Okay,I am gonna start my bowlie verbal adventure,to share with you, probably because I know that this is gonna take some time ,there maybe a hint of some grammer and stuff because I am writing it in word,first.anyways where to start,I have been battling with myself since bowlie 2 was announced, I mean I have been banging on for quite an age now how fantastic the event is,on the likes of shacknet and here of course. So,bowlie 2 announced,the line-up,fantastic..but no camera obscura?surely not I thought,but even without beloved camera obscura this is still a mighty line-up,ATP had slowly but surely started to bottom out some,I mean enough for us to not wanna go next may,to the animal collective one,we are taking a year off…surely even more reason to get to bowlie..but,Christians birthday,Christmas,car tax,mot and my divorce are all gonna give me a finicial kickin…………but what price could you put on bowlie,the battle continued internally for weeks and months…long time dead,but what about the bills and stuff..my own version of eminems guilty conscience continued……then even though hopefully expected,camera obscura added to bowlie 2 line-up..the final counter balance that shift the weight of the world…….i had to go,I need to go……………..i was gonna go……there will never,ever be a line up like this for me,I mean I hadn’t even seen b&s play on this tour leavin the tix for Manchester too late,over cash worries again…then I rang round frantically to get tix for them in other places around the country…………………..but anyways that’s a different story..okay I needed a ticket,where would I get one,dave and nick had booked ages ago…I was no comital from the start but I need one now….so I joined every forum I could to track one down….eventually I procured one of someone off last fm……….bowlie was upon me,once again I`m thinking..”fuck its gonna cost me £80 in petrol”…hahahaha the struggle,,,,,,,but sometimes you’ve just got to draw a line….if I missed this,it would be summit I would regret forever,seriously……………………….so anyways I`m on my way,branching off the M5,a camera obcscura mp3 on full whack,various stuff,live,instore,radio…the thing has spun in the player for 6 months…Jordan and Christian actually sing along with me to every work,even the banter an stuff….the family that sing together,stay together………………….we love this stuff……………anyways as I drive passed Bristol airport I give dave a ring,then nick…I wanted to check that they had no hiccup with pickin up a car,I could swing by an get them..nick answered and said that they where there…no sign of any fucker………..did they have the right butlins?…….i arrived an hour later,still quite early…by then they where in the chalet lines….i met up,and likened the thing to Richard dreyfuss`s character in close encounters….there was a mound of mud…erm an I had to get to it…………..so we settled in and wandered over to the venues,I asked about stevie Jackson…they told me it had been moved……I have met marie at ATP a few times,its always great to meet a friend there………but I was finally sharing this experience with two more friends off shacknet..they will see for themselves..what a great event this is….even when its not bowlie…but I knew deep down, that this would never be beaten ,its in a perfect time and place for everyone………we went to the bar and ordered drinks……..now all of this next bit may be a bit jumbled…………because it can and does,I may forget things and stuff and hopefully someone will fill the gaps,reds is a room in minehead,and if a band gets it right in there..it can be quite the thing..i have seen,apples in stereo,two gallants and thee oh sees all grab it by the balls and make the whole thing work..the phenomenal handclap band did just that on the Friday…tight,entertaining….right in the groove…and all three of us decided that was the highlight of the Friday…………we wandered about,its summit most do I think,amble from place to place…its part of what I love bout atp..we went to the disco for a while…had a foot shuffle then back,played some tunes on the dansette,neutral milk hotel,some ATP telly then sleep………….. I was up early Saturday,the football started at 10,dave and nick were awake as I was out the door,with me footy…they said they`d meet me over there…kickin the ball about on an empty pitch,no sign oof no one..it was on 9.20 am like,I was an eager beaver…I fancied a kick about even though I didn`t have a team yet…………but it was an early start an I though no one would be up…an it might have to be null and void…with me getting a trophy just for turning up,no such luck…I was on form though, with me keepy ups and occasional shots at goal…………..then people in proper kits started to arrive……..and then I heard 42 teams had turned up………..erm,Nigel came over with pat nevin,erm this was gonna be some serious footy…not what I had in mind at all,chatted to Nigel for a bit and then I went looking for a team,watched pat nevin play for a while,he was excellent in the camera obscura team,Nigel was decent as well holding a left back postion he got about the pitch,a tight game ended o-o and went to a penalty shoot out..with camera obscura winin 1-0 in the shoot out,stuart murdoch was watchin from the side line,rumour was he had an injury an wasn`t playin,or gemesmanship you might say….i managed to join a team”the illegitamit children of abba” who by there own admission”were pretty crap”..i walked on the pitch,we were playin “where`s wally” I think,a team thrown together by 5 members of other teams..they were excellent..we were shite,we got beat 3-0…….in one of the hardest 8 minutes of my life,I struggled to breathe and my bobble hat kept fallin over my eyes…it must have resembled summit of micheal bentines potty time…………….i was all over the place…poor effort,it’s the not the winning it’s the joinin in…apparently,the belle & Sebastian team won the final,murdoch in goal…appealed to pat nevins better nature”i.e if you don’t play for us,then your not d.jin on sundee night” a well deserved win by the b&s stars,of track and field………………..i went back the chalet for a bath…this is the beauty of atp…………then I went to find nick and dave…a busy day planned,edwyn,fannies,isobell and finally b&s..yeah there was more to see,st Etienne,jenny & jonny etc…but for me…this day was gonna belong to two acts edwyn and the belles………………apparently edwyn was gonna be playin a lot of orange juice tunes….i went to see him bout 4 weeks ago,at the Anglican cathedral in liverpool…what a special venue….i ruined it by getting bladdered,a fool..i put it down to drownin my sorrows after liverpool getting beat by stoke….i certainly wasn`t goin to mess this up……. Edwyh came on,with the fannies………………its always quite emotional like,I was/am a big fan of orange juice,two of my most memorable shows are by them at mountford hall circa 1981,supported by strawberry switchblade…anyways,edwyn was in fine form,so were fanclub…nailed every song…edwyn was chattin,his voice powerfull…and really there could never be enough words to tribute the man today…or his legacy…he stood to sing,a girl like you………..this was gonna be hard to top…as he came back and sang blueboy..i felt yeself well up……………beautiful……worth the entry alone………………….we ate and drank some more………….i wandered back the chalet before b&s…got a glass full of hazelnut baileys and wandered to the sun & moon…parked me arse,and watched Liverpool get twatted again….at the next table to me where the school,well 3 members of the school……..i said to liz,I was in London the week before to see them,at their Christmas party…said how much I liked their video off Spanish telly……spoke to them for a while bout things atp……………very nice people,glad I said hi and stuff………..went back to the big stage,wandered round the merch…then got ready……what to say about b&s…..i don’t know what to say other than at this moment in time,they are unstoppable and I would say at the peak of their powers….anyways,whatever..it was a fantastic set..i loved every minute of it…they didn`t disappoint………..great vibe,with their audience………amazing……….okay,Saturday night turned to sundee morn…we were up and into town for breakkie….oh did I forget to mention julian cope…erm shit,I will have not mentioned loads…anyways julian was on centre stage…in his krautrock gear,we stood at the side of the crowd……you can normally judge how well someones doin by the crowd…I don’t think he was doin that well”this is a song about aliens”he said,if I didn`t groan on the outside,I did inside…dave and nick turned away”I`ll give him one more tune”……………..the next song was shite n`all…..as I wandered away,I heard the keyboard start…head hang low,yes,then the great dominions…brilliant…then Robert mitchum,then sunspots…he turned it round….the crowd were on his side…he had to be dragged off……….excellent,I love that world shut your mouth/wilder/fried stuff…………………..anyways okay,back to sundee morn…another sunny day,if a bit cold…we came out of the site,to see a 70-80 year old bloke in addressing gown,we said are you goin in,he said yeah…we stayed and watched.my god that sea looked cold……fairplay like…….must be a magic sea,that helps us through the day………….anyways we walked along the front….it’s a great seafront,only to see julian walkin towards the café,still had all his gear on,as well as his peaked cap,with his two henchmen……..we pondered wether to eat at the same café,but wandered further into town..to get a full English……………hung about and walked back……..julian by this time was in the middle of the road,takin photo`s”watch yaself JC I says,Alvin stardust or Kevin keegan will be along any minute and have a word in ya shell like”…I struck up a bit of conversation…he is a big craggy guy these days,gone are the scott walker type good looks…he shook my hand…crushed it…..i said to nick get our photo and he obliged…another moment to treasure…………………………….anyway,it was sundee..only one band for me really,camera obscura……………beloved camera obscura………….i love this band to bits,their songs,what they are,who they are……I am also very fond of their lead singer,such a talent….i queued at the front an hour before they came on,bein a bit of a midget..i have to get the front,especially for these………….i kinda knew what the set was gonna be………..i held poll position an nothing would move me from there…it’s the place I always get for these……….normally leanin on tracyanne`s monitor………………so on they come…the songs they play,cept for the blizzard,I must have heard at least 300 times each this year….it doesn`t matter…there will be a lot of pressure maybe for new stuff,maybe from 4ad………..but I don’t mind…they play a mixed set,some oldies,some not so old..nowt new…………that’s okay………..they sounded amazing though,and the worries of the big stage I held,were unconfounded(is that a word?) anyways,I needen`t have worried..they more than carried it of..mick cooke came on for the end of razzle dazzle rose,him and Nigel took centre stage…sounded great………no encore……………….but a fantastic performance….what a way to end bowlie..(even though zooey van gooey where on 12-1.00)centre stage………………………pat nevin was djing in crazy horse so we ambled over ther…………….had a bit of a dance….camera obscura where there,orynthia and tom,tara q…a mix of people……….pat nevin was spinnin some great tunes,everybody was happy…everybody was smiling,most were dancing……..great,tracyanne was talking to someone in front of me,it was tom or orynthia I think,she excused herself and walked over to me”your graeme arn`t ya”..yeah,I said………..she put her hand out,nah I didn`t kiss it like,but shook it…I talked to her for a bit………..then Nigel came past and I was talking to him some….then before I know it,I`m sittin with them and havin a chat with all,I pulled my seat up by tracyanne…..she told me she got the tin returned,that was stolen in Manchester………….other stuff,I hate tryin to talk in the disc…but it was a disco..and the music was kick,pat and tracyanne were dancing…so were we……………..jumpin about like a looney to dinosaur jr,b&s,camera obscura an all…..it was awesome,I remembered zoey van goey were playin,but I was havin such a great time…I thought I must go check them for paul,they were mid set…and a decent crowd,sound great.but I just wanted to get back,jangle and dance……….we were all dancing to lazy line painter jane…clappin at the clappy bits…great vibe…2.00 am,came and it was time to go….i shook hands,spoke to Kenny and Nigel..hugged orynthia..said goodbye to everyone...the nicest people you could meet,welcoming,generous...no tracyanne though,heart sink………I shoulda wished them happy Christmas,it was all kind of euphoric..on the way to the door I see tracyanne…I said tracy we are off now….she gave me a big hug,I pecked her on the cheek………this had been the night of all nights…………………Monday morning in the spar….stuart murdoch was getting some last bits and bobs,I said”thanks very much stuart”…he said hope you enjoyed it,see ya at bowlie 3…………indeed……………sorry..there has been no grammer,or spellcheck…whats new huh………………………………this night has opened my eyes……………………thanks all for makin it special…thank you friends wouldn`t be here if it wasn`t for you…………………………………
Home 
