The Old Star – Review

Posted by TTBoom on Apr 20, 2016 in Blog | 0 comments

Well now I know how those intrepid explorers Earnest Shackleton and Scott in there endevours to beat the elements in the pursuit of there ambitions and dreams.  Arriving at The Old Star in Uttoxeter really early to give plenty of time to load gear in and set up the stage, knowing that there was usually parking difficulties and a transition over historical cobbles to negotiate, taking care not to rattle the tubes from the noisey thingies. The temperature was already dropping and was a 2 decrees, although there was a bit of sunshine the slight breeze across the front of the outside stage gave notice that this was going to be yet another chilly one.  Luckily memories from our last visit here out of season are still etched on our memories so I was came armed with multiple layers, my Biggles hat and a nice woolly scarf.

We got all the stuff on the stage, using the in house PA speakers driven by our own amps for convenience, all plugged in and ready to go.  A very handy bank of 6 sockets across the back of the stage make it easy to connect.  Lighting was provided but was limited to a bank of par 56s across the front of stage controlled by a controller at the back of the stage, we needed to add some of our own lighting to help ’em out a bit.  Anyway that down it was a sharp diversion to the indoor bar area to get some feeling back into the extremities and have a quick warm up with a drink.

The crowd was starting to build by now, and the addition of a 21st birthday party onto preceding meant that the pub was now full and merriment was well and truly on it’s way.  We only usually manage 1 gig at this venue a year, but still recognised a good number of people from previous visits.  We were soon off and running just in time for the rain to arrive, which had the effect of pushing everyone into the sheltered outdoor lean too area, except Ruth that is, who had come prepared and erected her umbrella on one of the picnic tables keeping her patch dry and huddling down in her little den with a pint of the good stuff.

The temperature had now dropped to zero, which made playing on the steel strings somewhat problematic, not to mention the brain freeze and hypothermia,  but it didn’t seem to bother the crowd which had now swelled to fill the whole of the outside space and in the pub too,  Those headbangers at the front seemed to have no problem with the cold whatsoever,  Ultimately a great gig, but the cold was a bugger,  anyway, back to our old favourite haunt on Saturday, The Gate @ Branston,  see you all there with plenty of rock to warm things up.