Tour blog: Belfast (a good friend)

27th June 2010

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Tour blog: Belfast (a good friend)

Belfast. I had never been to Belfast before. As we set off driving towards the city, looking out of the van window, someone who had been special to me in my life came into my head. I didn’t know anyone in Belfast to invite to the show tonight, but I did know someone who used to live in Belfast. His name was Cecil. Cecil was a tall thin man with spiked up hair who always wore jeans and cherry red doctor Martin shoes. He looked a little bit like a robin to me and in a way, he was bird-like with his thin face and small round glasses perched discreetly on his nose. He bopped around, always walking on the tips of his feet, smiling.

I met Cecil when I was at University in Birmingham. At the end of the road where I lived, there was a pub and every Wednesday, people would gather there with their acoustic guitars. In the back room of the pub everyone would sing. I started going there because I didn’t really have anywhere else to go to play my songs. I never met anyone at University who was interested in art and music. Sad really, but true. Instead, I found myself in the local pub, every Wednesday, in the ‘folk’ club.

I would take my guitar and go play some of my newly written songs. The night was so much fun. We would all sit in a circle and each of us would take it in turns to sing a song. The guitar would be passed around and everyone would listen; drinks on the table and cigarette in hand. Cecil ran the night. He was the man, the force behind it all. The man who made the night happen. The leader. He would host the night, always playing the first song, and usually the last, although by the end of the night the songs would turn into a huge jamming session, everyone with a guitar strumming, people singing all sorts of harmonies and feet stamping and spoon rattling. He introduced people to others and welcomed everyone, the good and the bad. It didn’t matter. Everyone was welcome.

It was Cecil who encouraged me to play songs, to write songs and sing. Although at that time, I wasn’t much use. I had only just started the guitar and consequently only just started to write songs. I wasn’t musically accomplished but I had gusto and instinct and the need for expression. I have always written everything by simply following my feelings and emotions. While I was at university, it was Cecil who kind of took me under his wing. He helped me make a CD. I think I recorded a couple of acoustic songs and from there, he tried to get me a few gigs in pubs in the local area. Cecil was great to me. He was always happy and enthusiastic. He gave me a little something to believe in.

One day, walking past the local pub, I saw my name was in the window “Little Fish” playing tonight. It was my first big acoustic show and by what I mean big, I don’t mean in front of thousands of people. I just mean that it was my first proper show, standing on a stage at the back of a pub, playing some acoustic songs. When I saw the name “Little Fish”, I wasn’t expecting that to be the name advertised. I just shrugged to myself and thought “Right. Well. That’s my name then. Little Fish. In time Little Fish will be the name of my band.”

I am sad now to say that unfortunately Cecil passed away. I couldn’t even tell you how now. I don’t really know what happened. We lost touch for a while as life does that sometimes. All I can say is that I got a phone call from his wife a few years back. She found me on Myspace and wrote to tell me about Cecil as she thought that I should know. I was extremely sad to hear this news and even writing about it now, thinking about Cecil and his cherry DMs makes me sad. I miss him. I just think to myself, if anyone was to be proud of me, now on tour with a band, supporting Blondie, it would be him. So tonight, I am sharing and learning something about Cecil. I am in his home town. The city that made a good man and a good friend. I can’t invite him to the show, but I am happy to be there and in a way, feel his presence.

We arrive in Belfast. It’s hard to tell what the city is actually like as the venue is located out in the sticks. In the distance we can see mountains. Nez tells me that he feels like he is in France. The venue has been purpose built for big shows. There are two show areas: one is a huge rock arena and the other, slightly smaller (but still massive), is a airplane hanger-like venue.

After Debbie Harry and her band finish soundcheck, Debbie points to me with a big smile and says “Your go! And good luck!” I come closer and ask her why she says this to me. Basically, due to the nature of the building, when you play, the sound bounces around everywhere. I tell her that it will be ok when people are in. She shakes her head to the side and says “No it won’t!” At this point, I do have to take the words of someone so experienced such as Debbie Harry to be true. I am not too sure what she means but I will find out soon.

True enough. On stage sound is mental. As Nez kicks his drum not only can I hear it in my ears, but at the same time, I can feel the delay reverberate under my feet sending crazy vibrations through my body and on top of that, I can hear the echo of the beat that’s bounced off the back walls reaching my ears a second later. The delay is insane. This kind of sound makes it really difficult for anyone to hear exactly what is going on on stage. I feel like I am playing music underwater and it is horrible. I wonder how we are going to get through the show without messing up. I now realise what Debbie was talking to me about.

To be sure, stage time comes and we are on. To my joy and relief, the crowd has soaked up a lot of the sound and so things are seemingly far clearer. I smile. I sing. Nez hits and Ben plays. The show goes great. The crowd are the most friendly on the tour so far. Nez thinks that we have just played the show of our lives. Wonderful. We certainly do a good job of warming up the crowd for Blondie. Again, for the second night running, there is a sense of magic in the air. Once again, the night is going to be a good night.

Once off stage, I watch some of Blondie’s show from the side of the stage. Tonight is the only night that we can’t stay to watch all the show. We are not allowed to sell any merchandise afterwards and as well as having a six hour drive to Cork tomorrow we are all tired. We haven’t been to bed and had a good night’s sleep in over two weeks. We take the opportunity to get back to the hotel earlier than usual. This early night is welcomed. Before I leave, I watch the first five songs of Blondie. The night is going great for them, the audience are happy and singing along. I see that Debbie is really enjoying herself on stage as she is smiling a lot more than usual. As I turn and walk towards our tour van, I think to myself ‘she must have taken my smiling advice’. (Cheeky sod! Haha).

Thanks Cecil, RIP. Off to Cork. All the best. Juju. Little Fish X