Weekend in Nottingham

I invited myself up to Nottingham to see newly turned 21 Eoin. Inviting myself is the only way I have found to do this, Eoin being far too disorganised. So I just stated when I would arrive and what we would do and lack of demurral was taken as consent!

That isn't entirely true. It is possible to make arrangements through his girlfriend Niamh, though what the poor girl has done to earn herself a job as Eoin's social secretary I don't know. Must be some awful deed in a past life.

Anyway, I booked myself into the Bentinck Hotel which is literally across the road from Nottingham station with the intention of going out and finding a pub and getting Eoin and Niamh to join me, but it turned out that the place had just the perfect hotel bar, so instead I got myself a drink and window seat and waited there.

And in due course the young couple found me, and Eoin sank into the vacant chair.

I had booked us an early dinner at the Calcutta Club, a top notch Indian restaurant. We quizzed them on how they made their chicken so incredibly delicious. Marinating apparently. 

Then I had booked us into a comedy club, for which Eoin insisted we sit at the front. Which we did, all alone. Until the MC came on and bullied the back row into sitting at the front with us. Anyway, all the comics were good (even the one Eoin didn't like), so it was a really excellent night. Then Eoin announced he wouldn't object to another drink. So we went to a Brewdog. Until that closed. So let me just summarise by saying, in hindsight, I didn't need an extra couple of pints of cider in a Spoons in the city centre after midnight.

So this is main square at about 1:30am I think. I did get back to the hotel ok, but I wouldn't say I was at my sunny best Sunday morning. Sick as a dog.

I skipped hotel breakfast and did some touristy stuff on what was a glorious day.

Nottingham Castle. Despite the fame brought by Robin Hood, very little of the original castle remains

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem which claims (amongst many others) to be the oldest pub in England - see date of 1189 painted on wall. In fact the earliest part of the building is only 17th century, but it was part of the medieval castle's brewhouse, so it is fair to say there would have been on site drinking for a long time.

Brewhouse Yard - just beyond the Trip

I booked us Sunday lunch at the Roundhouse which was a very good pick on my part - its the round building below. Unlikely as it may sound, it was built as part of the general hospital at the beginning of the 20th century, but is now a pub

The restaurant was really lovely, but to my surprise, really empty. No need to have booked!

Good beef roast

Niamh slumping into her post lunch cocktail

And to finish off we found a pub by the canal for another drink. The good news is that they had TVs outside so we could watch the last day of the Premier League season. The bad news is that we couldn't, because the TVs outside didn't work.

 So we retired indoors (saving my bald patch from sunburn in the meantime) to watch the Man City West Ham game on the working TV inside. Eoin, a Hammers fan, fancied them to cause an upset now that they had nothing to play for. His optimism lasted under 90 seconds by which time City had scored and the rest is history.

Anyway, a thoroughly lovely weekend with two of my favourite people. Just needed less alcohol. At my age you wouldn't expect me to be so easily led would you?😂

Royston Club at Koko

Having seen the Royston Club earlier in the year supporting Miles Kane I thought I would see them again as headliners in their own right. It was a good move on my part!

They had two support acts, the first being young Alex Spencer, who had been the opening act when I saw Miles Kane. Then he announced he was 16, in the way one does when one is ridiculously young to be performing. I mean no one would announce themselves, "Hi my name is Alex and I am 32." Anyway, this time he announced himself as 17. Time moves on😀

Different perspective for me. Koko is a small theatre venue, so rather than stand at the front I sometimes go upstairs and stand at the front balcony. A little further away from the action but still an unobstructed view, which is the key consideration when you are under 5 foot 5!

Alex's band was the same as last time except the rather diffident looking lad on bass had been replaced by a much cooler looking young lady.

Anyway, the key thing with this young lad is he can sing well and he has great natural stage presence. You want to like him. That helps a lot. He writes his own stuff which sounds fine but I am not sure really how good it is - always hard to say when listening to new material whether it is good or just in your comfort zone in terms of genre.

As I commented last time, although he introduces his band members, and seemed to have a great rapport with his keyboard player, I think its a shame they just go under his name rather than a band name. I like the idea of collective performance!

The second support was a three piece called Swim School. Clearly a much more experienced outfit. First thing that struck me was just how very heavy and loud they were. Which I always feel is an issue with a female lead singer. Even a young lady with a pretty powerful voice like this one just doesn't produce vocals big enough to go over the top of the guitars.

The other catch compared to the opener is just that lack of stage presence, all the more noticeable when sandwiched between two acts that have it. It is not an easy talent to describe, but some acts (and generally here I mean lead vocalists) just totally draw the eye, usually by the way they move, or by their patter with the audience. Just something a little indefinable. But it is what makes the total live experience. Otherwise one might as well listen at home. This lot just didn't have it.

And finally to the main course, the Royston Club. A band hailing from Wrexham, not known as a hotbed of music they play just the catchy indie songs I like. This was the third time I have seen them and definitely the best. As far as I am concerned they have it all. Like the genre, and Tom Faithfull has it all - excellent really powerful voice over the guitars and just the cool easy magnetism you want. You just enjoy watching him.

Note the Welsh flag!

And it wasn't just me that enjoyed this. The crowd was far more lively than at the Miles Kane gig. It was fun watching from my vantage point as below was a bouncing swirling mass of young people forming endless mosh pits, like watching a human version of an eddying mountain stream.

Below is the view sideways from where I was standing, showing the sound and lighting controls just below the balcony, and the boxes at the side which show that this was once an old style theatre.

 So all in all a very good night. And a nice venue, just the right size at a bit over 1000 capacity