Thursday 2 April 2009

Today is National Autism Day. More of that later.

No dreams today just depression. I find myself lost for words as self-loathing turns into self-pity and nobody wants to hear about that.

I feel nervous today. In some ways the chickens have come home to roost on my work. Perhaps I can deflect responsibility just one more time provided I can tweak and tighten up other areas. Regardless today is looking as if it is gearing up to be a mission.

I feel I need a place to belong. It seems that people have abandoned me in preference to their own selfish needs and it has been a very frustrating year so far.

I step into work and it is ultimately a fairly sedate and relaxed day of going through the motions and keeping my head above water while fending off various distractions and nuisances.

At 5PM we are let out early, a sure sign of a happy and content boss. This serves me particularly well as I head home with urgency for tonight’s show at the Arts Centre with Pappy’s Fun Club.

Out of keeping with my life I am back in Colchester by 7PM lending a lot of time with which to head towards the venue. It even gives me time to pop into the olds on the way to see the dog and snag some dinner.

I head over to the Arts Centre for 8PM in the hope that by the time I arrive someone I know will already be there. They are not. Instead I find myself chatting to Sue and talking bollocks which only serves to demean me as I try too hard to be friendly, maybe even charming.

Tonight Staff leaves a vinyl copy of the new Extreme Noise Terror record “Law Of Retaliation” on the door for me and it looks fantastic.

As I spew out all kinds of nonsense to Sue I see the skinny guy that Bella lived with that used to think it was hilarious to wear coloured contact lenses in an effort to be rebellious and individual. Damn, she had a bigger crush on him than she did me and now in the colder light of day (night) he looks/appears even less impressive than ever.

Eventually Lee turns up and finally I have someone normal to talk to. He is dubious of PAPPY’S FUN CLUB this evening and with his cynical demeanour I am not so sure my old friends will appeal to him. I had hoped Nina would be out tonight also but with a lot on her plate as ever she doesn’t turn up or come along.

Tonight PAPPY’S FUN CLUB perform two sets (or rather one big one sandwiching an interval). The first set is pretty much a greatest hits show followed by their killer “Funergy” show which slayed last summer at Latitude and the one that Mindy chose to blow me out on last year (that beginning of an end).

The greatest hits set on the whole consists of material I have seen before and as ever it doesn’t fail to amuse. Soon into the set they are winning over the Colchester audience with a keen mixture of silliness interrupted by sudden darkness. Magic Thimble arrives early in the set as does Len Taunton and by the time Caesar hits the set and pummels in, the evening is well on the way to a comedic victory. Being that this is tried and tested material the guys often head off on tangents with Tom often leading the way.

At the interval when the autism people come around for contributions my friend gets out of it by pointing out how he has a relative that is autistic.

The previous time I saw Pappy’s “Funergy” set was at the Latitude festival last summer. Tonight the show runs just as fluid coupled with more smart diversions and apt in-jokes. The internet vs the owl still comes relatively unexpectedly but equally inventive. When Nottingham chooses to heckle and pick a fight onstage it is so convincing that a member of the audience tells Nottingham (NOTTINGHAM!) to “shut up!” As the set closes with a rant about the audience at a Lionel Richie gig from a sea loving mammal the night has taken several genuinely surreal turns in the process.

After the show I head over and say “hello” to the guys but it is slightly awkward as it has been almost a year since I last saw them and I half suspect two of them no longer remember my name. It doesn’t help either that I am carrying around a copy of the new Extreme Noise Terror LP which everybody keeps asking me about before looking at the cover first pulling a face of disgust at the image before pulling a face of disgust at me for owning it.

Happily amused we (the audience) head off home smirking and tickled at the sight this evening of grown men acting at the height of silliness.

Afterwards I have a quick drink with Lee in the Hole but I feel I lack coherence and as the bell signifying eleven is run we knock the night on its head (as the bell would signify we are supposed to).