Busy weekend’s Filthy spectaculation over the bank holiday.

First up was a trip out into Wales (well, for those of us that don’t live there or nearly there) for Landed, a generous-pocket sized affair that had us on mid-evening Saturday, between 7 teenagers from Merthyr Tydfil I’d roughly categorise as soul-inflected indie and a proper political ska band. After coming from Twickenham to nearly Llandrindod Wells in the back of a car, I was having difficulty tearing myself away from a beer tent full of mismatched sofas and very strong vanilla stout … but once they got over the initial fear (a common starting reaction) the crowd loved it and so did we.

Onwards the next day to Rochester, for their ‘Sweeps’ May Day festival. My advance fear had been not getting an audience at our afternoon slot in a pub – it turned out lack of people was the last of our worries. Getting through the crowds with a PA and a drum kit, now that was an issue. Breathing. Getting into a loo. If you’ve never been to Sweeps: don’t turn up before about 7pm if you’re at all claustrophobic or sociophobic.

Even by 5 we found some respectable upstanding local wives in a merry enough state to apply some very interesting dance moves (and a selfie stick) to our set, and as you can see above I just managed to squeeze out between Mr E’s … er … strumming elbow *that was close* and my mike stand to join them and the band widows, fast becoming my signature gimmick with all bands. I’ve realised if you’re doing a blazing fiddle solo at the same time, no one seems to really notice how terrible your dancing is (and I think they let you off with a lot more sloppy fingerwork on the violin too). Quids in all round really …

Things had quietened rather by our second full-length set, in a different venue over the road at 9. However, we did get to serenade the main booker for the event, so here’s to bigger (and less crowded! and with artist parking and house PA!) things next year!

And in the meantime, to going over to Bristol tomorrow night (yes, Thursday!) to support goth royalty Aurelio Voltaire and dark cabaret crazies Cauda Pavoris at the Fleece. If you’re coming, email [email protected] to get on the £5 off on the door list and show up by 7:30 to see our set! There for a Filthy time not a long time …