Fuel, parking and restricted travel
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Hi all. Just went to Portishead near Bristol the other day to meet a potential girlfriend. Sadly, though we had a great day out, it wasn't to be. What really stung was the price of the diesel! Around £75.00 there and back! (and it's only 160 miles away). I guess it's time to intstall one of these systems.
This year appears to be one of the quietest Christmases for work. All my other DJ friends say the same. I guess it's because all our money's going to the government and oil companies. Never mind, It's still a great time of year for going mental on the dance floor! Surprising amount of people getting married this month. I guess it makes the anniversaries easier to remember?
Next year to raise money for a good cause which would take too long to explain here, I am going to host a large singles type disco night up in East Grinstead and it will cost around £10.00 per head. The first one is on January 28th so let me know if you're interested and I can supply more info for you.
Tonight I am doing a gig for someone else ie: not my own customer. The hotel has nowhere to park, is a bugger to get into and when you finally make it, there is a noise limiter device which cuts the power to the stage on all sockets within around 50 metres if you go above the level of a small kitchen radio. Some gigs you really just do for the money. Next week I have another one in Brighton and Hove with no parking. This is why I don't advertise in that area. All you Brighton deejays: You're entirely welcome to it!
I once used to have an agent send me up to a gig in Covent Garden just off the Aldwich above The Strand. You had to have your wits about you there. It was an 8 story venue with no parking and clamper vans and wardens circling like vultures right up until 18:00 hours on the dot Greenwich mean time. The first night I played there, I got all the equipment into the 6th floor which meant getting what then was around £10 000 worth of stuff into the front foyer and leaving it unattended whilst going to park the van in Drury lane NCP three streets away (Around £25.00 per night). You then had to walk 3 streets back and get all the stuff to the lift 200 yards away at the back of the ground floor, after which you had to take it up bit by bit in the under sized lift. The first time I played there I had some time in between starting, so I pulled the van out of said expensive car park and parked it legally (I thought) in a space out front. Turns out it was a residents bay or something badly signed and at 2am in the morning I come out and find it clamped. 1/2 hour later, £115.00 down and a bunch of Somalians are dissappearing with my denver boot in the back of their Campdon council van. I did that gig about three times after that, but I don't any more. Just not worth the stress....
On an up note I had a great gig last week in East Grinstead, thanks to my mate Andy from Foxrox discos. I hosted a big band night that they have there once a year. Great 20 piece big band and the crowd were really up for it. The place was pretty well packed out. I love those gigs where there are lots of people everywhere. It really makes it fun. I've done a few gigs this year where the attendance has been low and despite my best efforts, understandably, those that are there have a hard time getting into it.
Right now my landlord is digging up the front of the house and putting in block paving. It'll be great when it's finished, but getting the gear out today was a right sod. He helped me, but he wont be there at 2am tomorrow morning so like i say, tonight is just one to get through!
Sorry if this one was a bit of a downer. I'll try and make the next one better but hey, this is real life!
Watch one of my favourite comedians to bring you up once more!