Aberdeen Café Drummonds (nearly) – Tuesday 14th September
This has been a very productive summer in the Dutch Uncles camp. For the past few months we’ve been hard at work in a converted soap factory putting our newest works onto wax. But now this process has nearly come to an end the best way to showcase our lovely new material is to hit the roooooad! And thanks to the lovely Sky Larkin folks we’re able to rock our way round some of the UK’s finest musical venues. We packed up our bags; geography books, sleeping bags, keyboards, guitars, xylophones etc and threw them into the ODB. The ODB or ‘Ol Dirty Bastard’ is our aptly named bargain basement van (ODB – taken from the number plate) that we acquired to ship us around the country for these various dates.
Tuesday morning saw Dutch Uncles off to Aberdeen (a brand new city to us) for our first Show where we were promised oodles of root beer! But after gobbling up our double bacon cheese burgers we soon crossed the border into Scottish territory and that’s when it happened; a bands worst nightmare. The ODB decided to call it a day (again) and break down in the M6 Annandale Water services 60 miles from Glasgow not even half way to Aberdeen. Oil was leaking in and outside the van so thought it might be a time for the men in yellow. We were very pleased to see Jon but less pleased to hear his diagnosis which was given through sucked teeth.
The less said the better about the rest of the day but suffice to say we never made it to Aberdeen and 7 (no joking) assorted AA vehicles later we were back in Manchester some 9 hours later. Gah!
Glasgow Captain’s Rest – 15th September
With a new van bagged, the next day saw the same journey being performed with a stop at the newly discovered Tebay Services, the consolation prize of an AA stop-off after yesterday’s ridiculousness. Needless to say it was a spiritual folly into Cumbrian gorgality with the usual burgers and greasy chicken being replaced with tasty stews, curry’s and Guinness flavoured cake.
Upon arriving at the venue (The Captains Rest) we arrived were greeted by former tour buddies Jon, David and Duncan from the Glaswegian prog-folk songstresses… Dananananaykroyd! Lovely, lovely chaps.
The gig was good, Sky Larkin were great but we saw none of Glasgow leaving before midnight and ending a turbulent Scottish episode of the tour. But we vow to make a solid return up north soon.
Manchester Night n Day – 16th September.
A hometown gig on tour is always a weird one. Especially when you’ve played the venue at least 20 times already. But our last venture at Night and Day in December had ended in confusion (broken drum kit) and bashful feelings. So this was a chance for redemption.
Of course all that fell through with the absolute destruction of Pete’s amp and guitar effects within the first song, but it was agreed that the gig was a defiant shambles that couldn’t be a success anywhere else. Sky Larkin played a much less catastrophe driven set but were unable to celebrate with us at The Castle afterwards due to staying in Leeds, which ruined our reputation for tour after-parties that make Elbow’s look like a kittens baptism.
Still, thanks to everyone who filled out Night and Day. We’ll be back very soon.
Our friend sent us some photos from this gig and the next day were selecting one to include in this blog but then came across a review of the show where they commented on how maybe our bassist Robin practices his on stage bip-gyrations on a Wii-Fit so in honour of this we will include this one of him and his hips in action…. we also like the way he is looks a little bog-eyed, he is currently asleep in the van.
Photo Lucy Adams
