Added on Wednesday 4 Nov 2009

West End Volume 11

There are times when I wonder about my own stupidity. To me, it is a thing of wonder as, despite a considerable amount of education, I've never really managed to get much smarter. At least not in matters of the heart - if you are a man then change heart to underpants - or in matters of music.

Driving, as I was, down the coast road to Largs on Sunday night in the darkness and driving rain to see Big Baby Ernie at the Victoria Hotel, I wonder about the rationality of it all. What drives a man - if you are a woman then change man to fool - to test his experience of aquaplaning on a journey like that? It's an addiction aka a form of stupidity, that's what it is. There was just no way I was missing Big Baby Ernie. If they could get to Largs from New Jersey then I could get there from Glasgow.

Accompanying me on this little expedition was one of the Bluesbunny photographers. Suffering from an excessive dryness of the wit, he spent the entire journey trying to remember the last time he was in Largs while I was trying to remember the last time I saw the road. In case you are interested, he hadn't actually been to Largs. His family was a bit posh and had holidayed in Troon.

To divert myself from my impending doom, I pondered Friday night's adventure. You say review and I say adventure. Positive outlook on life and all that. After a splendidly near lethal chilli burger at Macsorleys - we are talking a heap of raw chillies on top of the dead cow - I had strolled into a gig to support the Love Music Hate Racism cause at the Classic Grand and encountered a rather fine band called Laki Mera playing a curiously organic take on ambient electronica. Even better, the nice woman on the door thought that I could pass for a student. Good cause, good music, wonderful woman.

Back on the road after a sweat provoking set from Big Baby Ernie, I noticed that the Bluesbunny photographer had decided it was time for a nap. He didn't actually announce his intention to do so. He just started snoring and he kept snoring all along the very wet, twisty road home. Feeling aggrieved at the lack of sparkling conversation on the journey, I extracted revenge by rolling him out of the car into a puddle before zooming off into the night.

A stupid thing to do but funny nonetheless.

Big Baby Ernie - www.myspace.com/bigbabyernie
Laki Mera - myspace Laki Mera
Love Music Hate Racism - www.lovemusichateracism.com