Dancing Barefoot!!!

I spent an hour earlier on today picking glass out of my feet as a result of Saturday nights gig at Rios in Leeds. Now I was thinking to myself 'Why the hell am I doing this?' ... Why do I bother? ... All to fufill the rock n roll fantasy of having an image. I am renowned for playing my gigs barefooted ... and there are many reasons as to why I do this ... not very good reasons but reasons none the less. Over the years I have give various explanations as to why I do it ... I don't think I've ever explained the real reason why. I've probably said "It's because it's comfier", "I see the stage as sacred ground and so I don't want to take my muddy boots onstage", "I play barefooted at home so it just feels more natural to play barefoot onstage" ... These are not lies but they are certainly not the truth. The truth is plain and simple ... because of Patti Smith. I don't know exactly what drew me to her look ... but I adore her as an artist ... as a performer and a poet ... Maybe the barefoot thing is an expression of truth and honesty ... Thats what I take from it ... Maybe it was a hangover from the hippy look with Patti ... I don't know ... all I know about her image is that she modelled her look on Keith Richards. I know Patti Smith didn't always play barefooted ... but I just picked it up from some fantastic photos of her like the one I've posted here. People ask me all the time about glass and stuff ... and playing in the venues we do, some of them are not the cleanest! ... so I often cut my feet. I never let it put me off though ... maybe its what keeps me on my toes ... like playing russian roulette with the floor ... every jump off stage could end in disaster ... Most times I'm lucky ... others I'm not. Thats just the way the rock rolls I guess. So anyway I potter off to work with a bit of a limp and I'm thinking about this weekend and what happened ... Flashbacks galore ... Oh god what did I say that for ... Who do I think I am? ... Haha ... ah well just the usual monday morning. It was a good weekend though in all honesty ... The rios gig was good ... The Yalla Yallas were on fire. Apart from some dodgy mics we played ace and had a good time ... we made loads of new friends. Goldblade were as good as ever. I spent most of the early part of the night sat on the merch stall ... Its a weird place to sit all night ... but it's a good place ... I've never really done it before but I think it makes you a little more approachable ... I had so many great conversations with our new friends. I think that what we normally do is stand in a big group at the bar and have fun and if someone is a bit shy then they may be afraid to approach you, but sitting behind a merch stall there is plenty of ice breakers and a bit more of a level playing field ... People are not feeling like they are intruding on a group of mates stood in a bar. I had so much fun. Afterwards myself and Matt stuck around and snook Coz from Cyanide Pills into the free bar at the clubnight ... Got a bit messy ... Pole Dancing, Evading the law with an open container of alcohol outside, lock in at a local boozer, and returning home at 6.30am - Forgetting I had a gig to do in Settle.

Sunday Morning 10am BOOOM!!! ALARM!!! WHAT THE HELL!!! ... oh no ... time to get up ... 10.05am better ring Will ... "Yo Will, Fucking hell man, errr I'm up train is at half twelve, Rock n Roll!!!". I was surprised at how with it I was. However train was actually at 1.15pm ... Still pissed evidentley. 2.15pm we arrive in Settle. "Rightio, wheres the organiser ... We're the Yalla Yallas", "Yalla Yallas ... You Guys cancelled the other day, We've replaced you" ... "No No, I said our drummer couldn't do the gig but were all here" ... I'm thinking ah well, Probably not a good idea to play in this state anyway. Anyway fella comes back to me. "Right, Your on" ... I'm thinking 'No I'm not .... I'm having a pint before I do anything'. I said "You can wait". "Pint of cider and a double bourbon please love!" ... Thats nice just what I needed ... "Will is my guitar tuned ... We're on!!!" ... In all honestley we shouldn't have played ... We were in no fit state. I was rolling around laughing during 'Under Attack'. Will doesn't play much acoustic guitar and is phrasing his chords as if the distortion pedal is switched on. I'm forgetting words left, right, and centre ... and to top it all ... please forgive me big guy ... we crucify a Johnny Cash song ... Why? What were we thinking? ... However I really really enjoyed the gig it was really good fun ... we followed it with another marathon beer session and some fisn n chips. Doesn't get much better really does it?.

What have I learned from this weekend. Probably nothing!!! ... I will still play barefooted and cut my feet up again ... Possibly worse next time. I will still get blasted night before a gig ... and I certianley will still play my heart out and party hard afterwards ... Rock n Roll

Here is a link to a Patti Smith song called Dancing Barefoot ... Enjoy!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KYJcGN7BvQ