I am Will from The Rocky Nest. I play trumpet and percussion (and maybe even a bit of funky drumming on future songs - watch this space). We done did a gig so I wroted a blog............................

Badges, stickers, sweets, Lego and a drawing competition: If it weren't for all
the booze, you'd think the Nest had regressed... but all this occured last night
at our gig in Sheffield.

It is as difficult to fit us all on one picture as it is to get us all on one stage.

That Dan from The Pete Green Corporate Juggernaut (ace band, google them) invited us to play at his Popomatic event. Of course, we jumped at the chance, and then spent weeks acting very middle-management-focus-group about the logistics of it. To be fair, if you have eight band members (plus myriad home-town fans who want to tag along), a stack of instruments and sleeping bags, and various requirements about who can't leave Hull until after a certain time or has to get back in time for something else, a couple of flowcharts and a board meeting are neccessary to work out who's in what car and make sure nobody gets stranded with no clean pants.

Keep an eye out for this Popomatic brand on future events if you like your nights out to take the form of a bit of disco cheese and vintage distilled all-time classics sandwiched between warm doorstops of fresh indie pop bread and butter. They also have free badges and sweets. Add to this a drawing competition with excellent prizes, and you have the makings of something just a little bit special.

Just to illustrate (geddit?) how awesome the evening really was, The Rocky Nest delegation picked up silver AND bronze in the competition to draw a robot. Hannah came 2nd and won a little wind-up robot toy, and I got the 3rd prize of a sheet of shiny robot stickers.

If that wasn't enough, those of us who didn't need to get back home that night all trooped round to Andy's house to continue the party. Andy is a Hull ex-pat with a Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero, a couple of cats, several hundred gigabytes of mp3s, a greater volume and variety of alcoholic beverages than the venue we just came from, and a lot of floor space to sleep on.

Oh, yeah... he also has more Lego than anyone I have ever met.

We walked in to the living room and were confronted by a mini Taj Mahal. Upstairs there is an entire room full of completed models and a couple of tonnes of spare bits. It really is a breathtaking sight. Apparently there was more in the cellar but I didn't get around to looking. I was too busy trying to find some INXS to put on.

Funnily enough, on the way home some of us succumbed to temptation and got a Burger King at the Doncaster services. With my meal I was given a voucher for half-price entry to various attractions, including........... Lego Land. After last night I don't think I really need to bother.



Respect where it is due:

Dan the main man and cheese DJ (Prince and Cameo = correct, Jamelia and Daphne & Celeste = not so much, but each to their own...) and his partners in crime Roo and Cara

The sound guy (in job description and also general demeanour) who called himself Nought but was actually ten out of ten

Support band Japanese Sleepers who combined electronic with organic and fun with heartfelt

Andy for his boundless hospitality

And of course all the lovely people who came out to hear us play, some of them dressed as robots. It was great to see some familiar faces and also some new ones.



Sheffield, we will return...