The Printworks I

The Venue
Four years on my gig venue list, finally made it to see Squid. It's a vast complex of industrial areas where the London Evening Standard used to be printed and capacity appears to be 3k for gigs + 2k in Inkwell and other areas. An outstanding building, acoustics, lighting (it's generally a club venue) and quite unique in my limited experience. 

Entering via a long series of zig zags of metal walled pathways outside, it was a cross between an airport and a Covid test station, but with tens of mainly young black guys on security, who seemed to be having as much fun as the gigsters. No Covid passport checking (as stipulated), but trays for emptying pockets then frisking. 

Covid
I was about 1 in 300 wearing a mask inside; why ever not? Spent some time very near the front but mostly at the back with metres of space between us few people. Antigen test negative prior to going, we'll see how it is in a day or two. About 20% of people ignoring the mandatory mask wearing on the tube.

Band & Trip
Squid were much better live than on record - as the best bands are. Met an old school buddy and wife nearby beforehand in Canada Water and and back home for 1am. Thankfully they now run later trains back from Kings Cross up to 23:30; I got the 23:00.

A few fellow veterans with walking sticks and one with a wheel chair were there, amongst plenty of 40+yrs and a mass of 20s-30s.

Pleased with my energy management, deliberately getting the16:20 train down, and feeling just naturally tired today and a lazy recovery day planned.