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2/6/01 - Southwick - Glastonwick 2001 Festival Band: Fruity, Ben, Jason and Dave Glastonwick is a festival organised by a guy called Attila The Stockbroker and is a Real Ale music and Poetry Festival set in the town of Southwick 4 miles west of Brighton. I first met Attila at an anti-gulf war gig back in '91. The next time I met him was in Melbourne Australia. Abdou were playing a gig at The Punters pub and he just wandered in off the street recognised me (to my shame I didn't recognise him) and started heckling! After the gig we had a good chat and agree to stay in touch. Der did a fine job of driving us down the A23 towards Brighton and Southwick and we arrived at the gig with no hassle whatsoever. As we arrived, the afternoon session of the Festival was over and people were streaming out of the Southwick Community Centre and into the afternoon sun. We loaded our gear onto the stage and looked over into the hall, a beautiful converted 15th century Barn. I had a really good feeling about this gig and Attila said that it was going to be sold out. 500 were to be there that very night to see the bands play and drink gallons of Real Ale and Cider. We had a quick and painless soundcheck (thanks Digital Dave) and then headed to the bar to sample Fruitbat beer. Yes, I was honoured with having a beer named after me for the night and bloody delicious it was too. Normally I stick to bottled beer as most draft beer makes me come out all blotchy, but this stuff was great and I was prepared to take the risk. Good friends Leaza and Darren had come to see us tonight. It was lovely to see them, I had missed their wedding whilst I was in Oz, so this was the first time that I had seen them as an officialy blessed couple and I couldn't see any difference. Maybe there was a certain glow, it may have been the Cider. I had never been to a Real Ale 'do' before and was quite curious to see what kind of people went to them. I glad to report that it wasn't to be like a lost episode from A League Of Gentlemen, and the only thing obvious was the proliferation of beer guts ;-) First act on tonight was WOB, strange name for a singer songwriter troubadour, whose sheer exuberance and professionalism left me exhausted. If I jumped around the stage like that I would have a coronary. He had a lovely voice mind and some catchy tunes. Next on was Attila and his band The Barnstormers who were great. It was so good to hear some proper lefty political lyrics along with a fine blend of punk rock and medieval balladry. I hope that Attila won't mind if I say that it reminded me of a blend between the Clash, Jethro Tull and The Levellers. My favourite song was his autobiography, which lasted 6 minutes and told the story hopes and aspirations of Attila's poetry and music. I found it all very moving and there was an obvious love coming from the packed hall. How could we follow that? Well, a fairly tanked Abdoujaparov rambled on the stage and won the audience over with a mixture of singing, laughing, thrashing guitars and quite a lot of ineptitude. After mutilating most of our own songs we absolutely destroyed Beat On The Brat and Queen Bitch (sorry Joey and Dave) during a genuine encore. We all had a brilliant time and became even happier and more drunken when Attila lead us to the beer barrels and instructed us to help ourselves until we get thrown out. Eventually we did get thrown out by a rather grumpy man ready for his bed. We stopped at Pease Pottage services on the way home and stocked up with crisps and chocky. We continued our journey, Jason must have been very drunk as he started singing Bat Out Of Hell at the top of his voice before projectile vomiting from the back door of the moving van. We eventually had to stop to let him bring up the rest of his dinner, he looked a bit better after that. We arrived back home to a blazing Juke Box and a very drunken Crissi and friends. Ben and Chris hit the Tequilla, I had a quick dance and went to bed. Der sipped on a bottle of Wheat ale that he had stashed for 'later'. I had a lovely time, if all gigs were as good as the last two I would be a happy man indeed. Thanks to everyone in Southwick for a lovely day out at the seaside. Love fruity xxxx |