Gigging in York

Rather like Jem, the blogging becomes sporadic when working, so there might be a surge.

Considering the students and therefore all it's venues, York hasn't been much of a gigfest for me over the years.

c. 1979 After the Fire at the College of Ripon & St John, or something like that & Squeeze at the Barbican about 15 years ago. There's the Theatre Royal, Fibbers & the Duchess, none of which I've been to in the past.

Touchstone are becoming a bit of a crisis for me. I had tickets to a cancelled gig a few years ago and every other time that they've been close, I've been unable to make it.

So a few tips for gigging in York.

If you go by train (After the Fire) make sure you know what time the gig will end and whether or not this co-incides with hitting the last train. I only saw half the gig then hurtled across York to arrive 10 minutes late for the last train. Fortunately, with British Rail timing, it was still there.

Can't remember much about the Squeeze gig except that I think the support was Ron Sexsmith and he was almost incapable of performing. My apologies to him if it was someone else.

Touchstone. I know York reasonable well, I've delivered there in the past. Just because you know where you are going, don't assume you know where you're going. In fact when I worked for Interlink we used to deliver magazines to Menzies on Stonebow, where the Duchess is. Easy peasy I seem to remember thinking. A64 to York, no problem, A19 into York, No problem, even out-manoeuvered the roadworks on the way without any problem. Foss Island Way onto Stonebow, all to plan. Right, where's the Duchess? Hmmmm, around I went, no sign of it, in and out of the narrow one way streets until on my third passage, there it was, up on a shelf. Next problem where to park.........the tranny. Tempus was now fugitting and I was getting agitated. All the street parking was full, all the car parks were limited. I finally parked in an



Car park. Having checked with the staff that I wouldn't get clamped, cue gratuitous picture of clamped UPS van, I rushed down to the venue. (Fibbers is on the shelf underneath)

The other thing about Touchstone was my ticket. It hadn't turned up, so there was some frantic panic on Thursday night before arranging to collect a new ticket on the door. (Thanks for sorting that). I finally got into the venue. Nice little place, deep stage, stickiest floor ever. I opted for stage right, which is actually stage left, by the speakers.

Support was Heather Findlay and, if I remember correctly, Chris Johnson. Excellent start to the evening, superb combination.

Touchstone were brilliant, I'm no good at description's of the actual gigs, they are either good,  bad or somewhere inbetween.

A cracking evening, even if fraught with a few anxieties.

Highly recommend the venue, the support and the band.

Even had Racing Hippo whipping out his banana

& just to prove he was there