Sunday 27th January 2008 - Slow Club & Lucy And The Caterpillar

Night One - The Night & Day Café - 27th January 2008 - Slow Club & Lucy & The Caterpillar

And so it began. Taking the car, with my friends, Andy & Irene to Manchester (after dropping their Jim off at home) to the Night & Day Café on a peculiarly mild January evening. I was almost nervous about finally getting to start on this manic six-day mission to see as much music as one idiot can handle. I needn't have worried aout the quality of what was to come on night one though.


I had bought this gig ticket on the strength of Lucy (and her noticably absent caterpillar). I like quirky, folksy, dinky, fairy, lucky doo-rag type musicians and teenage Lucy certainly fits that category. She's from Burnley (or as it is known in Burnley: Buuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrn-li - gawd bless 'em and their delightful Lancashire 'ot-pots). What a sweet cutie this young lady is on a stage. Until she opens her gob between songs and gives the crowd a bit of a bollocking for not shutting the hell up. Which is funny to watch and quite nice frankly. When will people learn to shut the hell up when an artisté is performing their craft? Must I smack everyone in the mouth who won't shut up? (Ed: Generic Blog 34 does not condone or sanction acts of violence in any way, not even against ignorant fuckwits). It later becomes hilariously ironic during Slow Club's later, excellent set when Lucy decamps to the side of the stage next to me and proceeds to waffle to her mates all the way through her friends show!!!

But funnies aside, Lucy has a lot of talent (she can play guitar excellently, sing like an angel and knit owls) and a setlist of songs that bring a smile with their deceptively simple, loving themes about boys and girls, love, walks in the foothills around Burnley and owls once again. Lucy will go a long way. She deserves bigger billing than support at the Night & Day and will doubtless get it soon enough. If she comes to your town, spend a couple of bob on a ticket.

Slow Club. I knew not one lousy jot about them before the show. But, they were excellent, entertaining and full of energy backed up with diverse instrumental talents. Bottle players, guitarists, singers, both of them and possibly from Sheffield (I think that's where she said they come from anyway). I thoroughly enjoyed a fairly high-energy outfit here. Not much more to say; go see these two as well. There is no substitute for experience, that's what I say.

Day One done, no pain so far. One down, five to go.