A Hawk and a Hacksaw @ The Bush Hall

It pissed with rain on my cycle in to see A Hawk and a Hacksaw at the Bush Hall, I arrived late and drenched. The venue was ridiculously hot which scuppered any chance of me drying out but just made me wetter...I missed all but the last few minutes of Jack Rose, which might have been a shame except that the talking in the hall pretty much drowned out that last couple of minutes so had I seen more I would have just got grumpier!



20 minutes into A Hawk and a Hacksaw (playing with with the Hun Hangar Ensemble) I was just about ready to go home. I'd written this post in my head, whinging about how I didn't feel involved, how the music I generally love is something that takes me out of the crowd and leaves me (when it works) alone even in the biggest of venues and A Hawk and a Hacksaw were very much about being a part of something.



I went to the bar, got a pint of fizzy water, cooled down a little and went back in and watched. It was getting better, but I suspected that was the water and the cooling down that made me feel like that. They then went off for a ten minute break to "get some wine" and I moved forward into the spaces created by all the folk heading off to the bar of the lavs.



When the band returned, it all changed. Maybe it was being closer forced me to be a part of the event, or maybe it did just get better. But it did get better and better and by the time they left the stage at the end of the show I wanted them back for more as much as anyone in the place.



The rain had stopped when I left and as I unlocked my bike outside, someone walked past and described the show as a "Hungarian cockney knees up" which may have been disparaging or may have been affectionate but may also have been spot on...but probably not. I think I do still prefer to love my music on my own but it reminded me of how I could enjoy being a part of something fun (like all those The Pogues gigs of years gone by).