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We all assemble and meet up in the lobby around 11a.m. Rogier has
already left, going out to a repair shop to see what can be done about
the single electronic key we have to the van that has begun to
malfunction. It's obviously disconcerting, considering the fact that
we're totally screwed if it breaks. Fancy newfangled electronic keys
are all well and good, but not getting locked out is better.

Walking back to the venue a gentle rain starts up. It seems like the
rain just never ends.

At the venue we find there was a miscommunication over breakfast, so
after loading out some guys buy food at the restaurant while three of
us stake out on our own into the city to pick up bread, hummus and
fruit from a downtown Tesco market. The rain has ended so it's
actually pretty nice for a while. Ed, Mike and I watch folks scurry
around downtown Leeds for a bit before heading back and getting some
espresso at the club.

The drive up to Scotland is one of my favorites. The North is such
gorgeous country. Rolling green hills stretch on forever, lined with
hedges and dotted with sheep. Driving up past Hadrian's Wall the sky
turns gray again but the impassable hills keep going.

Glasgow matches the sky as we pull in. Rogier pulls a series of
expertly executed wrong-way-on-a-one-way street maneuvers to pull us
up alongside The Captain's Rest, a nautical-themed bar in the
northwest of the city. The central bar features a balcony housing a
mannequin dressed as a ship's captain manning his wheel and the
windows are shaped like portals. Naval prints and seafaring slogans
line the walls. The performance space is downstairs, and there we find
our friends Titus Gein, a prog rock power trio. We played one of our
most fun shows ever with them several years ago in another Glasgow bar
called Nice N' Sleazy (really), and I still spin their 7-inch
often, so it's great to see them again.

We grab beers from the backstage area (I was sincerely hoping for
grog) and order off the band menu. Principally interesting is the
vegan version of haggis, but they’re unfortunately out of it today, so
folks order up pizzas, veggie burgers and real burgers topped with
rashers of bacon. Cut from a different part of the pig than
American-style strip bacon, it would probably just be called Big Slabs
of Ham back home. All of these are of course served up with mounds of
fries eaten with salt and vinegar or mayonnaise. To live on this
island is to keep your cardiologist on speed dial.

After eating I take a walk around the city. Most of the shops are
already closed, and the town is mostly quiet. As I walk, I think about a
friend of mine who studied here a few years ago. The people you meet
are friendly enough, but it seems like it would be a hard town to be
alone in.

Back at the club I have a few beers and a conversation with Titus Gein
about which era of Rush would be the best to start a tribute band for.
The barmaid wears a dress that makes her look as if she could be
wearing thin the planks of a Widow's Walk with her eyes fixed on the
sea -- except for the nose ring. Outside, troublesome children splash
passersby by kicking water at them from a puddle.

Downstairs the first band begins, a duo called Hyper Magic Mega
Fighting Robots. I think. They feature a guy with a devil-lock and eye
makeup on drums wearing a headset microphone and his buddy on
guitar. They introduce one of their songs by announcing, "This is
about the two best things in the whole world -- vampires and
breakfast."

Titus Gein follow them up. They seem to have grown even more technical
since we last saw them. Even though their set seemed pretty flawless
to me, they think it was sloppy. We follow them with a set that goes
off well enough -- maybe not the greatest set we've ever played, but we
definitely have a sweaty good time and knock over a few beers. Mind
the broken glass on the floor, please.

After packing up the equipment and consolidating it all on the stage,
we stay after lock-up with our host and some local friends. The owner
serves up some ales, and we hang out and talk for a while. Jonny and I
talk to the barmaid about baseball vs. cricket and football vs. real
football. I don't really care about sports, but I do like talking,
especially with Scots. The "ayes" and "shites" so grating to some
English ears are like music to mine. Eventually enough people clock
out that it's time to leave.

We're staying in a flat within walking distance of the club, so we get
our bags and hit it. Our crew fills the bedroom of our host and his
living room as well. I slip out on the balcony to call Anna while
Steve, Karen and Jay venture out to find some kebab. Mike asks the
host, who is staying at his girlfriend's tonight, if it's OK to watch
a movie.

"Aye. Don't worry aboot the noise, fuck tha'. We had a Journey
karaoke party in here the oother night, and the flatmates never woke
up, so is foyne."

Titus Gein - http://www.myspace.com/titusgein
The Captain’s Rest - http://www.myspace.com/captainsrest
Glasglow Bad Ass - http://www.crmsociety.com/
 

About the Author

Phillip Price is the keyboard player for Wilkes-Barre-based band An Albatross.

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