26-Jul-09 Acoustic Rotherham 4

Acoustic Rotherham is a series of music events organised by the Rawmarsh Mashers. It gives performers the chance to do a 25-minute spot, catch up with friends (real and MySpace/Facebook etc), have a good natter and listen to the other artistes too!

We set off at 08:45, drove to Bishop Auckland to pick up good friend Terry Ferdinand (of Bishop fm fame), said 'Hi' to Catherine over a coffee, then drove to the Monkwood pub on the outskirts of Rotherham, arriving at just gone noon (first there as usual - we always like to get to a venue in good time to cause least disruption to the proceedings, to get a good seat, to find somewhere safe for the guitars, to have a sound-check if we're not taking our own Bose L1 system, to have a chat with those that arrive early enough!)...

It was a day filled with different styles of music, and comings and goings as people arrived and left at various times throughout the proceedings... sadly not everyone who played saw everyone else perform - bit of a shame really, as the whole event is about sharing and networking and enjoying the music and the event that Dickie and Myke work so hard at organising. Performers were: Rawmarsh Mashers, Nigel Lavender, a Rawmarsh local whose name we didn't catch, Tina McKevitt & Matt Hegarty, Taylor Maid (who provided the PA for the whole day), Lou Marriot, Fyrish, Dominic Collins, Michelle Holding, Abbot of Unreason, jiva, Paul Newman... and after proceedings had officially finished another local guy got up to do one song after much chanting and cheering from the locals.

For our set we played:

• Love At The Five & Dime (Nanci Griffith)
• Two Old Friends (Chris Simpson)
• Best Friends (jiva)
• Different Dreams (jiva)
• Some Way Home (jiva)

It was hard work - the guitar sound seemed uncontrollable and overwhelming through the PA with bass feedback wolftones permeating almost our entire performance... our sympathies to the soundman who had his work cut out with 12 acts to look after, and our apologies to audience and friends who definitely didn't get to hear us as we really sound.

After the show we briefly chatted to people, thanked the Mashers, packed the car and headed off via Bishop Auckland, arriving home at gone 11:00 pm some 14 hours and a half hours after setting out.

Links
jiva website
jiva MySpace
Acoustic Rotherham MySpace