Do they really? Did they ? Hurrah! and yes indeed as well they might .....
And so it woz that I arrived at Chez Dismore in Windsor, one of my several homes dontchaknow, to the woofing of Sammy the old dog, m'father was not yet back, how's y'father Bet? , it seems he is very good indeed. I settle in for a little drink in the local hostelry and whilst chatting, find out several of the locals have heard about W.A.M.A know Marco and are impressed with his gig and promise to come.....
When m'father and I did rendevous, we went aht for a cheeky fag, it is a thing we do m'old man 'n me :-) and then it was time to pick up Mark and Matt....Mark Cottrell amd MatthewjShawphotgraphers Bet? .... it was quite spesh to have three of my main men all in one place at the same time.
Now then, there was much to do... as the Betty Woz 'Ere machine has become an entity in it's own right, The YaYa recording Company has had ideas and has been putting them into practice, and work on the second album has begun again in earnest , they are looking at release in March of next year. You will soon be able to order a hard copy of the CD through paypal...it all seems fairly full on! ay! Betty now is even branching out into merchandise :-) not y'average t-shirts you understand , that wouldn't fit in Betty's world, oh no! in homage to the first album, there will be Betty Woz 'Ere 'weekend away" travel bags, eyeliner obviously, the "fuck 'em all" condom , "she flashed" knickers & pants....all ironed and pressed by my own........Matthew's.... fair hand.......... oh it will be fabulous and Betty's boutique will be open here in the new year too.
And we have a splendid and big dinner, Sammy the old dog, hovers inkily ( he is also a black dog) by the table, looking sooooooo hungry........M'father has laid on a marvellous spread, he is a brilliant cook as it goes..:-) and we talk of The Blockheads, my dad came with me to see 'em when it woz my tenth birthday and he was my chaperone at many a gig before the revolution. I do believe there were a few who thought him my sugar daddy rather than my actual dad! lol ....We also talked of absent friends, sick friends, old friends and new, exciting things....Matthew is readying his equipment and has been setting up the lighting all week! putting up posters, networking, bringing people in, he works so hard,......And Mark 'n I practised, rehearsed, for we were to be recording our set ... as Betty live and half cut , George the rather amazingly talented sound engineer at W.A.M.A is to be setting us up on their £35,000 worth of system, we were going to get some truly astounding quality!! and on top of that we are to be getting paid!!! hurrah! :-)
We drink substantial ammounts of tea and enjoy a very relaxed day, Sammy the inky old dog , sleeps long and quiet, the slate haired old boy m'father goes out for a bit of golf and Mark 'n me smoke fags and talk bollocks for hours, we have a bit of bad news, that some of the posse can't make it and some are stuck on broken trains, some have things they have to do and our posse looks in danger of getting ever smaller....not alot we can do about it, feel for them we do...we are going to put on a wicked performance and we will do our damndest to get people safely there.
We practice and rehearse, drink more tea, bacon sarnies for lunch ,Mark 'n me smoke more fags, who Bet? Mark Cottrell Bet?.... and Matt does a few promotional shots for us in the garden, who did Bet? MatthewjShawphotographers Bet? .............well i never!!.. :-)
It was some time ago now that Betty was invited by The Blockheads themselves to support them at The 100 club and it seems half a lifetime ago, so many things have changed since then, little things, that make a whole new kettle of Betty
When we arrive and drop off our gear, at about half five I talk to Marco...and it appears, our money has been eaten up on hiring extra equipment for something or other , i'm not sure what, we brought about 20 people in... but them's the breaks... .......and The Blockheads are using their own sound desk and stuff....which they are allowed to do........them's the breaks ay... such is life. We are to sound check at 6.15.........o.k. then .....no use getting upset, there will be another time :-) for Betty Woz 'Ere is liked by Marco & Maria and we have been invited back!! and we will get paid and have our recording then! hurrah!! I am more interested in performing and I love it! , having the opportunity to get up and sing is wonderful, this is my hobby, so i don't mind..for others it is a living!!..unfortunately, i know we can't come back if we don't, ...so maybe we won't ..them's the breaks.. I will be back there as an audience, they are nice people and have ever such good acts on :-) x
And we go down the pub, to finally meet up with Les, Koos and the gang, the girls from London, Ange 'n Barbara and all the other Blockhead and Betty brethren/sistren therein.
The pub appears to be like The Slaughtered Lamb on my first impression, i am squinted at by the barman and several of the other clientel, but eventually the ice thawed an at the end the barman was quite helpful in finding our friends a B&B. Although i would have much rather been in W.A.M.A. it was lovely to chat with Koos, he is a really rather a nice man and so appeared his boy and his friends, we all got busy talking about music from all over the world, we discussed english and dutch perspectives on .. pretty much a load of things, we have rather an eloquant and elegant debate, chinwag, discussion, chat, i liked it..:-) and i am on a promise to get the CD of the new band they have formed, which i may review at a later date :-) .. i am quite gobsmacked that they made this gig, as they can really only get over to England but once a year. and i very much appreciate the support and Block love.
We soundcheck very briefly and all is well we have George to work for us still on the Blockhead desk, he really is very clever, i spy a few Blockheads and we say hello's , they are to a man most cordial and yet seemed a little subdued to mine eye, they are now busy right up till Chrimbo... and then I flit back 'n forth to and from pub to W.A.M.A. i don't really want to stay in the pub.. but them's the breaks, ... want to be in W.A.M.A. ... finally i manage to get everyone over and we are to be on in 15 mins!! Mark 'n I have a pre set fag...lol and a hug , ahhhh, we are cool.
And i don't mind saying , i think we did a fucking excellent turn! we drew the audience in :-) Mark 'n me, we worked it good and we looked at each other from time to time and smiled some big smiles... i saw old and new people, joining in, friends and family, strangers and locals i saw them singing and dancing and.... Matthew prowling around taking piccies, we have a most amazing set of professional piccies! I am particularly liking "Idiot", this is the fave of the new album and may be the single! we look swell mate! have a look in Betty's Gallery!.......and apparently we have video too, check out Betty's music, you wil find a link to Youtube ! wehay!! I feel proud of myself and Mark, i think Betty Woz 'Ere is alright! and after a magnificent bout of knicker flashing! we said good night!
We pile outside for more fags, lol and some excited chat before we make way, make way for .... The Blockheads!!! Now you will note that the stage at W.A.M.A. was a mite small for an eight piece band with two keyboards but as always they pulled out all the stops....and they appeared to enjoy themselves Derek was pleasantly all over the shop an forgot his words a few times but with a lazy grace that was most good humoured. There was a new sax player, well someone i had not seen before, i do not know his name, as i wouldn't expect anything less from The Blockheads, he was skilful.. Lee Harris was on guitar and bless him he did show us a few quite gloriously nifty bits of work :-) no denying he's good mate. Mr. John Roberts brings a certain kinda sound to The Blockheads, rockin', ....rockin' good, all hint of freeform jazz has but gone from The Blockheads general oeuvre this night all round as it happens, he executed a faultless solo, that made my dad 'n me yell for mooooore! :-) Betty brethren up from Brighton behind me started pogoing then and i don't think stopped until the end of the set!!! Norman, Norman, Norman was all smiles, all in a days work my dear, all in a days work. Johnny, again appeared somewhat quiet obliging us with quaintly beautiful strains , where appropriate...Micky and Chaz, stuck in the corner, both had a cheeky air about them and threw in a few rather psychedelic features, which spun us out! hurrah!, It shows the quality of musicianship that these blokes can play the same song, many times and make it different and fresh , with every tour....musicianship mate.....the stage being so small they didn't go off at the end and gave us our encore with consumate aplomb and the audience was all about Oi Oi !!!!!....raaaaayyy!!! and then it got a bit hazy,
Everyone was in different places and there was no one place for Betty to be..:-) Les 'n Ange were trying to get their photos taken, Mark was esconsed with Norm and a bottle of Cava, I was chatting with some new Betty fans :-> , Mickey Gallagher gave me a most lovely compliment :-> I am upstairs 'n downstairs 'n in my ladies chamber, actually i didn't have a wee allnight! ( to much information Bet) , i finally settle downstairs with Chaz ( he gave me a lovely compliment too) and he has such an open smile, looks like you could take advantage of him easily, although i know that is not so...Koos is there and he tells me he has read my website and offers me respect and acknowledgemnt, encouragement, i am surprised and appreciative, my life so far is a full on read!!! lol :-)
There is much and many flitting about , Johnny get's off quickly brief smiles and hugs before he and his good lady make their leave, Derek is having his picture taken and looks very very much like he is tarting it around...and why not! Norm is still in the corner , relaaaaaaxing...John? not sure! and Lee is ferreting abaht and rushing... and is away..brief hug!...And Chaz , that smile is a winner , he looks so bloody happy! hurrah! photo opportunity Bet? would be rude not to..Shall we Chaz?...Let's
Finaly we are back downstairs out into the night with fags and love. Dad and Matt have been roadying and all our possessions are with us and safe...Les is coming back with us and we say goodnight to everybody peeps, we journey through the night kitchen via the .K.F.C. back to Chez Dismore , Sammy the old black dog is lodging elsewhere to be away from the fireworks, and we settle in for cups of tea and cider...and we talk of our glory, weddings, hippo brides and ...bringing children into the world.....ah me we are sages at 3 oclock in the morning, we have a quick look through our piccies and have a last shot of me 'n Mark before ...bed.....zzzzzzzzzzzz
Life can be spangly if you design it that way! sing my pretties sing! :-) xxx