Thea Gilmore - An impromptu weekend.

Thea Gilmore - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham. 28/4/07.

My work rota for the weekend read Fri - Off, Sat - In, Sun - Off. It was looking like it was going to be a nice weekend weather wise. Fri morning I phoned work and asked to take Saturday as a days holiday. No problem was the reply.

Ok so where do I go? my first idea was to go up the North Wales coast to Conway, a fave old haunt. I then thought I'd like to take in a gig somewhere, it's been nearly three weeks since Joan and I'm getting "itchy ears" so to speak. I search the listings and I come up with either Help She Can't Swim in Leeds or Thea Gilmore in Nottingham. The only way to decide was to toss a coin. Easy heads for HSCS and tails for Thea.
Tails it was, so off to Nottingham I go. Train at 10:30 to Crewe on to Derby arrive Nott'm 1pm. I've been to Notts a couple of times in the last few years so my knowledge is pretty good of the city center. I get a hotel sorted by 2pm, go to the venue and buy a ticket for Saturdays gig (not yet sold out thankfully). I book a table at a great little restaurant I remembered from my last visit. Next on the agenda is of course a visit to the world famous "Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem" Inn the oldest in England dating back to 1189 AD. Set up against the rock the castle is built on it's a fascinating and wonderful little pub.

Saturday I do a bit of the tourist thing and visit the castle itself and the museum and galleries. I spend quite a bit of time wandering the gardens as it was such a lovely warm day, great for people watching. Later I book a table at another restaurant I know for 5pm as doors were 7pm for the gig. There was a curfew on it so it was guaranteed to start on time.

I get to the Rescue Rooms at about 6:45, there are a few people hanging around outside but no queue as such. The doors were duly opened on time so in we go, I decide to go "Carries" side in front of where Nigel will be so I can get a better view of Thea. Rescue rooms is a small venue and quite intimate so I felt I did not want to be on top of Thea so to speak. Ok there's a line there but I 'aint gonna say it.

The support came from an American singer/songwriter whose name I forget but he was ok. I should start keeping notes as opposed to going from memory, as my memory is shite obviously.

Thea came on dressed much more casual than in Chester last month. It was obvious straight away she was more relaxed and comfortable with the venue and crowd. By now too the place was pretty full though it's a small place. She opened with Old Soul then introduced Nigel to come on so to get going properly. A great version of Seen it all before
was played and Contessa. There was a good banter with the audience too, she declared last time she played here she was heavily pregnant and had to keep taking "piss breaks" thus giving the stage to Nigel to play some of his solo stuff. Highlight was one of my fave Thea songs "The List" you could feel everyone in the audience singing it to themselves somehow. She ended the encore with This Girl another fave, in all a really good show even though a shorter set than she played in Chester. I think more enjoyable though because Thea herself seemed more at ease.

After the gig I bought a T-shirt designed by Thea herself, taking a leaf out of Dame Janet's book there I think. I said a quick hi to Thea and told her I was at the Chester show recently she immediately declared this was a better gig than the Chester one, I agreed. Oh I did grab Nigels set list too and got Thea to sign my ticket.

Sunday was spent traveling back home doing some shoping for provisions and getting things ready for the working week ahead. In all a very enjoyable few days off and I count myself very lucky to, a) be able to have the time and freedom to do it and, b) have the money to do such trips.

I don't have a bad life really so next time I whinge about work or whatever, read this post.