Baby Its Cold Outside

We had a gig tonight playing at Barrow Island Rugby Club before their fireworks display. Hadn’t really thought through the implications of this, so when it was confirmed we were playing outside, I made sure I packed the woolly hat and plenty of warm outer garments. As you can see, we were set up on the back of a wagon and conspicuous by its absence was any form of heating.
Because, by God, it was cold! Although a crisp clear night was going to be ideal for the fireworks later, it was not conducive to fast fretwork.
We were only playing for an hour but I lost all feeling in my fingers on a couple of occasions. And it didn’t help that my new bass has a loose jack socket so I was also cutting out from time to time. But feedback was positive and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Slightly surreal moment when we were playing Pink Floyd and somebody was letting off fireworks in the field next door - it suddenly felt like we were playing a much grander venue than the back of a truck in Barrow!
We weren’t getting paid for tonight, but we did get to see the firework display for free - and it was well worth seeing. And although the night was cold, it was dry and still so it wasn’t too bad standing around watching. Having said that, now we are back at home the heating is on, along with the gas fire, and I am just starting to thaw out. Temperature gauge in the car actually registered 0.0 degrees on the way home so there could well be a touch of frost tonight.
Thankfully all other gigs this year are indoors so lack of feeling in fingers and the need to wear multiple layers will not be an issue! And now that I’ve warmed up a bit, I might just be able to stand the cold air a little longer whilst I unload my gear from the car. But I’ll definitely want a cup of tea afterwards!