Christmas is coming and Guitar stool could do with the business so if you have an interest in guitars or love fine solid timber why not indulge yourself or make someones Christmas morning.
Working these things is great fun. This wood fair closes at 5pm and then all the stalls close then the traders entertainment - a talented rock, folk and blues outfit - play informally in the small beer tent. Sounds great doesn't it? I froze my nads off all day. I had 2 post-work beers with Roger went back to my tent, had a smoke, got warm in my double sleeping bag and fully clothed I fell asleep. 12 hours later I woke up! Get my rock and roll lifestyle.
I knew several of the other traders from the Larmer Tree fest in the summer. Marilyn Allis was there http://www.marilynallis.co.uk/ and I bought another one of her paintings. Check out the link. Christmas is coming and Marilyn is a great human being and an exceptional artist. Her work is an absolute bargain.
There are 2 loose groupings:
1. Craftsmen and women who did the odd festival before the kids and now combine the both.
2. Festival goers who sought a way to fund their "festivalling" by selling something whilst they are there. (This is me and most festival Cafe owners strangly. Why? Who knows.)
Both get along famously and join in with the banter and take the piss out of hectic customers. I could do this for a living. If I could get £7k a year I would be happy alas I have only the ability to talk not to create from nothing. All the traders are under stress however and only just making money if at all. They work very hard and contribute more than is immediately apparent to the festival scene and vibe. Most of what they sell is original in design and handmade so you buy a one off. These "one-man-bands" take simple materials, apply some skill and imagination and create something original. I think this needs to be encouraged on the use it or loose it principle? Please check out the websites I have given and shown in the pics - prices are cheap, it is a buyers market at the mo.
To round off the weekend Son and I got together for a late Sunday supper at my building site house. Some organic bread, quality sausage, apple smoked cheese, duck egg and red onion salad finished with a Whiskey and Ginger Liqueur. She had been off to a Devon retreat doing her thing whilst I was working. Perfect end to a great weekend.
To music then. Every link I post I have seen live if you get me but this one is different. I've played this live dozens of times and I had my biggest thrill as a gigging drummer after playing it. The Devizes Beer Fest is 1200 semi pissed, largely middle aged, beer drinkers and it takes place alongside the Kennet and Avon Canal. We played on the flat bed of one of the sponsors lorry (Wadsworth's naturally) in the early July afternoon and its warm. The teen thrash band just got off to polite applause. After reaching, because it was the biggest crowd ever played and I was scared, we played a version of this Neil Young behemoth for our first song. It's was our best song and our studio version link is below. If you look on the photos bit of my old bands site you will see me in the studio doing a poor impression of Ozzy Osbourne. And I have dyed hair! Anyway the cheer that afternoon was similar to what you here at a football crowd and I nearly shit myself there and then on my drum throne. Lucky I was wearing shades to.
http://uk.myspace.com/insomniaofficial/music/songs/rockin-in-the-free-world-18045281
And the Neil Young version that I had the pleasure to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTiOKivyn9Q
