Ship Shape and Bristol fashion - Report from the Good Ship

It's taken a while to write about the Good Ship gig. Not because of anything negative. On the contrary it was one of the BEST gigs that I have ever done.

And I was totally hyped for weeks afterwards, in fact I still am!

We were due to go on at 7pm which worried me slightly. It was very early for a gig, outside was still sunny and the world and his wife seemed to be across the road in the beer garden of the pub opposite.

As there was no soundcheck as such, I turned up and then immediately rushed off to get ready (thinking I only had about 45 minutes). But then came a welcome phonecall to tell me one of the bands had dropped out and we were now on at 7.45. Great, even more time to take to put the makeup on, except that I had nearly finished and didn't have a lot left to do.

This is a BIG deal. My pre-gig makeup application is a ritual, a religion almost. I love putting makeup on and I don't wear it that often, and I have the timing just right. So to have nearly finished and then to find out I have another 40 minutes or so was actually excruciating, even though knew it would hopefully bring more people in!

So we ended up going on at more like eight o'clock which is a much more reasonable and party-ish time, except a felt a bit guilty about the people I had bullied to get down there early. The turn out was good and the feedback was excellent, but if everyone who had PROMISED to come, had come, then it would have been even better.

I gave out shit loads of fliers, and yet nearly everyone who came down to see us knew by word of mouth. That's just typical of London! It does make you wonder whether working your arse off to promote a gig in the way that I did, really pays back. Still, it was sooo good to see so many faces, as at the first gig everyone was in the shadows, and I have realised that I LIKE to see FACES. Then I have someone to sing to! Everyone at Glusburn stood quite far back, so their faces were in shadow and I didn't feel the gig went nearly as well.

Also one of my worst nightmares happened, before I had even opened my mouth to sing! I don't really like to talk much before I go on. I like to get into the 'zone' (god that sounds poncey, but it's not meant to be!). The Good Ship doesn't have a dressing room, so I was planning to 'hide' down the corridor and just waltz onto the stage at the last minute, as normal.

Except I totally misjudged, forgetting that the band had to do a line check first. I got on stage (and a tiny little stage it is too) and thinking we were going to launch straight into Glycerine Machine, tested the mic, only to find out that it didn't work. But to be honest, it would have looked a little strange if I had then got off stage again, particularly since there was nowhere really to go to! So I literally had to stand there, on stage, whilst the sound guy changed the mic. For what seemed like an hour, though it was probably about 5 minutes. Usually I would be cringing and it would ruin a gig. But strangely, I felt more relaxed, realised I had loads of people around me supporting me, and it was a great gig from the off!

Sadly none of my friends (at least 3 of which ARE photographers) remembered to bring their cameras. I gleaned a few pictures from various mobile phones that people took, plus a mobile video clip which, though the sound is obviously a bit distorted, gives a minute or so of Psychic Hygiene, which I will stick up in the next few days. (Going to try and fade in and out so it's not so 'raw'!!

I didn't even get the usual tipsy self portraits that are the usual tradition post gig.

The ShoeShoe Club also saw it's first outing, just at the start of Soho Sophisticated .. this is a new club for followers of the shoe deity. The idea is that there will be shoe shrine and followers will bring their offerings at the appropriate time (beginning of Soho Sophisticated) which will then be posted on the club website. It's a place and an excuse to celebrate shoes! OK, if you don't like shoes then the shoe gods can be appeased with Chuppa Chup lollies. ;-) More details of the ShoeShoe Club can be found on http://www.shoeshoeclub.com/.

Next gig - back Oop North in Keighley and I can't wait!

What the people said;

"where has 50ft Woman been hiding? "

"coolly glamorous image, needle-sharp lyrics and a hard driving band "

"they look good and sound great "

"it’s no good playing ‘spot the influence,’ of course she has influences, but 50ft Woman has that rarest of qualities in music, originality"

...awesome, sounds like Garbage meets AC/DC!