Nottingham Picnic 2009

Things are slowly coming back to normal after all the chaos and heartache of the past few months... still the shock waves will ripples in our lives for a long time.

Last week end was Nottingham 2009 picnic at the Old General in Hyson Green, it was a stressful 3 days, but much fun was had and it was more than worth it. Friday night started the festivities, people started arriving as the night went on. Dead In The Woods played a strong energetic set, much better than we did on Wednesday in Sheffield. I really have to learn to stay a bit more still during our sets if I am expected to do anything for a couple of hours afterward, especially for summer gigs, I am not a young thing anymore. Speaking of young things, War All The Time was amazing, great raging d-beat punk meets britcore!

Saturday was always going to be the big day, with 7 bands on the bill and people (including band members) having spend the afternoon getting drunk on the Forest. Things started late and drunkenly, which meant we had to keep the rest of the evening on a strict schedule, cutting set shorts and 'pressing' people to make sure that changeover where prompt. Chicken Call was the surprise of the day, a French band I shamefully knew nothing about playing great melodic hardcore with an anarcho tinge, not miles away from the last Harum-Scarum and played a great set. Whole In The Head, Section 13, The stupids and Beginning of the End all slayed. Beginning of the End played a blinding set of sub-metallic crustcore the way it is meant to be (if you are going to steal a riff for your crust band, stealing a Slayer or Celtic Frost riff is a very good thing to do), which made it even more difficult having to be the one stopping them playing so the next bands had enough time...
Another 'highlight' of the day is being called 'professional music business punk" in a tour report by the member of a band we booked at the May Day Bank Holiday fest at the Old Angel and having some drunken myspace crust lass calling me and Henry "Rip-offs" cause we were asking for door money and using wrist bands, not stamps that can be licked and rubbed onto your mate's arm. Cause paying the bands petrol money is like, so ripping off the punx, and besides, Henry and I have got massive haircare bills to pay.

Sunday wrapped up nicely, our team did direly bad at the Punk Quiz (having 'Garry Glitter' for an answer on most question might not have helped) and the burger were delicious. Winding up the picnic with Surrender's take of early 90's British Anarcho-punk and The Shitty Limits danceable garage tinged punk hardcore was great. Time to say goodbye to everyone and roll on 2010.