Entertainment For Lively Minds
Doncaster - Betws-y-Coed - Southampton
How about this for gig-going? A Radio 6 listener revealed last night he intends to travel from his Doncaster home to Betws-y-Coed on Saturday to watch a band, then onto Southampton the next day for another gig. And he's travelling by train.
He's going to see the Wave Pictures at The Joiners on Sunday. I didn't catch the band and venue for the North Wales gig, as I was distracted (in a sad blokey way) by thinking about which route he'd be taking on the train (Doncaster - Leeds - Manchester - Llandudno Junction - Betws - back to LJ - Shrewsbury - Birmingham and onwards, I reckon).
The train journey is an event in itself, especially from Wales to the south coast, and I'd probably be feeling a bit jaded by the time the Wave Pictures came on. Then again, if it's a cracking gig, who cares? The journey will make it extra special.
The furthest I've been is from Keele, Staffordshire to Leeds in a freezing Morris Minor to see the Violent Femmes, and Ormskirk, Lancashire to Betws-y-Coed to see the Super Furry Animals. On both occasions I was worried I'd conk out - either on top of the oppressive sleet-ridden M62 or in the middle of nowhere in Wales.
But even 30 miles away from home, there's that delicious tension of having to catch the last train home and waiting for a killer song. Do you stay and run for it? Leave early and walk leisurely to the station? Or stay to the end and try to sleep in brightly-lit waiting rooms?
Any other gig marathons?
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My further is probably
My further is probably Liverpool -> Holyhead -> Dublin to see the Charlatans play the castle, about 10 years ago. By car / ferry.
I love your description of the M62 as 'oppressive, sleet-ridden'. I'm often on that part of the motorway, and that's how I feel.
Someone on here came over from Australia
for the Mott The Hoople reunion...
A Facebook friend
Came over especially to see Stackridge play in concert last month. From Japan. Makes my trip to Kendal to see them next Saturday seem a hop, skip and a jump. Bonus: I get to miss the Champion's League Final.
Well, there's nowt to do in Donny at weekends
Doncaster is the aids capital of the UK apparently.
I once went from Bracknell to Disneyland Paris and saw Manfred Mann's Earthband, but that was a pleasant surprise for me (but probably not for them) as I was on holiday (having a horrid time, btw).
Apart from that, I can't compete. I did consider flying to Germany to see Pavlov's Dog at a festival a couple of years back, but sensibly baulked at the cost.
Inspiral Carpets
I puttered on my moped from deepest Lincolnshire to York - took me many hours as I had to keep stopping for it to cool down.
And I think I only went cos I wanted an Inspirals Cool as Fuck t-shirt.
Very poor...
I can only claim a 55 minute train or car journey to London.
However I bet I have a chance in the least effort catagory though, a 100yrd stroll to the pub on the corner to see (improbably) The Wailing Souls.
Great night for 8 quid in!
least effort
Although the stroll was longer,about 1/4 of a mile.I paid exactly nothing to get into a "secret" warm up gig by the seahorses in our local the witchwood,near manchester.
Do I win least effort?
A certain fellow member of
A certain fellow member of the massive, formerly known around these parts as YankeeRagu and currently featuring in the montage fits the bill here. He was somewhat renowned amonst our circle of friends for being a regular and intrepid traveller to gigs in London, Manchester and all over the South East of England - often on consecutive nights and in far flung locations. C'mon Mr G, fess up...
What was once a marathon
By coincidence my first "long" distance gig was a trip from Keele to Nottingham to see The Smirks. It was two busses to Stoke, two trains (via Derby) and then a day out in Nottingham. As soon as we arrived in Nottingham we looked at the timetable and realised that we were likely to miss the last train home. We wandered round trying to find the venue (nobody we asked had a clue what we were talking about when we asked) finally we got there and discovered that it was going to be a late start and we would definitely miss the train by a few hours! The gig finished at about 1am and we finally got back to college around lunchtime on Sunday after walking the streets of Nottingham all night and getting the first train of a depleted Sunday timetable.
I'm sure in a car these days I wouldn't really think twice about a trip from Keele to Nottingham.
Since then I suppose the furthest I've gone out of my way for a gig was when I took a nearly hundred mile diversion to end up in Ventura for the night (on my way back to LA) to see Maria McKee. Unfortunately, after I'd found a hotel and checked in, I located the theater (that's what they called it!) only to be told that the gig was cancelled. Fortunately I already had a ticket to see her thousands of miles away in London the following week.
Train route
Much easier than you thought Olthwaite (!):
Donny > Stockport > Crewe > Llandudno Junction > Betws. (5 hours.)
Betws > Llandudno Junction > Euston > Waterloo > Soton (7 hours)