Secret

Argh, I wanted to upload an image from the gig on Saturday night, but the damn web cafe doesn't seem to want me. All those breasts are probably too much for them.



Anyway, I'm exhausted. I didn't go in to work today despite the Boy's best efforts to get me out of bed on time, I just could not face it, and the realisation of all the things I had to run around and do to get ready for DJing tonight and the gig tommorrow. It became very clear I couldn't both go to work and DJ tonight. And which did I choose? Not very responsible. But the one good thing about my line manager changing at work is there's no longer any clear line of who actually approves my holidays, so I can take them when I like. So I've been going through my CD collection and loading up with stuff I love.

Secret Gig on Saturday - blimey. I was blasted after the work doo on Friday night (give and take, I guess) and despite the fact that we were supposed to *start* at noon, I woke up in a panic at just after noon. Tried to shake off my hangover and get on the train feeling like death and realising that drinking away the pain of the ankle I'd sprained the night before hadn't done me any good. Lurched through a rehearsal with the help of loads of coffee, then I lay down for a nap while the girls went to get loads of pink wine and pizza.



Blimey. Sound problems. Argh! The laptop and the stereo just didn't want to talk. Who let Squarepusher in here? We did our best and carried on, doing a capella bits if we were too far into a song to stop. There wasn't a real "audience" - it was just loads of our friends gathered round on the sofas and sitting on the floor. So I guess it was a good way to gently break Marianna into her first gig. I mucked about with my guitar, which was good, because I never practise with my pedals, which is bad, while AMP ran the laptop. Phew, that works much better.



And all the while, there's giggling and pretty dresses and lots of in-jokes and half synchronised dance movements and even though it's very kitsch, I think sometimes, my god, we must be a fun band to *watch*. My bandmates are always like this at rehearsals, I just hope they carry on making the transition to being like that on *stage*. So Secret Gigs are a good way to accomplish this. Plus, we get to have great little surprises like the Flashing Hedgehogs, our Bull & Gate Support Band Of The Week. And The Kissing Time joining us for super special encores.


Oh yeah. Plus everyone trying to decide who should remix which song. I just want Tiga to remix the whole thing at my house, four Shimuras in a bedroom studio shockah!

I didn't get drunk. I left early and limped home, and did the laundry and the shopping in a huge rush then spent two hours in the bathtub reading the Observer. (Argh, I totally forgot to get a Guardian on Saturday, so now I am *never* going to know what happened to Tamara Drew, oh no.)

Anyway, DJing tonight. Oh yes.

(Thanks to AMP, Marianna, Cat and Frances for the photos!)