The Psychøtic Reactiøn

A problematic one this; it took me right back to the mid-90s for all the wrong reasons!

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Indoors this year due to a combination of DFL neighbours and a lack of a suitably bowel-moving outdoor PA. This was the first time we’d done the RNLI bash since 2003, although we’d only actually missed one (it had a Glastonbury-style fallow year in 2005). I only realised when I heard the other bands that currently we only have one cover in our set, but either we were so marvellous, or the audience were so shit-faced, that most people seemed to like us regardless of any unfamiliarity (or maybe we’ve just played half our set to death! You decide!). The day was commenced by Ben’s Alter Ego (the Terry Reid-esque Ben is about to appear on “The X Factor” we are told, the masochist!), followed by Paul The Other One (with a stand-in drummer who’d reportedly once toured with Take That!!? Whoever he was, he was bloody good!), then somebody I completely missed due to being enticed away by the promise of roast lamb, The Coughlan Taches (minus Chunter and with me sitting in on bass for half the set doing “Living in a Sitcom” et al — back to the halcyon days of 2003!), a classy covers act from Ireland (I think — didn’t get their name) and finally, us, to finish off the evening in more ways than one…

I find that an audience that consists of people who’ve either been drinking all day or are stuffed full of prescription drugs (or both) usually seems to appreciate us and today was no exception. We did have one monkey-man to contend with, but he was easily seen off, and the glamorous grannies didn’t like it, but we’d be doing something wrong if they did! Thanks to Ian “Coughlan Taches” Lander for doing the sound and to Matt Smith/Paul the Other One for providing the PA.

Set list:

• Dance of the Midwich Cuckoos
• ES-40
• Knickers in the Photocopier
• Cocoon
• Barking Up The Wrong Tree
• Overdraft Blues
• The Medway Crab Fisherman
• The New Victor (Dick Dale)
• It’s A Small Town
• What’s Under The Stairs?
• A Moment of Clarity

Last minute planning sometimes pays off! This event was splendidly arranged by Polly Reid and Matt De Pulford, with a little assistance from Luke Smith (who found the venue). I was slightly disappointed to learn it was a deconsecrated synagogue (even less chance of running into Rabbi Lionel Blue, but no risk of incurring the wrath of Mossad, I suppose), but this tiny, secluded, and decidedly intimate venue turned out to be ideal for a night a little different from the norm. Volume was severely restricted so we dispensed with drums, Leo switching to piano. Also, realising that my guitar sound would be less than ROCK, I used more FX than usual. (In hindsight I would have been better off using a solid state amp; using a valve amp at this volume, my guitar sound was a little of the rubber-bands and cigar box variety). So, no kicking out the jams, just giving them a gentle push…

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