Barney

Last week I was talking about my first ever gig, today it's the turn of the second. As formative experiences go it was really pretty key. It was the first time for a start that I ever visited the city that I would end up going to university in and then live there for some years after. It involved all sorts of stuff that would stay with me for years and I did it all with Tim, my best friend at the time, someone who I was really close with for a number of years but now am no longer in touch with. The kind of friend who, at the time, you thought you'd be friends for life with but, through nobody's fault, just circumstances really, you've just drifted apart from. Maybe you'll see him again one day, maybe you won't. Just one of those things.

Anyway, here's the line-up. In typically awkward fashion the headiners played first, a classic 45 minutes with no encore. They came on about half seven and it was all over by eight fifteen. We were right down the front, resplendent in Joy Division t-shirts, first or second row in the standing area and we could see the setlist taped to the floor at Barney's feet. The opening track was a new one, the words on the piece of paper on stage simply had it down as three letters, three letters I'd never seen in combination before in any context. Three magic letters - BLT.

Billy Bragg was then completely fantastic and we had to leave halfway during the London Inspirational Gospel Choir's set to meet my mum and dad outside who were waiting in the car to drive us back the 60 or so miles back to Hull. Mum and dad, thanks for taking us all those years ago, 25 years to the day. And Tim, if you're reading this, the chances of which are improbably small no doubt, I'll even dedicate today's entry to you. Good times indeed.