Edinburgh Fringe
With Hexicon at the Edinburgh Fringe, 11th to 18th August 2004:
Phew… Quite a saga getting there: my train was due in at 7:30pm but arrives at 12:10am. Never mind! I stagger off the train into the centre of Edinburgh. The dark, imposing Athens-of-the-north architecture jostles for position with neon lights, bars, takeaways and shuttered tourist tat. The night feels warm and soluble, and is swarming with unusually inebriated people. Despite disorientated, jet lagged sensations, I quickly get my bearings and have no choice but to head straight for the venue, weighed down with sleeping bag, guitar and gap-year style back pack. I am sweating like a pig and some of the people around here look like they’ll have me squealing like one in no time, too. I negotiate sundry drunks and loons and make it down to Infirmary Street, right in the heart of the city. Having explained to the barmaid that no, I wasn’t a vagrant/alcoholic/drug-fiend/asylum seeker/war criminal/bloody student/comedian/performance artiste (though some may beg to differ) and that I was supposed to be playing with “the band”, my feeling that this was all turning out to be a dreadful mistake was alleviated; helped somewhat by the presence of Hexicon flyers (I’m in the right place!) and a pint of beer. Mike and Paul (Hexicon) arrive with their entourage. Mike blinks at me like he’s seen a ghost, but I am warmly greeted. I’m glad to have finally made it! There commences a week of total body-clock confusion, surviving on cereal, not much booze (too expensive!), one slap-up meal (thank you, Monster Mash and Velocet!), one rip-off meal (Pizza Paradise? Pizza Purgatory, more like!) and what Mike routinely refers to as “living the dream”.