retiredmartin

Back in central Nottingham I had two hours to kill, with Matt typically getting out of gigs last having sold on future pocket money entitlements to fund the purchase of band hoodies.

That’s a long time to walk around looking for Bass and Home Ales memorabilia. Or even following the William Booth trail (see also: Whitechapel).

I started by admiring the youth and the hats at the bar of the Lloyds No.1.

An aimless wander took me past a few potential live music venues (Bodega and Rough Trade), but they seemed to want me to part with a tenner to watch a gig, way outside my range.

I’ve never been to a nightclub, you know.  Perhaps if I make 70 I’ll visit Pryzm in an ironic way. Make a note in your diaries.

As I’ve noted before, central Nottingham isn’t awash with Beer Guide places.  Here’s the Hockley Rebel, my pre-emptive tip for 2020, on the basis that there’s Stay Puft and a Tiki Bar upstairs. Perhaps it’ll make the Glamorgan chapter of the next Guide.

Up Mansfield Road with its odd Proper Pub and cosy trattorias, till I saw this;

Yes, just £3, worth a punt.  And I’d never been in The Maze, the separate music venue underneath the venerable Forest Tavern, which I had.

I’m always impressed with a place that has a former member of Crass appearing soon.

Oddly for a Castle Rock venue, all the cask seemed to be from Imperial, the club/gig venue/brewery from Mexborough, South Yorkshire’s finest/cheapest town.

At the little cashbox I handed over my three quid.

“Er, which band have you come to support ?”  Odd question.

“Er, any of them really“.  I couldn’t remember any of the names.

Just as well, as it turns out there was only The Publics left to play.

I’d turned up on young band night, so the crowd were mostly proud/horrified parents in Joe Strummer T-Shirts or sensible pullovers, supporting teenagers who probably had to be in college for mocks the next day. I found a seat where I wouldn’t get hit by the roll-ups that were being flicked across tables.

It was great to be at a gig with real young people, not those 22 year olds Matts go to watch.

So it was a bit disappointing when they kicked off with Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs covers, though their own songs turned out to be tremendously catchy and boisterously delivered (you can see I almost wrote for Melody Maker not NME). Great stuff.

30 minutes was an ideal set length, and Matt texted me at 10.30pm to tell me he was finishing unexpectedly early as well. No stamina these kids.

Unlike kids in the 1990s.