07.12.2002 - Hitchin, Club 85

Review by Mrs. Fleagle

See also set of photos taken by Mrs Fleagle!

CANTERBURY WHOLE FOODS 30TH NOVEMBER 2002 

Through the wind, through the rain up the wrong street and back down again  and we finally find Canterbury Whole Foods. Absolutely nowhere to park so off  again to find the car park, it’s only 1000ft away so not such a big deal.

We arrive at the venue about 6.20 p.m. and TV hasn’t arrived yet. With  panic setting in TV was supposed be there by 6 p.m. Fleagle decides it might  be an idea to give him a call in case he is lost in the maze of streets that  is called Canterbury. More panic Fleagle hasn’t got the right sim card!!!  Whilst contemplating our next move a solitary figure with guitar turns into  the dark, empty narrow street, TV’s here and yes like us he had got lost.

It’s upstairs to the venue and what a lovely place. Apparently it’s  excellent for acoustics which was just as well because there is only one P.A,  so the band are given the night off. It’s beers all round and I have to  say it was the best beer of this years tour ‘Breakspear Live Organic’.  It was so good we were deciding how many crates we could fit in the car, but  alas they sold out. We were all a little curious about the ‘Golden Shower’  beer the staff had stashed away. We thought it must be something special to  keep it hidden.

It’s sound check time, a few lines of 200 Blows and it’s looking  good. Sound check over and yes the acoustics sound good. Then it’s out  on the fire exit/roof for a nicotine fix it’s a no smoking venue, this  is where we meet roof man from Margate, who tells us all about the decline of  Margate as a resort. Remember this guy he features later in this review. More  people start to arrive there were quite a few pre sold tickets so it is decided  to wait until as many people as possible have arrived because they have to lock  the front door because of the shop. Someone has closed the fire exit so I decide  to go downstairs and outside for a cigarette, as I head for the door TV who’s  downstairs with the organiser says ‘oh I was just going upstairs to start,  I’ll just wait until Sharon has had her cigarette’, (god how embarrassing  holding up a gig). I wasn’t the only one though TV is finally in front  of the mike when a couple of blokes go up to the bar. TV says he will start  when they have got their beer.

So where is this all leading? To the first song the most appropriate We Who  Wait. Next up March of the Giants (the floor is excellent for foot stomping).  Then Not a Bad Day excellent and full of passion and No Time to be 21. 

TV announces that Punk Rock has hit Canterbury in 2002 and follows with The  Future Used to Be Better, Immortal Rich, Haves and Have Nots, This Year Next  Year, What If and Driver or Passenger. 

TV tells us only dead fish swim with the current and it Roll Like a River,  Lies and YES!!!! The full version of 200 blows (brilliant fantastic etc…)  and For Every Hit There’s a Miss. Then there’s something else you  can’t predict a broken string. So it’s out with the glow in the  dark string fixing on gadget (due to the amount of light we couldn’t appreciate  it’s luminosity). Thus follows One Million Pounds, Swimming in the Flood,  Televisions Over and so is the gig for the Margate Roof Man. It would appear  he had gone downstairs and deposited the contents of his stomach (spewed up)  in the shop. It’s then Cast of Thousands, but some form of altercation  is going on as MRM is being removed from the building so TV decides to take  a break due to the bad vibes and distractions. So taking advantage of the break  its back to the roof. Everything is sorted and TV is back in front of the mike  and starts of with a song especially for the nicotine addicts On the Roof. Then  Only One Flavour, Soon as I Found It I Lost It, Lion and the Lamb, Thin Green  Line accompanied by the most spectacular kicks, Open up Your Heart, Dominator,  Earthbound, The Day we caught the big fish, I know what you want. Oops another  string snaps, UV gadget thing out again (now wasn’t that a good buy!).  Obviously the next song has to be My String Will Snap, then Generation Y, Punk  Rock Poem, Gary Gilmours Eyes, Bored Teenagers and One Chord Wonders. Is it  the end? Not quite there is raptutious applause and a demand for more and the  evening is perfectly rounded off with Great British Mistake, Useless, Quickstep  and last but not least, yes you’ve guessed it Runaway Train Driver.

It’s time to gather your things and go. Before we leave we enquire why  the bottles of ‘Golden Shower’ had been stashed away, oh how disappointing  it was only because they were out of date.

Tonight Fleagle is playing chauffeur, he is so much more professional than  PK. Then starts the lovely journey home. Not only was it raining and the roads  have no lights, but every bloody road cone in the South East of England must  be on the roads in Kent. It was great to get in to London where you only have  to worry about ignorant drivers. TV navigates us round the South Circular pointing  out places of interest. TV is safely deposited home and Fleagle’s are  on their way home, for a quick post and bed.