Darren Hayman visited Libris Acres on the 13th, upon which Luke and Imogen fed him lots of lasagne and we listened to him talk about his failed exploits as a music teacher. The sound check to the show was painful: the Star and Shadow equipment is categorically useless. One needs an internecine knowledge of which cables, amps and speakers are broken, so that one can cobble together a PA that actually works from the remaining gear. Surprisingly despite the feedback-ridden rehearsal, the sound during the show was perfect, with Darren starting proceedings entirely un-miced with nothing but banjo and voice. The highlights of the show were ‘Porn Shoes’ on the banjo at the start (you could hear a pin drop, and a real pinch-yourself moment when the mind flashbacked to the wine-soaked afternoon when Luke emailed Hayman for the first time while I shouted encouragement in the background) and the encores on the piano, which conjured up an atmosphere of a lock-in singalong at your local drinking tavern.
For the final time, the company accounts were filed via recorded delivery, bringing to a close a long-running dispute over whether Companies House in Belfast received our initial submission or not.
February also saw my first live experience of No Fit State, a roaring menace of girrrl punk, and the return of Khunnt and Bong to the stage, strengthening my desire to have them play at a Libris show as soon as possible.
