good to hear. We wait for everyone to leave, me and Dempsey pack up our merch and pose for a few photos with Barb Wire Dolls before leaving the venue with Joel.
We headed up to Bad Apples rock bar for a drink, and then went for a pizza. On the way whilst crossing the road, I noticed a man walking in our direction and he was
masturbating another man whilst walking down the street, I grin and say “Skillz … have a nice night boys” they looked shocked and embarrassed and the guy retrieved his hand from the other gentleman’s pants. Me and Dempsey have a little giggle before ordering our takeaway.
Overall it was a cracking night and I can’t wait for the next gig.
Setlist: Temple of Boom, Leeds 14/10/2016
Stand Up
Under Attack
S.B.H.C.
The Sound of the Kraken
County Court
Love, Anger, and the Credit Card Crunch
Retaliation
Rock n Roll Kid
