12.04.2003 - Wall Park Brixham Devon, Punk Aid Festival

Review by Mrs Fleagle

PUNK AID 2003

Finding ourselves sitting outside Hoseasons Holiday Camp in Brixham we come to the conclusion we should have printed out the how to find us map on the Pontins website because quite frankly we hadn’t got a clue where we were going.  It seems to becoming a tradition to get lost on the way to see TV.  We decide to use our initiative and ring the site, a very helpful receptionist gives us the most in-depth directions but they are so complicated the only thing I remember is the word hospital, so we decide just to drive and see if we can find signs for the hospital. We start driving around the windy roads of Brixham and there are no signs for the hospital then by chance we happen upon the road in which Pontins is located, hurrah we’re there.  We book in, get issued with our shocking pink hospital style wristbands and set off in search of out chalet.  It’s only a small site so were not to far from the amenities.  The chalets are basic but clean and incredibly cold.  We dump our stuff off go and check out the bar.  We spot a familiar face there, now where do we know that bloke from?  It’s Storky who organised the Ipswich Beer Festival gig minus his tiger stripe hair do, so we go and so hello.  After a pint and a bite to eat we get ready for the evenings music.  We don’t stay too late because we are all tired after the long journey.  It’s Saturday and we head off to Brixham for lunch and find a very nice Bistro and have a good lunch because of the timings of the bands we want to see we know we won’t eat later.  We head back to Pontins pull into the carpark and see a familiar figure unloading his car, Fleagle can’t resist using the local Devonian colloquialism TV had used in an email to him so bellowed out of the car window ‘oi get orf moi land’.  TV’s chalet is a couple of rows down from ours the posh row of concrete chalets not the flimsy wood panel ones that we were in we just hoped it was warmer than ours.  TV’s set is scheduled for 6.30 so we say we will see him over there.  We were watching the Parkinsons and Teev comes in he’s next on the venue isn’t that busy and he is a little concerned that his slot is a bit early, but it’s coming up to his slot so he heads backstage. TV’s on stage and it’s sound check time it shouldn’t take too long as there is only TV’s guitar to worry about but oh no finally 10 minutes into TV’s slot he’s ready to play.

TV opens with Only One Flavour. He then say’s how good it is to have the barriers in front of the stage so he won’t get rushed, then second thoughts he decides having just turned 47 it might be fun and it’s into No Time to be 21.   Then an excellent passionate performance of Not In My Name, the sound here is excellent and this is the best performance of this song I have heard yet. Then on a theme it’s The Great British Mistake.    TV tells us he is going to do some songs about money and religion, yeah right, no chance because an endless stream of requests start coming from the swelling crowd. There is a shout for On Wheels, why not says Teev I’ll give it a go it turns out to be the shortened version as TV seems to get a flat tyre half way through, despite the abrupt stop Teev pull it off and the requests are still coming. Next up Tomahawk Cruise excellent one of my favourites and none of TJ’s  backing vocals, not that you would have heard him it was so loud. Next is We Want the Road followed by Expensive Being Poor. TV looks down at Fleagle says I haven’t forgotten and honours his request for Lion and The Lamb. Then Teev says he will do a song that is appropriate to the Punk Aid theme – An alternative to television and it’s Televisions Over. Then Safety in Numbers, Generation Y and yes someone actually shouted for it The Day We Caught the Big Fish.   TV says he is going to play his hit sing GGE, oh no he isn’t he is going to play Thin Green Line. Towards the end of the song I catch the soundman out of the corner of my eye running his finger across his neck. Nooooooo it can’t be the end, but yes it is you can’t go over time even if the soundman buggered up the sound check. TV laments that he’s only just warmed up and couldn’t even play his hit single.  It was a superb performance and I am pleased to say the applause, whistles etc.. that TV received was the most enthusiastic we had heard so far, not the polite clapping we had heard for many artists. 

THE END