Well, we might not be the one every jock wants to take to the prom, but at least we are being asked out by boys that don't have bowl haircuts and braces. Saying that, we actually wish the girl in the grade above with the bowl haircut and braces would ask us to skip the prom and hang out with her instead. She has some Lucky Strikes, a bottle of Thunderbird and a cassette player with The Smiths on tape. Anyway, I digress. Though I may finish that privately later, fan boys and girls.
You see, since the Brighton Folk gig at The Brunswick we have played three more gigs and have another two lined up, as The Sweet Ordeal live experience starts to create momentum. So much so that we have over 60 followers on twitter: #unstoppable #nextbigthing #whyamihashtagging. Though, when the magnificent Peaches is one of your followers, I am happy to shut up shop quite frankly. #qualitynotquantity #teachesofpeaches #whyamistillhashtagging.
Not waving, but following. Peaches tweets the Sweets. November 2016. Photo: Nick McMaster
The highlight of these three gigs was supporting Michele Stoddart, of The Magic Numbers, on the Brighton leg of her Pieces solo album tour. Yes, that's right of The Magic Numbers. Yes, of the platinum album selling band. Little old us, who only a few months earlier were literally dying on stage at The Westbourne (due to the dreaded lurgies) had now stepped up and supported a musician who we would have wanted an autograph from.
Is that with one 'l' or two? Autograph for Michele. September 2017. Photo: Hannah Beaumont.
To be honest, including this gig, it wasn't our best performance to date. That probably, marginally, went to our Brighton Folk slot at The Brunswick. This was due to having a decent sound check and a larger stage. Our gig with a quarter of The Numbers (thanks Melting Vinyl!) was at the smaller of the Brighton Komedia venues: the studio. The stage is tiny and sound checks over ran, which meant we had to squeeze our band set up on with Michele's set up and only have the briefest sound check ourselves. Though thanks go to the touring support act and Michele band member Raevennan Husbandes who forewent her own sound check for us, and to Ali the sound guy at the Komedia for doing such a great job under time pressure. Oh, and Hannah got to borrow Michele's bass amp. #brushwithfame #oratleastabassamp #stophashtaggingnick
But all told, a minor quibble and we move on adding to our experience and helping us be the best we can be at that moment in time. Perhaps we respond best to pressure, whether it is sharing the bill with The Self Help Group or Michele Stodart, we are pushed to step up our game and expose ourselves to a more expectant audience than one we would encounter at an open mic night or showcase type event. Saying that, with a set up that involves more discombobulating moving around than Ed Balls on Strictly, there's no way we'd make an open mic.
And from this we are definitely growing in confidence, walking off the stage knowing we did a good job. Though I am still personally at the "Really?!" stage. As in, for example, Clara from The Self Help Group at our last gig, in which we supported them, saying that she loved our harmonies. "Really?!" I replied, still not quite believing someone who has the west coast harmony thing nailed on would make such a compliment. The thing is, we know we can harmonise a little and that it sounds good, but the "Really?!" is still there, waiting to pop out like the crocodile at a Punch and Judy show. I wonder if it'll ever go? The "Really?!", not the crocodile.
Live at The Marwood. Really?! November 2016. Photo: Jamie Freeman.
One thing that will of course go, is 2016. Tom Waits once said "Don't look back, because someone might be gaining on you." Well we'll have to risk it, and I like to think that whoever it is will put their arm around us, give us a squeeze and say well done. I imagine though it will be Hannah that gets squeezed. John and I tend to get ignored in these circumstances.
Looking back, at the beginning of the year we had just really started to gel as a band. Sure, the month before had seen us record three demos, but in many ways that was a strange step, like having the shot gun marriage in anticipation of a pregnancy. Yet as readers of this blog will know most of the things we have done so far it is all a bit arse over tit, as my mum likes to say. Usually loudly in public.
So we skip a few steps, take a few risks and end the year in a way we were never expecting but secretly hoping we might be lucky enough to experience in 2017. Back at The Brunswick, this time with a slot at Lonely Disco, the night hosted by local folk legends The Galleons. That was a bucket list gig for sure. We also have a animated video being made for our song Where Do I Go From Here? and finally a website up and running. Our inter band relationship is becoming stronger and this dynamic is creating better songs. As for 2017, who knows? Michele Stodart was only our 4th gig, so see you at the O2 for the 8th! Wherever we end up, please keep tagging along, your support has been fantastic, and your feedback great.
Really?! Really.
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