Jake

I managed to conclude my weekly report and timesheet just after 5pm and by 5:30pm we sat down to eat the broccoli-pasta that I made on Monday (it’s the dish I didn’t get to eat on Wednesday because of the impromptu team dinner in Staines). It was really quite tasty and didn’t appear any the worse for being the fridge for a week. 

Today, there was another train strike and this one meant there were no trains from Raynes Park (although the little digital display I have suggested a couple of trains were calling at the station during the later afternoon). We headed out and caught a bus to South Wimbledon and a tube onwards to Old Street.  Getting out at Old Street was a revelation. What used to be quite a terrible roundabout appears to be being transformed into a much more pedestrian friendly junction. It’s not quite to friendly at the moment as it’s all building work but there are some new, big, entrances to the tube which makes getting around much easier.

After a couple of abandoned walks in the wrong direction we found our way to Village Underground, a  music venue in Shoreditch. It’s reasonably small and quite compact with two cavern-like areas (one for the stage and one for the bar). We ordered a couple of beers (which, I was surprised to see that they served in cans) and found a place near an iron roof support which afforded us something to lean against while we waited.  We went in about 90 minutes before we knew Jake Shears would be on stage.  There was a DJ (apparently, an ex-Ru Paul’s Drag Race contestant) and a support singer, Jessica Winter. Both were good and the time whizzed by as the venue filled up.

Then, about 8:30pm, the music changed and Jake’s band took their places. A moment later Jake Shears bounded on to stage, a whirlwind of energy, perfuming Too Much Music, a track from his new album. The album was officially released today, although PY had ordered the CD and received it yesterday.  The setlist included Laura and I Don't Feel Like Dancin' from Jake's days with the Scissor Sisters as well as a version of Take Your Mama which included a little bit of an homage to George Michael by mixing in Freedom '90. I loved the whole set and it was so full of energy. I’m glad it was good as PY had been looking forward to tonight for a long time.

I am not sure placing ourselves near the roof support was the best idea. As the gig went on, people seemed to drift backwards and, while those in front of me could move back, I couldn’t. I felt I spent the last few songs trying to get the people in front of me to take a step forward.  I am not sure they properly realised what they were doing.

There was, apparently, a 10pm curfew which is not all that bad and meant that we were home just after 11pm. We managed to grab a coupe of things in the Sainsbury’s near South Wimbledon tube and that allowed us to make scrambled egg bagels when we got back instead of heading to the kebab shop - or similar. I think that was a good idea.