Country 2 Country 2016 – Day One

Just before C2C I had been struggling with a really bad cold and chest infection, so the fact I had just about shaken it off was a miracle.  I had arranged everything to make this weekend as easy as possible for Andrew and I, the hotel was booked in Greenwich, we had looked at the parking situation when we had been to the Coldplay gig the week before.  The tickets were booked in the wheelchair block by the stage which was perfect, we were doing nothing for W21 Music, so this was purely social with our friends and country family.  I had pre booked disabled parking each day, this gives a reduced rate for a 24 hour period and meant if we wanted we could have just left the car there all weekend and taken a cab back to the hotel.  We were fully flexible it was going to be a good weekend!!

We left on Friday lunchtime and after checking in at the hotel and grabbing lunch at the pub next to the hotel we headed to the O2.  Anyone near the hotel,  bar, Greenwich with cowboy boots on stopped and said hi, it was already that warm friendly feeling.  As soon as we got to the O2 I realised how cold the venue was even though it was sunny outside, various huge doors were open so it was blowing a gale through the place, so being static in my chair meant i was shivery all the time.

We were soon bumping into all our friends and it was fantastic, hugs and kisses a plenty.  If ever I feel down I just need to think about that weekend, my friends are just awesome, they lift me up, when I feel really awful, I might be different but they don’t treat me that way.  We soon realised that Charles Esten, Deacon from the TV series Nashville was doing a signing, so joined the queue, I love the show and him, so wanted to meet him, after ages, he came out and said he had to leave, I called his name and he came straight to me.  I was thrilled.

  
We stayed in the queue and got to meet Ashley Monroe another country singer, who is best friends with Miranda Lambert, she was absolutely adorable and a joy to meet.  Once that was done we carried on meeting friends and listening to the music on the pop up stages as we headed into the Main Arena, it was time for the event of the evening. Our headliner that night was Miranda and wow she was just amazing, I really loved her and would happily see her again, on the run up though we had Ashley Monroe, Charles Esten and Thomas Rhett.  I couldn’t moan about my first night it was great and if the rest of the weekend was going to be like that well it would be fabulous.

We headed to the Brooklyn Bowl, we had After Party tickets and Frankie Ballard was playing, we got them to take us down by the stage and I’m so glad they did, he climbed on the platform in front of me during one song, it was brilliant.  Once he was done, the DJ Baylen Leonard started the party and we joined our group of friends and just partied the night away, until the penultimate song which was Mona Lisa by Brad Paisley were we did the Conga round the Bowl, we had the whole place doing it, it was raucous, me in the middle in my chair, being dragged around and nearly pulling Lewis’ (a friends) trousers down !!

We headed back to the hotel, exhausted but exhilarated, Andrew was hungry and needed to eat, we grabbed him something but I was too tired I needed my bed and to warm up.

Discovering Lucy Angel – A Preview

Yesterday I was given the fantastic opportunity to attend an event at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, I was told it was about a Country Music group who had a brand new TV show that was about to hit UK shores and this was our chance to meet them and get a feel for their music.

It was a fantastic day weather wise, the sun was shining and even though there was a brisk wind it certainly lifted spirits knowing that heading into London we would be seeing something very fresh and new.  As we got inside the Club there was an excited buzz about the place and we were soon greeted by the PR team, the band Kate (mum) and Lindsay and Emily (daughters) were milling around the room and wanting to meet everyone who had come along to help them on their journey to success on this side of the pond.  They are always supported by an entourage of family members and I will explain more about them in a little while.  It was also nice to meet them as well, this really is a family affair.

Our host from Lander Entertainment bought the proceedings to order and soon the ladies had our attention, now for those of us that LOVE country music, I couldn’t fault their melodies, harmonies or lyrics/song writing.  It was real Nashville stuff and how we haven’t heard more of them in the UK before I will never know, so now is the time to sit up and listen.

However they are here for now to promote their show, it is premiering on Showbiz TV on Sunday 14th February at 7:30pm.  It is from the Producer of “The Osbournes” so I think that speaks volumes.  If you can think Duck Dynasty meets the Kardashians, however these people have real talent and by the bucket load.  The family is made up of the three ladies in the band as I have explained, then you have Dad, who is also the band manager, Doug, he is known as G-Man, there are two sons Fletcher and Jake, also Anthony Smith, who is a hit songwriter for multiple big named artistes and Anthony and Lindsay’s daughter McCartney.  They also have a couple of dogs who you will see running around.

So please tune into Showbiz (Sky Channel 266) on Sunday, or set your Sky+ box to record it is well worth it, we got a sneak peak at the first episode and it looks brilliant.

The band told us they are only here for a few more days, they will be doing some sightseeing and then they hope to return, maybe later this year with some UK tour dates, I for one will be at the front of that queue to get tickets!

In the meantime I have a copy of their CD which I will be reviewing in the next week, so keep an eye out.

Thank you Lucy Angel for inviting Andrew and I along to your event, Landers Entertainment for your hospitality and Caroline at Canis Media who arranged everything for our attendance, we had a great time and wish you every success with the show, we will be tuning in, will you?

Paul Carella Gig at The Borderline

Having spent the previous night in Canary Wharf, I was really excited to know we were heading back into London for the Paul Carella concert.  I had organized tickets ages ago and just kept my fingers crossed that I hadn’t over spent my spoons by going out two evenings in a row.  I decided to spend the day in bed and get up as late as possible, this meant I could really relax until the very last minute.

We decided to head to Town and grab a bite to eat there and just for a change it was left for me to chose.  This is like dicing with death at the moment with my appetite so poor Andrew could end up with all sorts of rubbish on his plate.  I already knew what I wanted though, as we had headed to the Borderline on various occasions I had seen this place and had promised myself we would go.  Well this was the night we would head along and try our little piece of Florida in London, Chipotle.  

After a yummy dinner we got our tickets and went along to the venue for the first time ever my chair and I were almost an inconvenience.  The security man was a bit huffy, I had my isotonic drink which he tried to make me pour away, after a lot of persuasion he allowed me to keep it, we then slowly made our way down the stairs.  We have done this on several occasions, my chair is always stored in the back office and two seats are saved in my name.  We got downstairs and the security guy had disappeared and no seats had been reserved despite me having an email assuring me it had been done.  Someone gave up a seat, so I could sit down but for the first time I was disappointed with the Borderline.  

Soon it was time for Dexeter to take to the stage as always it was a magnificent set from the two of them, yes we just had the delights of Dee and Gareth.  They never fail to make me smile, however when they dedicated “Older” to Andrew and I that was it not only did I have a smile I had tears in my eyes.  I was truly touched by the sentiment, they are gorgeous people both inside and out.  Real kind hearted friends, always have time for a few words and a hug.  Their talent shines through and I hope that when they hit the USA later this year, that they knock them dead.

  
Next it was Paul’s turn, he was due to have his full band but he was only accompanied by Alex Hillman none the less this did not disappoint.  I had never seen Paul live previously, I had heard his music on CD and I have really loved it, so when we found out about this gig we knew we had to attend.  From the first chord I was astounded, it was just brilliant, he has a real raspy sound a bit like Kip Moore I think if you want a comparison.  My one complaint was the gig was far too short, all too soon he was finishing.  I will be going to another concert as soon as I can, hopefully a full band one to get a taster of what that feels like.  In the meantime I got a copy of his CD and after getting it signed after the concert, I of course played it cover to cover on the way home.

It’s the home grown talent that needs our support on the UK Country Music scene, they are all amazing, talented and worth traveling to see.  Paul is due to be at the Bull’s Head in Barnes, London tonight, tickets are £8 in advance or £10 on the door, do make the effort he’s well worth a look 😉
  

Country Collective Event in Canary Wharf

Every year in the business district they hold a series of open air concerts, all music types and the best bit about these events are they are free.  I had already seen the “Country Collective” promotion as it was by my very good friend Annette at Think Country.  The acts performing were second to none Ward Thomas headlining with Raintown and Callaghan supporting them, really a lineup not to be missed.  Then I received an email from my lovely nurse at the Royal London, she was thinking of going and would we be interested?  Of course the answer was yes we would be there and it would be nice to see her out of work, she had become a good friend.  Our mutual liking of country music affirmed that friendship and having a fellow bendy who I could chat to, with mutual interests was a new experience.

The day before the event we headed to the supermarket and bought our “bits” for a picnic.  I was actually excited about this event, it was something very different and would be more social than just a concert.  As I packed our cool bag I realised a few goodies were missing but I didn’t need to worry as Canada Square is sat on top of a shopping mall.  This has high class designer brands aplenty, eateries and bars but best of all it has a Waitrose for all those forgotten bits.  So we nipped in grabbed a few essential bits, gin in a tin and cupcakes, then headed back up to ground level. 

After a brief brush with the rude gym goers, who all climbed in a lift and decided not to press our button despite us both mentioning it twice, we ended up, yes you guessed it on the gym level.  A few more button presses and we ended up in the right place, the square was amazing, surrounded by bars and filling up already.  We made our way towards the front and Andrew headed off to say hello to come people right at the front of the stage.  A lovely security man came to speak to me and as I was on slightly soft grass asked if I could move onto the concrete path next to me.  I explained I was unable to self propel anymore but if he would move me it wasn’t a problem.  So he very carefully put me in the place I agreed on.  He then moved my bags as well and said if I needed any assistance call to any of the guys in a purple shirt.  A great start to the evening, they wanted to make sure my safety was paramount.

Slowly one by one our country music family group got together, all the familiar faces and it’s great when they do, we really do have a good laugh.  However this time there was a new member to the country music family, nurse Laura had come out to play, tonight though she was here as my friend.  I introduced her to the rest of the group, that’s the great thing about our group, we are such an easy going bunch of people.  Everyone was soon chatting and drinking, just enjoying one another’s company.

First up was Raintown, I’ve been huge fans of theirs for years, I’ve had their original CD since it first came out and went to C2C in 2013 to meet them and get it signed.  I’ve followed them ever since, we decided to become pledgers on their new album, Andrew and I wanted to be part of their success story.  As usual their performance didn’t disappoint with a mixture of old tracks and some of their new songs, then they threw in a cover of Blue’s “One Love” which had the whole square singing along.  All in all it was fantastic but you will never hear a bad word from me about Paul and Claire, these two deserve great things and I wish them every success.

Baylen Leonard came out to tell us that there would be a break and after that Callaghan would be performing, this gave everyone a chance to disappear to the loo, go to the bar (the prices weren’t extortionate) or go and meet Raintown.  After about fifteen to twenty minutes Callagan was ready to take the stage.  It was an acoustic set and she was supported by a cellist but the depth and tone it gave to her voice was beautiful.  I have never seen her live before and I will be sure to go and see her again soon, in an enclosed venue.  Check for a change in sound and acoustics within a venue.  Again once she finished she gave everyone the opportunity to meet her to get their CDs signed, in fact you could purchase your CD there for her to sign.

After another break and we were onto our final act, as you know from this blog we have seen the girls before.  I am a fan and it’s always a pleasure, they have been busy at various festivals in the UK and overseas.  This has to be the beginning of big things for the Ward Thomas girls!  Their set was great as usual, I don’t dislike any of their songs and they finished on my favourite “A Town Called Ugley”. Such a fun, upbeat track, really gets your toes tapping!

With that the night was over, we all packed up but weren’t leaving just yet.  I wanted to ensure Laura got to say hi to all the stars of the show.  She had never been to a gig like this before, let alone meet all the acts.  So Andrew made sure the guys came over to see me and in turn I introduced my lovely “nurse/friend”. By the time we left that night we had inducted a new member to the Country Music family and I was pleased about that.  

We’d had a great night at this event and spent it with good friends lots of them, so life that night was good, picnicking under the stars, drinking gin in a tin, listening to country music, in my mind that’s pretty damn perfect!!

  

Premier Inn – Farnborough

Our bestest friends had several reasons to celebrate recently not only was it Mr B’s 50th Birthday but two other family member’s had birthdays and Mr B’s father was honoured in this years New Years awards from Her Majesty.  Obviously none of this could go unnoticed, as their birthday weekends approached a party was organised, the marvellous Mummy Barrow knew as always travelling was going to take one hell of a strain on me and Andrew would of course not be able to let his hair down if we had to head home.  There was only one thing for it, a stay at the local Premier Inn.

We headed to the hotel fairly late and checked in and despite it being really late at night, the young lady behind the counter was very chirpy and chatty.  We held a polite conversation and considering she was stuck on a graveyard shift, she didn’t have the usual “sullen” attitude you can find when met with a bored receptionist.  Instead she assured us if we needed anything, at anytime we were to contact her, she would be there.  I was really impressed, I’m not sure I would be that happy but then again I don’t work in the hospitality industry.

A disabled room had specifically been booked for my needs and this was on the ground floor, room 2, so there wasn’t too much door negotiation to do.  There were signs everywhere that we were in a “quiet zone” so made sure that we didn’t let the doors bang shut and whispered whilst in the corridor.  The door for the room was a good size to get my chair straight through and immediately you could see the room size was larger to that of a normal room.  The bed was the same height as my chair which meant I could transfer with ease from chair to bed and I was so pleased to see they had an alarm call system next to the bed for emergencies.  This is really impressive, often you have a phone but not a button to press, where you can call for help, I liked that idea.

  
Next up the bathroom,  again this was nice and large it fitted the chair in with ease, the sink was at chair height, which did cause an issue for Andrew because he is so tall.  There were grab handles everywhere all around the bath, shower and toilet, however getting into the bath if I was staying alone would be an issue, secondly not having a shower stool did cause me a problem I can’t stand in the shower or I will faint.  So a stool that fits to the wall or removable stools would be ideal, I understand the cost of changing all the bathrooms to wet rooms would be huge.  This would be my only slight criticism of the whole thing.

  
The bed was comfortable and despite a noisy wood pigeon at 5am I had as normal a nights sleep as I would get had I been at home.  They do provide a “no sleep guarantee” however I am not too sure this is a great idea, we could have argued that Mr Pigeon had woken us and that affected our sleep, would this be eligible under their no sleep guarantee?  Also at 6am the occupants of the room upstairs decided to wander around their room, however they had really flat feet, again would this make us eligible?  I feel both of these are out of Premier Inn’s control and I for one would not hold them responsible, so as a customer please think before you start nit picking, or are you the type of person who just moans about everything?

We headed off to breakfast once we had washed and organised ourselves and it was in the restaurant attached to the Premier Inn, as it was a Bank Holiday it was very quiet so we appeared to be one of a very few couple in there.  The kind waitress asked if we had been there before explained what was laid out and where, asked if we wanted anything made specially for us and then went off to get it ready.  Andrew went and got some food and as he enjoyed his Full English breakfast, I had a poached egg on toast, perfect!

  
We went back to the room once we had finished our food and packed up, we checked out and headed back to the Barrows and reflected on what a enjoyable weekend we had experienced.  Just one night away can make all the difference especially for Andrew he needs to escape from time to time, so to have disabled facilities where I can just manage on my own is paramount, thank you Premier Inn you made me very comfortable.

Sacha and Sonia at the Water Rats

I hadn’t been out for days, in fact I had crashed since the last gig.  We knew this one was coming up and the day before Andrew asked how I was doing and was I well enough to go.  I was still struggling with pain levels but I had been stuck at home for five days and enough was enough.  I asked him to get tickets and we would go.

The Water Rats is a great venue right near Kings Cross, so for anyone looking for easy connections this is ideal.  We got there nice and early, parked up, grabbed a bite to eat and then made our way into the venue.  Everyone was lovely as usual, the disabled access was through the fire exit but it was nice and simple no lifting or getting out of my chair.

Soon familiar faces were arriving and it was so good to see people we hadn’t seen for a few weeks or even months.  Some do keep up to speed on my ongoing situation, which is lovely and just a shoulder squeeze means so much and often brings tears to my eyes.

Eventually it was time for the first act, our very good friend Jeanine Barry, she only had a short set of two songs, but this was a brief goodbye before she heads off to Nashville in just over a week to record her next EP.  She is super excited as are we for her.  

Our second act I hadn’t heard live before was a young lady called Katie Nicholas, she has a creative nature and is a designer which you could tell just by looking at her beautiful guitar.  As she started playing she soon realized her guitar wasn’t actually in tune, she apologized and started to tune it, like a true professional picked up where she had left off and just launched into her first song entitled “Empty” after a few songs you could tell she was getting hot she asked the audience why she had bothered dressing like a busker in winter?  The audience laughed with her as she took us into her next song “Childhood Street” it relates to when she grew up in Liverpool, all her songs were full of beautiful melodies.  Next she wanted some audience participation and covered Kacey Musgraves “Follow Your Arrow” this definitely warmed us all up.  With the tempo lifted she played us her brand new single “Sweet Talk” which I really enjoyed click on the link to watch the video I hope you like it too, it’s good fun.  Her final song was called “Heart of Gold” she had never played it live, Katie was about to explain about the song but decided against it, it was a beautiful song we all listened intently.  After a rapturous round of applause she left the stage.

A short break later and Sacha McVeigh was ready to join us, with her first album out now and this being the first night of her headline tour, tonight was in fact a big deal for Sacha.  You could tell by the big smile that you couldn’t take from her all night, she was in her element.  She started her set with “Time of My Life” quite apt as I’m sure that’s what she’s having at the moment!  Her whole set was full of energy and loaded with songs from the newly released album, however she did throw a fab Zac Brown Band Mash Up especially for Sonia, if you aren’t aware Sonia is signed to Zac’s label and has co-written a couple of their tracks.  So it was a good fun thing to do a homage to your friend, again it gave us all a chance to sing along to the ZBB songs.  Sasha then went back to her repertoire with “Someone To Break My Heart”, next the band were given a little break and left the stage.  “I Should’ve Realised” often country songs are about life events and this one is no different, it was from the heart, about an ex who had promised to marry her one day.  Then came a song called “You Only Live Once” now the saddest part of this song is that the co-writer passed away in January this year, before the track was finished, however to ensure his work features on the single Sasha is using the work tape recording.  You could feel how emotional that was for her, he had obviously become a really good friend and support for her, not just a writer of songs.  You did the song justice Sasha you did AJ proud!  The title track of the album “I Stand Alone” was written when she was only 14 her producer insisted it was put into the album, it has a fiesty, punchy feel to it, it’s all about standing your ground, doing things your way.  After introducing us to the band Harry, Bryn (who keeps everyone in time) and Andy (her left hand man).  We finished on “Mr Brown Eyes” which I really enjoyed an uptempo track that really did leave me wanting more.  At least the gig wasn’t over yet and meant I would be buying her CD to listen to her music at home. 😊

We had the chance of a small break before Sonia came out, a few more hello’s and then it was time for her to take the stage.  After an introduction she burst onto the stage and burst out into song.  Now the biggest problem for US artistes is when they travel over here often they can’t bring much, unless of course they are big names.  So Sonia had kidnapped Sasha’s band and considering their first rehearsal had been at the sound check for the gig at the Water Rats, she was really impressed with them.  She started with “My Name is Money” which was a strong powerful start to her set, she did comment that she was probably too rocky for our tastes, I think she read us all wrong.  Next up was “Put it in Your Pocket” followed by Fairytale Dream.  Soon she was pulling an old friend called Jimmy Sharp on the stage, Sonia had performed at the Water Rats with him, the first time she ever came to London, so she asked him to do a song, he performed “No Money No Love” which was a real treat for us all.  Once Jimmy left the stage she flew through her set, the time just disappeared too quickly.  The song “When We Are Alone” which is currently featuring on BBC radio Scotland’s playlist featured and this is to be her next single.  As is customary in Nashville we did a holler and a swaller!!  Raise your glass shout and knock back your drink 😜🍻   As her set came to an end and the room demanded more, the band left but Sonia was not going home.  She started with Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac, one of my favorites, a track called Virginia which was recorded for  lad called Paddy as he was too young to attend.  She sang Alabama as that’s where her own Momma was from and she said her Mom would be really proud of her now.

Finally Sasha and the band came back, they all sang Summer of 69, we all sang along and it was a fab end to a brilliant night.  Five acts in one night you really can’t ask for better than that.  We stayed to buy our merchandise and get some photos and chat to the girls Sonia again commented on being too rocky but I explained that everyone was singing along, everyone had bought tickets, even Kip Moore was amazed when we were singing along to his stuff so just get used to it, we wouldn’t buy tickets if we didn’t love your music, goodbyes said it was time to head home.  What a great night, but I knew I was going to pay for what I was doing to my body I was in agony already.  

Ward Thomas at the Bowery District

I’d been saving my spoons for this event, we met the Ward Thomas girls briefly at C2C so I really wanted to go to their gig.  I had been feeling off colour for a few days so a day in bed meant I would get through the evening ok.  The good thing was it was an early concert, the curfew was 10pm so we could be home well before 11pm.

We headed off to Reading, a bit of a change in direction from all the London events we had been to.  I hadn’t heard of the Bowery District before, however once we arrived we realised it was a club upstairs which we did know the name of and the live music venue was new.  It was on the ground floor, so access for me was simple and I wheeled in and to the front of the stage, I decided I would have no obstructions to my view.  Andrew grabbed drinks and we got ready for the support act, her name was Jessica Ridley and she was helped along by Jimmy Herman (who plays the fiddle, and other instruments, for Carrie Underwood)  Well she was awesome, she originally comes from Canada but now resides in Nashville as would any self respecting Country Artiste.  She chatted easily between songs and warmed up the audience ready for the twins to come out.  She had everyone singing backing vocals to her song “One of Those Days”  I’m not sure the size of the venues they had been playing previously but I get the feeling she loved the intimate nature of this place, we were literately at her feet.  As her set came to an end she explained about being a parent and how fortunate her life was, how she sponsors a child and for a small donation would be giving goodie bags of all her merchandise, such a nice touch. 

 

So the stage was set up for the girls and as they arrived the cheer of approval was enormous, you see this is technically their local venue.  They are from Hampshire and admitted they have never played in Reading, but would definitely be back!  They started with “Almost Easy” and then just kept carrying the audience up and up on a journey of musical excitement, including two covers the one that blew me away was Man in the Mirror from Michael Jackson, it was just incredible. They eventually bought Jimmy Herman out to join them which was a treat he is such a talented musician.  Their final song has to be one of my favourites “A Town called Ugley” which is about a real town in Kent, I didn’t know there was a town called Ugley.  Once the final chord was played they left the stage but we weren’t happy with that, the claps and whoops bought them back out for an encore and they provided us with a cover of “Sweet Caroline” for the keyboard player’s Mum, such a sweet gesture.  So that was it they bid us all goodnight and left the stage.

We went to the merchandise stand and said hi to Lizzy and Catherine, as I said we had met before and they remembered us, they gave us a copy of their CD which was very nice of them.  If you ever get the chance go and see these girls, they really are fabulous, Terry Wogan played their music a year ago on Radio 2 and they have come so far, they featured on Lorraine a couple of months ago and came across so beautifully, these girls are an act to watch, they will make it big!

  

The Photography Show at the NEC

A year ago Andrew bought his snazzy camera and around the same time he bought me a cheap Canon 450D body with some lenses so I could “dabble” in taking some snaps.  I wanted to do close up stuff or macro as the experts call it but the more I got into it I actually liked looking into composition and lighting.  

When a friend suggested we attend the Photography Show we thought it might be a good idea, expanding my inferior camera and lense knowledge.

I went along very under the weather and still with no voice which obviously made communicating in the NEC extremely difficult.  Once again I was waving the Ehlers-Danlos banner, wearing my hoodie trying to raise awareness.

  

As soon as we arrived we headed to the Lounge to grab a cuppa with our copy of the show guide, we had a look through planning out what we wanted to see.  We were also meeting up with some friends so this gave everyone a chance to get themselves organised.  Tea and coffee consumed and we braced ourselves for the crowd, the show was very busy.  We skirted round the edge of the show and made our way to the Canon stand, both of us have their cameras so this was the stand we wanted to go to most of all.  We finally hooked up with Bruce and T just before we got to the stand and after lots of kisses and hugs we went to see the cameras and lenses.  The stand was impressive and they had the complete range, which was a good thing.  The Canon advisors were really good too, Andrew explained what he was using his camera for and they were able to help straight away with set up and camera requirements.  We looked at the new body that he could really do with and he also looked at the lens that he really wanted.  Bruce headed up to the media lenses, T stayed downstairs with me, sadly there was no way of me getting up to the top deck of the Canon stand as a wheelchair user.  

  

Eventually we were all back together and continued to wander around the show, T wanted a light so she could illuminate her items when she photographs them, Andrew was looking for an across the body sling for my camera for me.   One other specific stand I wanted to go and see was the Disabled Photographers Society, I didn’t realise such an organisation even exsisted, but it does.  We started a few bits of shopping and then Andrew grabbed a sandwich, we headed to the Press Room for a sit down and a cuppa away from the crowds.

It was nice to enjoy the quiet of the Press Room, they supplied tea, coffee, water and pastries.  I had taken my own Ensure so that was my lunch sorted.  The team handed us a press pack which was a USB filled with all the show information.  The USB was in a presentation box and once I opened it, I realised it was absolutely gorgeous, something to treasure once the show was over.  We met up with our final friend Andy and all ate lunch/caught up on Twitter/took lunchtime medication 😜. I turned round to realise sat behind me was Jon Bentley from the Gadget Show, we said hello he seemed to remember me but couldn’t remember from where.

Bruce and T headed back into the show, Andrew went and took some bags back to the car and came back to the Press Room.  By the time he got back Jon Bentley saw him and said hello to him too, he recognised Andrew, so he explained where we had met him last and he did remember us.  What a good memory that man has!  We finished off said our goodbyes and left the press area, Bruce and T headed home and the three of us went back into the show.

We carried on pottering around, the main stand of interest for me was the Disabled Photography Society, we went along and got chatting to one of the guys.  He asked how he could help, Andrew explained I was new to photography but was struggling due to my distal tremors.  He immediately suggested a mount for my wheelchair that is made by a company called Manfroto, apparently my eyes lit up.  I hadn’t even thought about using the stability of the chair to help with the photographs.  For £10 a year or £27 for 3 years membership fee they would lend me the mount, indefinitely!  The mount is worth £150, so Andrew paid up for 3 years, he felt the support I would get as well with online competitions and forums would be great too.  As I left the stand it was such a great feeling, an organisation for people just like me, they could help me too and they were going to 😊

  

After a couple more purchases for Andrew, one of which was his birthday present, we decided to head home.  I was exhausted and Andrews back was playing up.  However we had enjoyed the day at the show, if I’m honest I would have booked a night in a hotel and visited the show over two days to make it easier for us.  All in all it was a great experience and I will definitely go back next year

  

Found the “Selfie Wall” 😜

Hunter Hayes @ The Borderline

So after what had been a really hard week with the two hospital appointments, this was something to look forward to, then Friday morning I started being sick, it has started to happen on and off.  It is something to do with the EDS and gastro issues, my body gets to the stage where it just can no longer deal with anything anymore and ejects everything for hours, I will then be unable to even tolerate water.  It was touch and go would I be able to go out, so after the last bout of sickness I laid down, stopped drinking water and just rested until I needed to get ready to leave.  That gave me approximately three hours, so I took to my bed and just lay there feeling very sorry for myself.  I detest being sick more than anything else I think.

By the time Andrew got home I was washed and dressed, I felt a bit better but not much, but I was going out, by hook or by crook I was going out.  These tickets were like gold dust, so I was not willing to let my body dictate what I was and wasn’t going to be doing!  I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and even as we got half way through the lanes to the motorway I realised I didn’t have anything to be sick into “in case of an emergency”  Oh well better not be sick then, so I continued the don’t drink or eat anything until much, much later.

Having been to the Borderline only ten days ago we knew our way, Andrew had already let them know I was coming so my chair was reserved and we parked up in our usual spot.  By 7pm I was being taken downstairs and there was still the Meet and Greet going on.  I sat quietly but could hear Hunter chatting to the other fans and then they started having their photos taken, it all sounded fun but you had to buy a M&G pass, thats one thing we didn’t do.  The M&Gers started to enter the performance area and a lovely couple stood next to me, we got chatting and they asked if I had enjoyed the experience, I explained I was only down early as I was a wheelchair user and had to be bought down before the main crowd.  We spoke of our mutual love of country music, another member of the #countrymusicfamily.  We were all settling down coats off, bags hung up when they looked in their “goodie bags” once they realised they were duplicated, they asked me if I would like one, as a gift, I nearly burst into tears.  What utter kindness, ten minutes ago we had never met and now they were giving me a present to help me remember my Hunter Hayes experience.  Andrew came back to check on me, and was astounded when I explained what had happened, the way some people have learnt to treat me with kindness and respect has left us on occasions speechless, this is one of those occasions.   
I forgot to mention Andrew was buzzing around as he got his first “press” pass for this event.  He was an official photographer for tonight and he even had a contract to sign between him and the “artiste”  I was super impressed, there were only three photographers there and he was one of them, a huge pat on the back for him for getting that gig!!

Finally the support act came on and sang four songs, he was a guitar player and had a really enjoyable sound.  I liked him even more because he had a bit of a sense of humour with the audience, always necessary when in the entertainment industry i think 🙂

It was time for Hunter, the band came out and bearing in mind Hunter is a young, American country act, his band appear to be a bunch of old rockers, but once you hear them play, you get why they work so well together, the guitar rocky/country vibe is what they do so well.  He started on the UK Version of his new single Light Me Up, now we had all been provided with these funky wrist bands and of course they lit up, just like the 4th of July!!    I lost count of the amount of guitar changes Hunter had, from electric to acoustic to mandolin, he is a master of them all, I wouldn’t be surprised if his fingers were bleeding by the end, as he played them and he played them hard!  His set was a great one and he chatted between songs comfortably which was lovely, we got to one point were he explained he had news for us.  The room buzzed with excitement, he explained how the gig we were at had sold out in seconds, so it had been agreed he was coming back, the cheer went up throughout the venue and once he could get a word in he told us he was coming back soon in May!  He went back to performing and at that point I realised Hunter Hayes didn’t know just how huge he was in the UK.  Nearly everyone was singing along to every word of every song.  Had he expected us to know only the UK Version of one song?  Hunter we have been avid fans for years, some of us have followed you to Orlando, and other US states to see you but have only got lucky in London on the off chance.  So yes we know your songs, we love your songs and we love that fact that you were in awe of us singing to you!

By the end of the night when it was lights up, we had all had a great time, Hunter and the band looked exhausted, they thanked everyone for coming out and hoped to see us in May, I for one would be definitely be buying tickets again because once again country music is here to stay!  

  

Sam Hunt @ The Borderline

I don’t think I got up all day on the Monday, I barely woke up, by now I was broken, my spoons were non existent but this was the last thing we had planned for a while and I was looking forward to it.  The last time I saw Sam Hunt was in Orlando at the House of Blues, on the same bill as Kip Moore, so to get another chance to see him was a gift and in such an intimate setting, even better.

Andrew came home and helped me get ready he knew I was struggling now, it was even debatable if I would actually make it.  His help was appreciated, so we took it slow and steady as we made our way into London for the fourth time in less than a week.  

As we arrived at the venue there was a small queue and it was chilly, Andrew left me in the car and went to speak to security.  The Borderline isn’t wheelchair accessible, but they let you in ten minutes early to help you downstairs.  When the time came Andrew came to get me, I went and said hello to some friends first and then security called me through, they didn’t want me in the cold, so placed me under a heater until I could go down.  Such kindness and consideration, soon it was time to go and very slowly I made my way down, security carried my chair, but they had reserved some seats for us and stored my chair away in case I needed it.

The warm up act came out and were a young band of five lads from Liverpool called Mic-Lowry, lots of harmonies and a beautiful sound about them, I really enjoyed their performance.  They did just what they were meant to do get us all wanting more, ready for Sam.

Finally Sam came out and the venue went wild I remembered all the songs from the first time I had heard him.  We were all singing along and when I say we, I mean the 300 capacity of the Borderline, we soon found out that Kip Moore was at the bar, this gave me a buzz.  The next piece of news Lady Antebellum were in the house too and The Shires.  Wow could this night get any better?  Sam was interacting well with the crowd, getting down in amongst the girls, then suddenly he climbed up in front of us, his whole act was pure energy.  By the end I was back to being drained but not ready to go home, I wanted to say hello to some Country Music stars.

Lady A sadly just disappeared so that’s one from my bucket list not ticked off, but I got to say hi to Ben and Chrissie from the Shires, congratulate them on their achievements and tell them we were coming to one of their upcoming gigs.  Then there was Kip, omg Kip flaming Moore, he was awesome, gave me a hug, had a photo and then as we were leaving so was he, he came back over to me in my chair this time and gave me another squeeze. My night was made!!

As we left London that night I couldn’t believe how much Country Music love had been poured out over the last few days and weeks, but for as long as I am able to it will never be over.  I will just keeping fulfilling my dreams and making memories.