Got to the Union Chapel very early (bit keen aren't you?), so I could get a good seat. The Brummie and Screwy were out for a bit of dinner beforehand, so I had to save a couple of spaces on the pew...very tricky avoiding the glances of earnest young folks who reckon it's first come, first served. Frankly, my dears - I don't give a damn. The show is a sell-out, they've already had to put on a second night, so I'm sitting tight.
Support act is a girl called Sophia. She's OK, but I've seen so many acts like this (girl with guitar and quite a nice voice) that they really have to be very good to make me sit up and take notice. And she did a couple of things I liked, but nothing that'd make me go out of my way to see her again. I remember thinking she had a nice dress on, and that can't be a good sign...
Some huge man came and sat in the pew right in front of me. Bloody tall people. Bane of my life (where gigs are concerned). No escape, even in the Lord's House. And then his girlfriend appeared (also too tall), who seemed to be orchestrating the seating plan for her entire group of friends by standing and waggling her hands and pointing out where she could see spare seats on pews 10 rows away. Fucking annoying. At this point, I was secretly thrilled to see that her boyfriend was also annoyed with her for doing this and drawing too much attention to him. Then he wouldn't speak to her (schadenfreude - a concept I love - clever Germans). Sadly, they made up later, and managed to drape themselves around each others necks while Bill was on, making themselves about 7 feet wide and too tall with it. Fuckers. Can't help but think The Lord was getting back at me for my evil thoughts...
Enough of all that rubbish - let's get to Bill. He came on and the place went mad (well, as mad as nice, indie-loving middle-class people can). And it was just lovely. He looks like he really enjoys himself, laughing, pulling moves, so charismatic. Couldn't take my eyes off him. He plays Diamond Dancer, which thrills Brummie, it's a real favourite of hers. And as he has strings (violin, cello), he can play Eid Ma Clack Shaw and really do it justice. When he finished, he got some of the loudest cheers I've ever heard at The Union Chapel. And so we get Cold Blooded Old Times as an encore (I was hoping for The Well, but hey,maybe a girl shouldn't always get everything she wants, and just getting to watch him was kinda enough).
