Freedom gig at Hayling Island trip.

Freedom is a band run primarily by messers Walker and Lovett. That is Phil Walker (Route 66 guitar player/Md) and his girlfriend of 10 years, Jaime Lovett. It's a cabaret band for the best part which means, they gig for the money WAY above for the love of it!!! But despite the hordes of you in "cool" bands playing "Just our cool songs" to all "our cool friends" and walk away with less money than when you walked in, where you most probably scoff at the likes of me selling our souls for a buck, these cabaret gigs can be more fun than you would guess. And if you don't believe me and still think I am selling my soul, how do you compare what I do to what you do working in say, MacDonalds because playing in original bands will never make you a living unless you're lucky enough to be just that side of a particular style of SHIT that someone decides you're the next big thing and throws a record contract at you. Not only that, but folk seems to think you ARE the next big thing. Case in point, allow me to reel off the following bands:

Artic Monkeys
Razorlight
The Ting Tings
The Killers ("Are we human, or are we dancer?" ... I think I can answer that for you mate! WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK!?!?)

Anyway, I digress. Freedom more or less stopped gigging some time ago; Jaime and Phil had trouble finding decent members stupid enough, er I mean, available to play with them. And that's where I came in! He first mentioned it when I joined Route 66 and as I didn't have much planned for this year I said, "Sure why not!" It was then I heard him on the phone to Jaime, it was muffled as I was listening through the wall with a glass but it sounded like, "Jaimm, goodm mews, Im fwmd a drmmma. Yeammm, a fuckm stumid dwad callm Steeemm" No idea what he said though but he said she was happy about it.

I did three gigs in May and they went really well so Phil called sometime later saying he had a few more that would make up the money from the cancelled Route 66 shows.

I went down the night before to break the would have been 6 and a half hour journey to the gig. It was also so I could check out Phil and Jaime's other band Girl Toys.

The Sat Nav took me right to the pub and as I pulled up I could hear the band fire through Misery Business by Paramore, I guess that means I wasn't going to be playing it with them like Phil had suggested via texts on the way down which I was slightly relieved about as I wasn't very familiar with the song enough to have played live.

I parked up and got in to watch them play. They were very good and I much prefer Phil's guitar playing in this band than the show, it's way more metal!

The pub itself reminded me of the kind of places I would have lied about my age to get into when I was 17, Swansea pubs like The Coach House, Uplands Tavern and The Bush - two of which are now no more sadly. Though every year there's a "Coach Reunion" at a pub called The Office. Think of it for second, lots of people that used to go to a pub meet up and and go to a pub. Yeah that's how we roll in Swansea baby! Anyway, basically a spit and sawdust, biker, heavy metal, mosh and and a nosh (in't bogs with some fat lass that cares not you're not what could be described as a "catch") pint and a fight...that sort of place!



I moseyed on upto the bar got a drink and watched them fly through their set. I was very impressed, the drummer was good but his kit sounded like he'd dampened it down with his own shit. It was a nice kit too.

I chatted to some friends of Phil's while he set down, of course it was a matter of minutes before they'd clock my accent and a tyrade of welsh piss taking would be hurled my way. Everytime I'm in Engerlaaand (way all DO NOT love Vindaloo!!) I'm never disappointed with this behaviour. It's like "hey, I've just met this person, I know nothing about him at all apart from he's from Wales, he's bound to love having the piss taken out of him!!! All Welsh do!" but I was ready for his ass and threw my best come backs at him. Normally, "yeah we shag 'em you eat 'em" is enough. They were actually really nice. I explained that I was the only one stupid enough to come to weymouth for a gig for £80, spend close on £70 on fuel but think that's not so bad as I'd at least have a tenner but then would have to cross the Severn bridge back into Wales, "that'll be £10 please sir" great!

Ok, it's an exaggeration. Phil has told me a thousand million times to stop exaggerating!

I'll leave talking about the Freedom gig for the next post.

Bye x

-- Post From My iPhone