Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta

Pama International
Blue Rooms, Hereford, 1st May 2010

There was a very large part of me that fancied going to see Pama International at the CELL in Blaenau Ffestiniog last night (That's in Wales that is). The thought of red, gold and green amongst the grey, grey and grey of the Blaenau slate tips. The thought of Patrick McGoohan's ghost black suited and numbered in amongst the crowd at THE CELL perversely appealed to me. But it wasn't to be, I went to see The Neat instead; and that turned out to be mind-bendingly bizarre evening without the need for any ghostly presence.

Instead it was to HEREFORD through rain of biblical proportions I travelled; through the darkest of dark nights, trying to avoid raindrops the size of a small child's head.

My car waded on and on, mile after mile, along a never ending trench half filled with water; the wind blew in gusts through my cars corroded seals making bizarre voice like sounds; it seem to say "Don't go to Herefooooord Ed, Don't go to Herefooooord!" Of course the voices were right, they always are, except for that one time with that woman in Bilston, the voices steered me wrong that time, but that's another story.

When I finally arrived at the Blue Rooms in Hereford it was apparent something was not right. All the lights were out and no one was home; and in my esteemed opinion [sarcasm warning] and after many years of research; and after many years of experience in this field; if you are ever in doubt of whether a gig is going to happen, the situation I've just described as "lights off and no one home" usually means it ain't goin to bleedin well happen.

Tom Waits famously once growled "There's nothing sadder than a town with no cheer", but I've always thought a town with no beer would be sadder than a town with no cheer. Looking at the picture I took of the Blue Rooms Hereford perhaps I was wrong. "There's nothing sadder than a town with no cheer" and with the absence of Pama International there would be no cheer in Hereford. Except for maybe at the local Wetherspoons "The Nell Gwyn's Big Babs Ale House" High Street, Hereford, there was BEER & CHEER to be had there, but only for the duration of HAPPY HOUR between 9.00 & 10.30.

I stayed long enough to take my picture and see a small crowd of people come, look, and quietly walk away. Of course this sort of cancellation crap happens from time to time, it's a pisser but it ain't cancer. However if I'd got a penny for every cancelled gig I've been to, I'd have £8.34 now.

It's a shame but it's not as much of a pisser as going to a gig just to find out it happened the day before, now if I had a penny for everytime that's happened I'd have £7.42.

Was I downhearted! No! I'd bought me Coral tickets that morning and with me in the car for my listening pleasure and delectation was "The Invisible Invasion" (2005 album) with live bonus CD. The rain had stopped and the length of my journey home was such I was able to listen to both CD's. - Hey The Coral are coming! and so are The Futureheads and The Fall and Bunny Wailer yes Bunny Wailer! and The Godfathers (I haven't seen them for a while) and Richard Ashcroft yes Mad Richard and The Coral, did I mention The Coral? Yeah you get the picture no time to blart or blubber, NEXT, FORZA!


Hey Pama Outernational is still crucial: GO THERE
PS: The Blue Rooms cancelled the gig on their website two days later - mmmmm quality!