Mike Bruce
another spooky tale
The final show of the
whole A.C. thing for me was 28th May 2001 at the Limelight in
Crewe.
After gauging the first show in Studio 24 in Edinburgh, after
Alice's gig, I decided it would be in order to see Mike's last show in UK as
well...
Having delayed my normal prompt booking routine, I was punished
with a hefty £62.50-scareaway-return to Crewe and was put at the mercy of Virgin
trains.... which, fortunately only proved troublesome on my
return
journey.....
For lodgings, I telephoned the Crewe Tourist
Information office ( surely a contradiction in terms??). Helpfully, I was
furnished with a list of six possible hostelries which would welcome my
custom......
I randomly contacted the Royal Hotel and arranged dwellings
which I was assured was a spit from the station and not a million miles from the
Limelight....... I arrived about 4.45pm
While preparing ablutions to
remove the grime deposited by Virgin trains, I heard 'voices come from down the
hall'.
I paid little heed while I got myself organised.....
Arrived at
the Club at 6.15, having been stung by the taxidriver for £5.50.
Popular
opinion later suggested £2.40 to be more accurate.
Scottish accents can be
a bad thing to some people..I guess...
Anyhoo...many 'kent' faces were
present when I arrived and breached 'security' and many more arrived later on.
Met Ken Bloor (co-Promoter),
Chris Sutton, most of Jay Cooper's Fistful of
Alice band, Steve Roberts, Zara Last, Chris Sharp, Mike Drew.
There had
been 2 major collisions on the M6 and the band had been seriously delayed in
getting to the venue.
It became obvious that the 8.30 kick-off wasn't going
to happen.......
Mike arrived in the bar just before 10 and signed loads
of stuff for the waiting fans...of which there were a healthy number, in the
smallish venue.
At this point, I
spoke with Mike Drew who asked me where I was staying.
Producing my room
key, we quickly discovered that we were staying in the same place
...... and Mike Bruce was in the room next to mine!
Scary stuff...
I wouldn't like to
calculate the odds of that happening again!!!
Showtime was around 10.45
and the band launched into a set of:
Intro/hello hurray
Under My
Wheels
Is It My Body
Second Coming
Ballad of Dwight
Fry
Desperado
Hard Hearted Alice
B$B
Be My Lover
As Rock Rolls
On
My Stars
Left For Dead Meat
No More Mr Nice Guy
Muscle of
Love
18
School's Out
Halo of Flies
Caught In A Dream
The band
were great...It was hot tonite.....
Everyone had a
ball......
Afterwards Mike stayed and signed til all were satisfied with
their precious things.
We retired to the bar when it was all over, for
jolly shenanigans and light refreshments..... much of which can't be repeated on
these Michael Bruce/pages......
Although quite sober, retiring to bed around 4.45am
among the sunrise and birdsong, I fell into a coma...
Woke at
8....Ravenous!!!!!!!
Decided the breakfast on offer was a bloody good
idea, so I descended the stairs looking like the wild man of Borneo, to a
full cooked brekky of lard and grease...marvellous!!!
Some time later
there were stirrings from MB's room and we all eventually convened in Mike and
Ken's room.
Piccies were taken and Mike said he hoped to get back soon as he
had enjoyed his visit and liked the experience.
We left the hotel and
Mike bought us a farewell 'pint' at the pub down the road.
He was bound
for Iceland that night for a couple of gigs over there.
12 noon had Mike
and I back on the train North... and Virgin obliged with the 40 min
delay...which could have been worse, I guess.
The tour was finally
over.....
But ..what a tour!!!
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