Underachievers

I drop Claire at the bus stop and rush to get the rear wheel off my bike. Then Porty to collect Nick, a dash through the park to Bruntsfield for Claire, before heading for Glasgow. Half an hour late. With barely enough fuel for the journey.

We join Megan and Angus at Cafe Andaluz off Byres Road. They’ve already eaten and we pick at the left overs, while ordering a top up. Angus decides to accompany us to the gig, but Megan has prior commitments with Greenpeace.

There’s a whole posse of us heading to the Glad Cafe for a day of music from various bands signed to Lost Map. I noticed it because Rozi Plain are playing, not knowing any of the other bands.

It turns out to be quite a diverse collection: Hairband, Callum Easter, Happy Spendy, Rozi Plain, Mush, Savage Mansion, Spook School. Highpoints for me are Rozi and Hairband, with an award for weirdness to Callum.

Our posse is made up of me, Claire, Angus, Nick, Owen, Gordon, Jim & Izzy. The rest of the audience is largely made up of band members and their friends. It’s small, cozy, friendly atmosphere.

Nominated drivers are Gordon and me - everyone else gets drunk.

Owen commands Angus to demonstrate an aikido move on him, which leads to his head connecting with the furniture. End result: blood and a large bruise on the forehead. No other damage was sustained.

The evening wraps up at half ten. Gordy is long gone. Owen has staggered off across Queens Park. I take the Clyde Tunnel, deposit Jim near his home, drop Angus at Murano and drive sedately through the strangled darkness of South Lanarkshire, heading for the refuge of the Borders.