We were all caught by surprise that Monday was a bank holiday. JAMO were planning to go to rhyme time in the morning but it wasn't on. Saw the first swifts of the year in the evening. A warm day on Tuesday but had to go to the dentist and hygenist. I need to have a wisdom tooth extracted. Amy started back at work. Another warm day on Wednesday. Took Owen to Courage Park.
James made pizzas and we ate outside for the first time this year. On Thursday took Owen into town and then to the Robert Hewitt park. Went to Pirate Studios in the afternoon to make some noise. Went to Courage Park with James, Owen and Madeline late Friday morning and had a picnic lunch. I then went to have my wisdom tooth extracted.
Relatively painless but I was numb for ages after. Owen and Madeline went paddlin'.
Went to the AYL festival on Saturday. Started off in Market Place with Mathew One Man. Acoustic guitar with effects and looper. Fretting with both hands tapping the sound box like a drum. Then Dolly And The Clothespegs in the church. A bit of a Reading institution multi-instrumental folk band with a difference including The Ace Of Spade and I Feel Love very entertaining and uplifting stuff. Sarah has a great voice. Went back to Market Place for Damien A Passmore and his set of amusing songs then headed for The Turtle for Lipworms. Unfortunately it was rammed so went back to the church for Plantoid. Best new band Ive seen in a while. Complicated jazzy stuff done really well. Bass, drums, lead guitar, female rhythm guitarist and singer and a guy on percussion and backing vocals. Excellent stuff. Hung around for Picture Parlour. All girl group except for the drummer. Great singer but the material wasn't that good so left early for Bennet in Sub89. They are an old indie band from way back playing for fun. Joined Tony on the crash barrier at the front. Great stuff. Then back to the church for Lipworms going an extra set as someone had cancelled. Psychedelic stuff. Repetitive but there's nowt wrong with that. Went back to Sub89 for The Mysterines, one of the headliners. Indie band with female singer guitatist. Theh were good but I got a bit bored so went back to the church for Anthony Szmierek. Not my cup of tea. Headed of home but changed my mind and went back for the last band, Fat Dog. Alsonot my cup of tea so left more or less straight away. So a good AYL except for the end. Not as mzny people about as previous year's though and it had been scaled down to 6 venues. Also no longer Mencap. Meanwhile M had been to Mandy's with Fiona to watch Eurovision. Won by Switzerland. A good start to the day on
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Went to the AYL festival on Saturday. Started off in Market Place with Mathew One Man. Acoustic guitar with effects and looper. Fretting with both hands tapping the sound box like a drum. Then Dolly And The Clothespegs in the church. A bit of a Reading institution multi-instrumental folk band with a difference including The Ace Of Spade and I Feel Love very entertaining and uplifting stuff. Sarah has a great voice. Went back to Market Place for Damien A Passmore and his set of amusing songs then headed for The Turtle for Lipworms. Unfortunately it was rammed so went back to the church for Plantoid. Best new band Ive seen in a while. Complicated jazzy stuff done really well. Bass, drums, lead guitar, female rhythm guitarist and singer and a guy on percussion and backing vocals. Excellent stuff. Hung around for Picture Parlour. All girl group except for the drummer. Great singer but the material wasn't that good so left early for Bennet in Sub89. They are an old indie band from way back playing for fun. Joined Tony on the crash barrier at the front. Great stuff. Then back to the church for Lipworms going an extra set as someone had cancelled. Psychedelic stuff. Repetitive but there's nowt wrong with that. Went back to Sub89 for The Mysterines, one of the headliners. Indie band with female singer guitatist. Theh were good but I got a bit bored so went back to the church for Anthony Szmierek. Not my cup of tea. Headed of home but changed my mind and went back for the last band, Fat Dog. Alsonot my cup of tea so left more or less straight away. So a good AYL except for the end. Not as mzny people about as previous year's though and it had been scaled down to 6 venues. Also no longer Mencap. Meanwhile M had been to Mandy's with Fiona to watch Eurovision. Won by Switzerland. A good start to the day on 
Did a barbie but couldn't get any disposables so did in oven, grill and griddle pan.
Went round to Tony's to practice some songs on Friday then went to Vesuvio's for dinner with everyone. Warren and Mary Ellen left about 7pm on Saturday to stay near Heathrow as they had a very early flight home. I'd already left to do the sound at RSAC for the Scarlet Vixens but once I'd set up they said they could manage so came back. Saw a merc with blacked out windows coming out of Mansfield Rd, thought it was drug dealers but it was actually Warren and Mary Ellen's taxi. Went back to RSAC later to pack up. It had been a sell out and good bar takings. We both woke on Sunday feeling a bit rough with sore throats. Still managed the society walk though which was very bluebelly.
Lazy day on Friday but then went to the Retreat with Warren and Mary Ellen followed by a meal in the Lyndhurst with them and JAMO. I went to see the last URZs game of the season with Warren on Saiurday. Good game they won 3 2. Good turn out too. Ralph, Daniel, Kelvin and Andy near us and saw Penno, Matt, JR and John Stevens in the fan zone. 18,480 altogether. Did the Sunday Alternative at RSAC on Sunday morning. We cooked a roast dinner in the evening.
A pity the velux windows are so dirty. All but me and M went to see The Three Bears at Battle Library. We put on.offer in for a property in The Valley. Lazy day during the day on Saturday. Did the sound for Chai For All at RSAC in the evening. They play yiddish songs and were really good but a bit samey. Female vocalist and guitarist, percussionist and trumpeter all male. Only 3 paying members of the audience though. These sort of one off gigs at RSAC don't seem to get many punters. With this lot it could be the type of music in the current climate. Apparently last time they played, a few years ago, they played Palestinian songs. Went to a HCTS meeting on Sunday afternoon at RSAC. Its going ahead.
