We are all just back from a fabulous function gig in the middle of some woods on the Hampshire/Dorset border.
As it was half-way between two villages – one in Dorset and the other in Hampshire we are not exactly sure in which county we actually played the gig.
This was an elaborate affair. It lasted all-night, and the logistics of putting a big event in a clearing genuinely in the middle of some woods accessible only by farm track were colossal.
And did I say it was fancy dress – with a Regency theme. So most of the men were in huge wigs (the audience – not the band.)
Mark ready to play
We got to play one long set starting about 1:15 in the morning in a huge marquee – with an extremely professional sound company doing the PA. It’s not that often we get our own monitor engineer and individual monitor mixes for each band member. Quite often we don’t have any engineers at all.
I’m not sure that ska is very Regency, but that did not stop the audience dancing continuously. We have no idea where they got the energy.
We were looked after very well too – and came off stage to a cooked breakfast at 3am.
our post gig breakfast
And then after a few hours sleep at the village pub, we got up for another fry-up before a somewhat weary return to London.