My two girls have been bitten with the Storytelling bug, so currently I'm looking for smaller venues where they can perform as well. They were so excited about the event, even though it was well over an hours drive. So with kids in the car - their stage names Jelly and Elphinstone, plus one of their friends, off we went to sunny Worthing.
The Coast Cafe was a small but beautiful location. And if we had been any closer to the sea we would have got our feet wet. Organiser, Joe Bunn and friend, were extremely welcoming to all the performers. And then after he'd had a cigarette or three he lit the candle, took a loaf, made from the first grain of the harvest season (possibly), to be blessed. It was then distributed amongst the audience. Very nice.
Soon the poetry started flowing. Now I know I'm their Mum but, Jelly and Elphinstone were awesome! I really enjoyed their original take on the 'True Story of Red.' However lurking in the background was a strange, shirtless, tattooed man waving what I think was an Irish flag. And I mean strange even for us who regularly go to the storytelling/performance poetry events.
Anyway, I digress. It's my slot and the idiot starts shouting what I'm sure he believes to be relevant and profound statements. And I lose my thread! Completely fluffed it. In a way I haven't done for years. Although anyone who knows me well knows that I don't do drunks - and I really don't do loud drunks. But I bravely got through it, even though I completely lost the plot. I hope it wasn't a case of 'pride cometh before the fall.' However, I now have slight butterflies over the fact that I'm performing at the Southsea show, a much bigger location on Saturday - in the beer tent! But surely, I reassure myself, there won't be drunks in Portsmouth?
On a mega plus side to the evening I found out that I really like 'Blue Grass Music.'
We hadn't been able to stop for a bite to eat on the way because of the three traffic jams we had to get through, and Jessica was starving so unfortunately we had to leave early and go home via MacDonalds. Then Jessica ate so fast she ended up with a tummy ache. I was still ruffled from the drunk and managed to get lost twice coming home. I had just settled down for the night when I heard the 'Muuuuuum.' Jessica AKA the starfish snored loudly in my bed all night.
But all in all - The Lammas Day Festival had a really good vibe. We were all glad to be invited.
No comments:
Post a Comment