Swedish Tattoo, 5th Practice

More changes to the arena routing ...  but all on the pipes now ( I keep the stoppers in just in case). It is noticeable that with no pipe major for our small group, and as the only piper tuning is not really managed.

Swedish Tattoo, 4th Practice

 The long trapse around to Henlow for the next tattoo practice ....

All on the pipes ... the dance set has been removed. A change to the arena marching as well - the tunes tend to be Ok now apart from the reform to 10th batt.

Swedish Tattoo, 3rd Practice

 Back around to Henlow for my second practice ...  This time I borrowed Sue's car. 

Had to order & pay for a tour tee-shirt (a foul green colour), also had to take passport to provide details for the flight.

Practice all on the pipes ... still too fast for me and I pad to cork up so I could pretend for all but the march on set. We also had a walk through of some movements for the arena.

Burns Night, Three Crowns

I had a booking to play the pipes in the Three Crowns in Wisborough Green for their Burns night supper.

We arrived just before 6pm and after tuning up and testing the height we then waited until gone 6:30 for the first people to settle in.

Then played a welcome set - Kilworth Hills/ Scotland the Brave/ I See Mull/ Skye Boat song sets. I stood at the bar end as this gave height but also was not so loud for some of the participants.

When the Haggis came out I moved to the other end of the dinning room and piped the haggis through - it is just alight!

After the deserts started to come out I played a finishing set - Highland Cathedral/ Flower of Scotland/ Slaves/ and My Home sets. 

Finally I gave some intrepid people the opportunity to "have a blow" ...  a different blow stick and lots of wet wipes to sanitise after each go ...  we had 4 people try it ... Only one really go a sound out the rest I had to help ...  maybe next time I should cork up some drones to help out.

Swedish Tattoo, 2nd Practice

We have been asked to partake in a massed bands at the Eksjö (Sweden) International Tattoo 2024,

I missed the first practice, and this would be the first for me ... at RAF Henlow - a trapse around the M25 to Luton and beyond. This time I cadged a lift with James and Noeleen.

Canter practice in the morning - much argument about arrangements, but nothing special. then Pipes in the afternoon in the church. Everyone plays at full gas so not easy to keep up.

Home late after a painful return, but I could sleep around the M25.

From the Jam, G-Live

 

We had tickets for "From the Jam" - a Jam cover band with a difference as they have Bruce Foxton playing Bass and used to have Rick Buttler on drums as well.

As a "home" show the tickets were sold out and I had bought them several months ago. We were in the last row at the back of the circle which was great until a person a whole foot taller than me sat in the row in front! I had to lean over to look around him.

The skids were the support act with only Richard Jobson from the original line-up. He was very energetic and bounced around the stage, as they ran through a number of remembered tunes. His chat between songs was really not very interesting.

1. Charade
2. Of One Skin
3. The Saints Are Coming
4. Working for the Yankee Dollar
5. Destination Düsseldorf
6. Circus Games
7. TV Stars
8. Complete Control (The Clash cover)
9. Masquerade
10. Into the Valley

They left the stage after the audience participation to the the final song.

1. Intro (Batman theme)
2. All Mod Cons (The Jam cover)
3. To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time) (The Jam cover)
4. Mr. Clean (The Jam cover)
5. David Watts (The Kinks cover)
6. In the Crowd (The Jam cover)
7. Billy Hunt (The Jam cover)
8. It's Too Bad (The Jam cover)
9. Fly (The Jam cover)
10. The Place I Love (The Jam cover)
11. 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (The Jam cover)
12. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (The Jam cover)
13. English Rose (The Jam cover)
14. Saturday's Kids (The Jam cover)
15. The Butterfly Collector (The Jam cover)
16. Lula
17. Town Called Malice (The Jam cover)
18. That's Entertainment (The Jam cover)
19. Encore:
20. In the City (The Jam cover)
21. The Eton Rifles (The Jam cover)
22. Going Underground (The Jam cover)

Very enjoyable and I even remembered most of the tunes!

Deacon Blue, Brighton Centre

I had booked to see Deacon Blue at the Brighton Centre for nearly a year! the way things are if you want tickets they are up for sale early and close out if not enough bookings.

We had first seen them in Brighton in 1988 in the top rank nightclub ...  with around 200 people, this was over ten times that number.

We left Bertie being supervised by Katie and Lloyd who were down for the weekend and set out for Brighton around 5pm. A good job we had time as there was lots of traffic around Worthing due to road closures, and we parked in the rail station car park - we knew where this was after the AAC walk earlier this year.

A stop at a noodle bar on the way down to the sea front for dinner, and we still had over 30 mins to wait in our seats.

We had seats just above an exit so no people standing in front of us, and a reasonable view of the stage.

they played three sets ...  an acoustic opening , then the main loud set, followed by a long encore set.

Acoustic

• Wages Day (acapella first verse)
• Queen of the New Year
• S.H.A.R.O.N.
• Chocolate Girl
• Delivery Man
• Cover From the Sky
• A New House
• Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen cover)
• Homesick

Electric

• The Hipsters
• Wages Day
• Bethlehem Begins
• Your swaying arms
• Ragman
• Loaded
• Your Town
• On Love
• When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring)/ Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
• Twist and shout
• Real Gone Kid
• The Believers
• Raintown
• That's What We Can Do

Encore:

• Peace Will Come
• Dignity
• Fergus sings blues
• Keep Me in Your Heart (Warren Zevon cover)