RHYTHMS OF THE WORLD 2011 (PROLOGUE)

And so Rhythms of The World rolls around again.

The month beforehand we tend to have meetings followed by meetings followed by meetings.

I don’t really mind all this, because if everybody is honest then you can get a lot of bugs ironed out before the event, which always helps.

Two nights before the event is the last Stage Manager’s meeting and from that moment on we’re all sorted and away.

The Friday night before the event will usually find me on the site with the stages in various states of repair.

If the weather has been reasonable then the crew will work their balls off, trying to get everything done throughout the week including most of the nights, and you would usually find some are built and will only need a fine tweak in the morning and others (like mine) will need a little more work throughout the night.

I know the job will be done, but I always hope I can actually turn up on the Friday night and find it finished, but it’s never happened yet.

This year I’m joined by a few of my ‘special guests’ and our new soundman, Ben, who has come to check out his ‘patch’ for the morning.

The first thing Ben says is ‘I want to run it from over there…’ pointing toward the treeline.

Well we’ve never run it from over there previously, but he seems to know what he’s on about, so why not ?

‘Run it from where you’re happiest’

‘Ok, good… I’ll just nip home and get some extensions…’

Now THAT is what I call service.

See… It’s simple really…

Don’t stand in the way of expertise.

Craig and Jon are mooching around the kit…

This will take that, and that can take this, and probably that too ?

They seem happy, which is just as well because I’d hate to see my Saturday headliners pissed off before we even begin.

It’s been a long slog to get them onboard from my initial asking, and now they are topping the bill I really don’t need any foul-ups.

The good thing about it is that whilst I don’t yet, they know Ben, so they are able to talk to him in ‘technicalese’, a language that I’m spotty on, to say the least.

So let’s talk about our Saturday headliners who are having a good nosey around the kit for a bit, before it starts getting hectic…

Scum of Toytown.

They haven’t played a proper gig for about thirteen years but since all getting together at friend Dan’s wedding for a little ‘bash’, they’ve continued with it and there is now talk of recording a second album.

So to actually get the best ska-punk band in the area, and certainly the most respected in terms of attitude, musical ability, and not selling out their principles for the almighty dollar is a seriously major coup.

I knew it was going to be big as soon as the announcement hit the press, but even beforehand whilst in the local Tescos, I’d had our old back door security guy from the old Klub Wiv No Name days, Dale, come up to me with a big smile and give me a huge hug at the checkout…

All he said was ‘I’m counting down the days… Nice one… Well done…’

And that was it.

I have to be honest, that’s not quite Dale’s usual greeting so maybe I did do the right thing in asking ?

After all, you never know until you ask anyway ?

I mean… I write this stuff like I actually know what I’m doing, but a lot of it is guesswork and you are only ever going to be as good as your lineup, but with Scum onboard I certainly don’t think we could get any better ?

Obviously Bob Dylan or The Dead or Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen might ratchet it up slightly, but hey, if we can’t have them then Scum will do nicely, and to be honest, I don’t honestly think we could get a better local headliner ?

It’s about time a local act got a bit political again.

The kids these days just don’t seem to be interested but they soon will be when their benefits are cut and they are forced into either working or starving, so Scum are a welcome blast of musical politics, and Christ ! Don’t we just need that right now, plus the fact you can dance to them is a bonus.

This country has been totally fucked over politically and the common or garden workforce is going to hell in a handcart, so who better than a band who tell it like it is but you can dance to ?

Oh well, we’re about as ready as we’re ever going to be, so a good night’s sleep is in order because we need to be there about 9.30-10.00 in the morning…