Friday 12th April 2024

Woke at 0830. Hauled myself out of bed at 0900 to make tea. Porridged at the computer. Prepared the ground for ahead of Vince's arrival to cut away at the concrete beneath the kitchen sink. Had to remove the kitchen cupboard door, and the kickboard, and put some dust sheets down. He turned up late morning, and went at it with a hammer drill...had to take up some screed and insulation material. The offending pipework had probably been leaking away for a long time...he had to remove the old pipe and stick some new stuff in there, with new elbow and olive. 

We had our lunch before he'd finished, but he suggested we let the hole dry out a bit before back-filling next week. We put the place back together again, and I managed a couple of hours at the computer. I made a creamy mushroom and walnut pasta sauce for dinner, which we ate with tagliatelle. Walked to Finsbury Park station, and took the tube to Highbury & Islington, where we transferred to an Overground train to Shadwell. Walked through to Commercial Road and found the George Tavern. Bumped into Helen and Steve, who had come down from Holmfirth to see Louie launch his first EP as Slow Cooked, with Barney Lister on drums, and Jack Patchett on bass. We have only ever seen Helen and Steve at Jim and Kath's annual Christmas bash...I remarked that the stage in front of us, with it's aging red rugs, and battered piano, looked remarkably like Jim and Kath's front room, the venue for the annual Christmas concerts. 

There were several acts on in support...firstly a rather dour, earnest young man, who sang his own wordy compositions, accompanying himself on guitar and piano, sometimes simultaneously...imagine Leonard Cohen and Anoni having a love-child! He was followed by a very hip quartet specialising in a modern take on retro prog-pop...they were great. The band preceding Slow Cooked Louie was called Pem, fronted by a young lady who sang and played guitar, and was presumably nicknamed Pem...then Louie, Barney and Jack took to the stage. 

Their USP is somewhat esoteric...Louie plays cello through various loop pedals, and sings obtuse lyrics about mice in jeans, and working as a plastic bag salesman, while Jack and Barney cook up a stonking groove on bass and drums...I had to keep glancing over at Barney to be sure it was just him bashing seven bells out of the kit...it sounded as though there were at least two drummers! Lead single, "Mice in Jeans", saw four or five audience members, including Louie's dad, Steve, don rubber mouse masks, and leap about insanely in the mosh-pit in front of the stage. We congratulated all involved before heading home, before the karaoke started!