Keep On Trucking, Part 2

Breakfast was a chilled affair with all of us sprawled all over the grass and if we wanted noodles for breakfast, we had noodles. We binged on even more cheese. Mmmmmm, cheese.



But I was nervous and edgy, and decided to go down and check out the venue in advance. We were playing the Lounge Tent, which was made from lovely purple sparkly canvas - hot but beautiful. The lovely Joe B spotted me wandering around looking confused, and sorted me out, showing me where to load in.

I managed to catch a few songs of Keyboard Choir (and their fabulous robot dancers), then saw an amazing shoegazer band called The Early Years - motorik dronerock with chewy psychedelic bits is PERFECT for a hangover.

Made my way back to the van and found stalwart roadie, Gaz and Wine Technician, Martin:



I don't have much of a memory of the show. I remember the rest of the band trying to start without me, before I'd even got my pedals plugged in. I remember sweat dripping off my cowboy hat. I played quite well, no guitar flubs, though it was too early to remember all the words. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, though it was obvious that the first three rows were comprised of our friends - but that said, the entire tent was packed, people spilling out into the field, and I definitely saw people I didn't even know dancing.

This photo is now unavailable because John Rodgers of Brainlove Records is a self-serving cunt who's thrown all his toys out of the pram. Sorry!

Came offstage, drank some wine and felt distinctly dazed. It doesn't feel entirely right to have played a show and got a bit drunk by 2 in the afternoon. But the rest of the band were whisked off to do an interview for the BBC, and I went off to see some bands. Thomas Truax! Piney Gir! Ate chips in the Barn That Cannot Be Named then saw Chicks On Speed and developped the hugest girlcrush on Anat Ben David.



And then Ed turned up, completely hungover from the wedding the night before. He brought reinforcements of booze and the yummiest bread I've had in ages, so we fortified ourselves then went to see The Organ. Ate hummus and tadziki, drank more beer, corrupted a pair of stewards who were supposed to be picking up rubbish (we kept our site very very tidy*), then went to see the Schla La Las. Couldn't even get in the tent, it was so packed, so we lay on the grass and listened to the music and tried, unsucessfully to keep AMP from copping off with 17 year old groupies. ::rolls eyes::

*OK, apart from Winehenge:



And just when it was starting to get too overwhelming, it was all over. That's the thing about Truck. It's great because it's the perfect size and the perfect length and everyone stays polite and lovely before it gets too much of a muchness.

I went to collect our money from the merch tent, expected to have sold only one or two CDs (hurriedly run up on the Mac and hand-drawn and numbered on Thursday night) and discovered we'd sold loads! So we had money for the petrol to get home! Hurrah! And as I was walking back up the hill, some random bloke accosted me and asked "Shimura Curve?" so I said yes and he shouted "You rock my world!" which was absolutely lovely.

Monday was relaxed and chilled as we took down the tents and packed up. We made a couple of stops - in Uffington to see the White Horse (which brings my count of White Horses I've visisted up to... errr... 4? 5?)



Then off to Rushall to drop Ed's cooking gear, then to the nicest pub in the world, where I ate cheesy chips and ploughman's sammiches and lay in the shade drinking Good Old Boy beer and watching the ducks. One last group photo:



Then we separated out into North London Express and Sarf London Express. Listened to two Hawkwind albums in a row, successfully negotiated the Hammersmith Roundabout of hell, then home to shower. After 5 days, I think I deserved it.