It’s our second ever gig at Wharf Chambers in Leeds. The previous one was a Sunday afternoon at Pie Race Festival a couple of years ago. I didn’t particularly enjoy that show and I wanted to make that right this time around. We load in the venue at 4pm. I set up the merch stall as Steve the promoter tries the explain the process behind the complicated beer and food tokens. It doesn’t need to be this difficult. Joel isn’t with us as he is doing a gig at The Temple of Boom with his other band Tosserlad. He will hot foot it across town as soon as he finishes his set to join us. Will and Dempsey come up with a plan to take the cars home so one of them can have a drink. In the meantime I go to The Palace pub down the road for a quiet drink on my own and to watch the football results coming in. I like to have a quiet pint before a gig as it helps to get my head straight.
At 6pm we all meet up at the venue. A couple of punk poets are starting the show tonight. We’re onstage at 7.50pm. We sit behind the merch stall and debate wether we should release the forthcoming album on Vinyl. We all agree that it should be on Vinyl but we need to discuss the financial mechanics behind it. At 7.20pm Laura Taylor finishes her set to a full-ish room. The stage manager asks us to be ready on time and that he will instruct us when our time is nearly up. I tell him not to worry. We advise him that we’re planning on starting earlier than our advertised time so we can play some extra songs. I don’t ever feel like 30 minutes is the full show. I like at least 40 minutes. So we hastily add new song ‘Asylum’ to the setlist and we opt to bring back ‘Stand Up’ after a few gigs on the subs bench.
I’m pleased with how the new songs are sounding. We’re pretty comfortable with them now after spending the previous weekend recording them in the studio. The crowd was rowdy. I’m barefoot, I feel the glass beneath my feet. We’re getting pushed about all over. I love it. Afterwards a long time Yallas fan excitedly tells me that he loves the new songs and he can’t wait for the album. We sell a few t-shirts, programmes, and CD’s. Eastfield are the next band up and they are great. Hagar the Womb also. Then last up was Oi Polloi. Everyone in the room was up for it. We had shared a bill with them before but I was knackered and drunk that time and didn’t appreciate how good they were. This time I was much more into it. Afterwards at the merch table I notice that Oi Polloi have some custom Skateboards for sale they look quality and as if the planets aligned Matty from Manifest Skateboards approaches me and complimented the band and explains that he’d wish to work with us. He explains all sorts of technical stuff that I have no idea about. Of course we agree to think about it. As the room empties out we pack up our gear and load the car. On our way home we discuss Skateboard designs and if it would be worth doing. The next morning I place the order.
