It’s All Happening in Cardiff, May 2024

First solo trip in years! This is another trip that was booked around a concert (which is becoming a main theme for this blog). I already had tickets to see Bruce Springsteen at Wembley this year but after seeing him just once last year (Hyde Park) I learnt the hard way that once is not enough! (That was the worst post-concert depression I’ve ever had!). So I bought myself a ticket for his Cardiff show too. (After I got home from Cardiff I ended up buying a ticket to see him in Sunderland as well, I couldn’t wait until Wembley!). I’d never really been to Cardiff before and there’s lots to see and do there so it seemed like the perfect place to make a trip out of it.

As this was my first solo trip in years I had a lot of anxiety about it. I’d been struggling a lot with anxiety lately anyway which didn’t help. So this trip felt a bit daunting at first but every time I thought about seeing Bruce live again most of the anxiety would turn into excitement and the little bit of anxiety that was left wasn’t so overwhelming and became more manageable.

So here’s how I got on in Cardiff for a few days….

Saturday 4th May

My train was delayed so I got to Cardiff a bit later than planned, however I was still feeling upbeat and ready for a great weekend. There was no ‘Waitin’ on a Sunny Day’ for Cardiff as the sky was clear and the sun beamed down over Principality Stadium where I would be seeing Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band the next ‘Night’. I was staying at a B&B just across ‘The River’ from the stadium so I had a great view of it as I made my way there. Bruce Springsteen was blasting through my earphones as I crossed the bridge and got even more excited for the concert. As I was approaching the B&B I suddenly heard loud music coming from the stadium and then a very familiar voice……it was Bruce! I had arrived just in time to hear their soundcheck. I stopped listening to my Bruce playlist so that I could listen to him in real time. The only person I stop listening to Bruce Springsteen for is Bruce Springsteen himself!

I normally stay at a hotel when I travel alone but when I came to book my accommodation for this trip all the main hotels were fully booked and most of the others were either really expensive or miles away from the city centre. I ended up booking a room at The Riverhouse in a blind panic straight after buying my concert ticket. I was initially put off by the “shared bathroom” but was desperate to find somewhere close to the stadium/city centre for a reasonable price. I actually had a really nice stay at The Riverhouse despite being a little out of my comfort zone. The bathroom had several private cubicles with a toilet, sink and shower in them and were cleaned regularly which made me feel more at ease. My room had a nice view of the stadium and as I checked in I could still hear Bruce’s voice echoing across the river. I couldn’t wait to get back outside and listen to more of the soundcheck.

The band were now playing ‘Janey Needs a Shooter’ and I quietly sang along with Bruce as I made my way back towards the stadium. There was a small gathering of people by the gates listening to the soundcheck. There’s usually a queuing system in place for Bruce concerts where you get a number (first come, first served) and you have to check back in at certain times throughout the day (roll call) to keep your place in the queue. I got my queue number (546) and joined the group of people by the gates. Bruce and the band had just started playing ‘If I Was The Priest’, everyone cheered and we all started nodding our heads/tapping our feet along to the music. ‘Priest’ is one of my favourites and on my dream setlist so hearing it at soundcheck gave me ‘High Hopes’ for the concert. I could have stayed and listened to the rest of the soundcheck but there was a certain record shop I wanted to visit and it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays so this was my only chance to go during my trip.

I teared myself away from the stadium gates and headed towards the city centre. Cardiff is known as the ‘City of Arcades’ due to it’s Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades hidden within the busy streets. Each arcade is full of independent shops, cafes and bars. I found my way to Morgan Arcade and walked through it, admiring the architecture as I went. The arcade lead me to Spillers Records, the oldest record shop in the world. It was founded in 1894 and originally sold phonograph cylinders before they evolved into the flat disc records we know and love today. I excitedly entered the shop and was pleased to hear them playing Bruce Springsteen. They were clearly prepared for a lot of Bruce fans popping in and out throughout the day. There was just enough time for me to browse through everything before they closed. I came across a reissue of Van Morrison’s Moondance album. I’d been listening to a lot of Van Morrison lately and this album has a few of my favourites on it so I decided to buy it.

After that I decided to explore the rest of the city centre. Cardiff had well and truly been taken over by Bruce fans. There were so many people wearing Bruce Springsteen T-shirts that you would have thought the concert was that night. The whole place was buzzing and full of excitement. There was time to kill before the 7pm roll call so I found a pub to have a drink in. I didn’t really feel hungry or have an appetite (probably because of the travel anxiety) but I didn’t want to be stuck with a rumbling stomach and no food at the B&B later so I forced myself to eat some chips.

It was getting close to 7pm so I started making my way back to the stadium. I lost my bearings and got a little bit lost but after wandering round in circles and down some ‘Backstreets’ I got to the stadium just in time to get my number checked and keep my place in the queue. Phew!

By this point I had developed a headache and was starting to feel really tired so I went back to the B&B, had a shower and went straight to bed.

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It’s All Happening in Dublin, November 2023

I’d been wanting to go to Dublin for a while and just like my trip to Liverpool the thing that nudged me to finally go was a Greta Van Fleet concert. I wanted to see them more than once this year so after booking my ticket to their Wembley Arena show I noticed they were playing in Dublin two days after. My dad’s also a Greta Van Fleet fan now and he didn’t fancy the Wembley show so we both decided to see them in Dublin and make a trip out of it. So I saw Greta at Wembley Arena and then dad and I flew to Dublin the next morning (I got 2 hours sleep). Despite feeling extremely tired I was really looking forward to finally going to Dublin. Also my Gran was Irish so I was excited to be going to Ireland and hoping to feel more connected to my Irish roots.

Wednesday 15th November

After an early morning drive to the airport and a short flight to Dublin we got on a coach that took us to the city centre. We got off at O’Connell Bridge and joined the stream of people making their way through the streets of Dublin. I couldn’t help but notice how many pubs there were, each of them proudly displaying the famous Guinness logo. I’d been drinking Guinness at home in anticipation for this trip and was excited to have a proper pint of Guinness in a proper Irish pub. So with some time to kill before we could check in to the apartment we decided to do just that.

We stumbled upon a pub called ‘The Oliver St. John Gogarty’ (can’t get more Irish than that!). As we stepped inside we were greeted by the sound of live Irish folk music being played by two musicians at the front of the pub. Dad went straight to the bar and ordered two pints of Guinness while I sat down and took in the cosy atmosphere. The place was dimly lit with Christmas lights and I felt very content to be sat in a warm pub in the middle of Dublin on an autumnal afternoon, drinking Guinness and listening to soft Irish folk music. I could have stayed there all day.

The time came to check in to the apartment so we finished our pints and headed back out into the hustle and bustle of the city centre. We got to the apartment building early but they let us check in anyway. The apartment was on the 6th floor and had a nice view over Dublin. It was small but cosy with a nice little kitchen area which dad pointed out would be perfect for cooking breakfast in the morning. Normally when I go somewhere new I can’t wait to get out there and start exploring but having only had two hours sleep the night before all I wanted to do was curl up on my bed and have a snooze.

I woke up around 5:00pm feeling a bit more lively and ready for more pubs and music. We thought it best to line our stomachs with some food first though.

With a Greta Van Fleet concert being the main event for this trip our whole stay had an underlying rock and roll theme to it. So with that in mind we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe. We were seated at a table where I had a good view of some rock and roll memorabilia. From my seat I could see a pair of baseball shoes that belonged to Keith Moon. I recognised them straight away from the many photos and concert films I’ve seen of The Who. There was also a pair of Beatle boots signed by Paul McCartney. With this being an Irish Hard Rock Cafe I was expecting to see some Thin Lizzy  and Van Morrison memorabilia but I was happy enough with Moonie’s shoes and Macca’s boots. There was also a Stevie Nicks poster on the wall opposite our table and I couldn’t help but think how nice it would look in my dinning room where my record player is.

After lining our stomachs we were ready for more Guinness and live music so we set out on an Irish pub crawl. We took a walk around the Temple Bar area and followed the sound of Irish folk music to a nice pub near the river. With a pint of Guinness in our hands we sat at a small table facing two musicians. They played some traditional Irish folk songs including Whiskey in the Jar and The Wild Rover which dad told me was one of Gran’s favourite songs. So we raised a glass to her and sang along to the chorus and in that moment I felt more connected to my Irish roots. Cheers, Gran! Or should I say Sláinte!

Our pub crawl wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Dublin’s most famous pub, The Temple Bar itself. We got our drinks and by some miracle managed to get a seat facing the tiny stage where two musicians were setting up. They played some old classics by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Monkees and The Beatles, so the music wasn’t as Irish this time but they did play Whiskey in the Jar though. Despite the pub being really busy and full of people the atmosphere was quite relaxed as everyone was just enjoying the music and singing along. We sang along to Mike Oldfield’s Moonlight Shadow, finished our drinks and decided to move on to the next pub.

A short walk around the corner brought us to a pub with a more Irish sound. The music was a bit more upbeat, “Diddley-dee music” as dad likes to call it. As we walked to the bar we had to manoeuvre ourselves around some people dancing. I was feeling a bit bloated from the Guinness and after hearing Whiskey in the Jar twice I took it as a sign to start drinking some whiskey. I normally drink Jack Daniel’s but as we were in Ireland I had Jameson instead. These musicians were playing popular songs but with an Irish sound. Everyone sang along to their renditions of Blowin’ In The Wind and Suspicious Minds. Dad and I are big Springsteen fans so it made our night when they finished their set with an Irish version of Dancing in the Dark.

We then crossed the River Liffey and started heading back towards the apartment.

Crossing the River Liffey.

Both of us wanted one last drink so we popped into a small old fashioned pub just around the corner from the apartment. This pub was quiet and felt more like a local one than a tourist one. It was the perfect place to wind down and reflect on the evening.

So our first night in Dublin was filled with pubs, Guinness and live music. We went back to the apartment feeling satisfied and looking forward to the next day.

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It’s All Happening in Rome, August 2022

I haven’t done one of these in a while because of the pandemic but as the world gradually gets back to normal it’s time for another adventure! I’ve been to Rome before with my family but I was 8 years old at the time so I don’t remember much of it. So I was happy to go again as an adult, this time with some friends (Sarah, Matthew and Glyn). So here’s what the four of us got up to on our weekend away in Italy’s capital city…..

Friday 26th August

As we stepped off the plane at Ciampino Airport we were embraced by the midday heat that had reached a whopping 32°. We then had to stand in that heat for about an hour while we waited for a taxi to come and take us to the Airbnb.

The Airbnb was a nice little flat with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a seating area and a small kitchen complete with a breakfast bar and bar stools. It was small but cosy and we were all happy to be staying there for the next few nights. After claiming our rooms and dumping our bags we headed straight back out into the heat in search of food and groceries. We had lunch at a local sandwich bar before picking up some food/snacks from a nearby supermarket. Then we went back to the flat to relax, drink tea and make plans for the evening.

We decided to do some evening sightseeing so we jumped onto the Metro and made our way into the city centre. A short ride on the train brought us to a station not far from the Colosseum so we got off and eagerly starting making our way to Rome’s most famous landmark. We weren’t walking for long before Glyn reminded us that we had originally planned to go to the Spanish Steps first before it got dark. We were so excited to see the Colosseum that we completely forgot about everything else we wanted to see!

So after turning around and getting back onto the Metro we soon found our way to the Spanish Steps. Sarah and I instantly activated ‘Tourist Mode’ and started taking photos before we all walked up the 138 steps. We made it to the top in time to see the sun setting over the city. As we were admiring the beautiful view a man came up to us and gave me and Sarah a rose each. We didn’t know what was going on so we just thanked him and walked on. He followed us and kept giving us more roses before asking for money. As this was our first night we hadn’t spent much yet so none of us had any spare change. We had to apologise and awkwardly give the roses back to him. This was our first tourist attraction and we’d already learnt not to take things from strangers. Which is common sense anyway but to be fair he did catch us off guard.

From there it was a short walk to the Trevi Fountain. I remember the Trevi Fountain being my favourite part of my last trip to Rome so I was excited to see it again. My excitement was justified, it looked just as magnificent as the last time I saw it but with an extra evening glow. We didn’t have any coins to throw in but I was happy enough to just admire it and soak in the atmosphere that surrounded it.

We carried on walking and came across a nice little Italian restaurant where we decided to have dinner. I had Lasagne and it was probably the best lasagne I’ve ever had! (Sorry Dad, I still love your homemade lasagne though!). Lasagne is one of my favourite foods so I had to have it at least once while we were in Italy. We all enjoyed our first Italian meal of the trip but decided not to drink any alcohol with it as we had an early start the next morning and by this point we were all tired enough already.

After filling our stomachs and satisfying our appetites we continued to explore the city. We walked past the Pantheon and ventured up to Capitoline Hill into the Piazza del Campidoglio, originally designed by Michelangelo. We then took a stroll around some ancient ruins before taking a short walk up the road to the Colosseum.

The Pantheon

Ancient roman ruins

We had tickets to the Colosseum for Monday morning but we wanted to see it at night when it was all lit up. It looked fantastic! ‘Tourist Mode’ was activated again and we took lots of photos. We conveniently found ourselves standing right in front of the Metro station so we brought our first evening in Rome to an end and headed back to the flat.

Back at the flat we looked at where we had been on the map and calculated about 10 miles worth of walking. It didn’t feel like we’d walked that much though, probably because we were excited and enjoying it so much. Rome is a great place for a long evening walk, the city is so scenic and you can really feel the history of it as you ‘roam’ (pun intended) around.

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It’s All Happening in Liverpool, November 2019

Another solo adventure! As a Beatles fan I’d been wanting to visit Liverpool for a while but hadn’t got round to it. So after finding Liverpool on a list of tour dates for one of my favourite bands I thought this would be the perfect time to finally go. So here’s a look at my music filled weekend in Liverpool….

Saturday 9th November

The train pulled into Liverpool Lime Street station just after 2:30pm. I grabbed my bags and eagerly made my way towards the exit, excited to explore the land of The Beatles, the most popular band the world has ever seen, who released bright, happy songs such as Good Day Sunshine and Here Comes The Sun. I stepped out of the station to find grey skies and endless drizzle. (To be fair they did also release a song called Rain). Anyway The Beatles weren’t the only band on my mind. I was seeing Greta Van Fleet that evening so with that in mind I set off to find my hotel so I could relax and freshen up before the gig.

My hotel room happened to be right at the end of a very long hallway. The hallway was dark as the lights don’t come on until you’re actually walking underneath them. So as I made my way down this long, dark hallway full of flickering lights I was reminded of The Shining and got slightly freaked out. I was half expecting two young girls to appear and ask me to come play with them. I had to double check my room number to make sure I wasn’t staying in Room 237. (I was in Room 355, phew!).

Once I’d dumped my bags and finally figured out how to switch the lights on (you have to place your keycard into a socket on the wall to get power, it took me longer than it should have to realise this. Seriously, I was about to march down to reception and complain about my lights not working, I would have made a right tit of myself.) food was the first thing on my mind. I wasn’t actually feeling that hungry but I didn’t want to go to the gig with an empty stomach. So I just nipped into the Tescos next-door and got some food from there, plus some snacks for later because I knew I’d be starving by the time I got back.

I soon got bored of just sitting in my hotel room so I decided to freshen up and head to the gig. I figured the earlier I got there the better chance I’d have of getting a good spot near the front. (It would be nice to actually see the band without someone’s head or phone blocking my view).

I got to the venue just over 2 hours before the doors were due to open. The venue was in a University building so there were many different entrances, I started to walk around in search of the right one. As I walked along the side of the building I could hear loud drums coming from inside. Soundcheck! I was definitely at the right place then. I found my way to an entrance but there was no one waiting outside of it. I was early but I refused to believe I was the first one there! I looked around for any fellow Greta Van Fleet fans and noticed a couple of Stage Trucks and a Tour Bus parked just across from the entrance. I suddenly felt like I was definitely not supposed to be there, this was clearly the backstage entrance. I didn’t know where to go though so I thought I’d wait around and see if anyone else turned up so I could just follow them. I was starting to feel really awkward just waiting around on my own when two women turned up and tried to get in, the doors were locked (obviously). They saw me and asked if I was there for the gig, I told them I was and that I wasn’t sure where we had to go. They just said they were gonna go find somewhere warm and walked off, leaving me on my own again. I instantly felt awkward again and even started to feel a bit like a stalker just hanging around near the Tour Bus. I couldn’t take it anymore so I decided to walk around to the other side of the building and see if there was anyone there. I soon found another entrance on the opposite side with a queue of people waiting outside of it. I was on the wrong side all along, of course I was! It was now just under 2 hours until the doors were due to open and the queue wasn’t that long yet so I was still in with a good chance of getting a spot near the front.

A girl who was a similar age to me joined the queue shortly after I did and we instantly got talking. Her name’s Teresa and she’d travelled up to Liverpool from London, I told her I’d travelled here from Essex and we had a laugh about how dedicated we were to see Greta. Another girl who was slightly younger than us joined the queue a moment later, I said hello and she asked if we’d like to stand under her umbrella with her. Her name’s Laura and she was local to the area. So I now had two new friends to talk to while I waited for the doors to open. We mainly talked about Greta (obviously) and other bands we like and gigs we’ve been to. Laura and I had both seen Greta before so we told Teresa a bit about what to expect from their live show. Like Josh (lead singer) throwing flowers into the crowd as they come on stage. We said how we’d love to catch one but we’d be unlikely to if we’re at the front as he usually throws them out to the middle. Laura also said how she’d love to catch Jake’s (guitarist) pick. We then talked a bit about Liverpool and discussed the possibility of them performing a one-off Beatles cover. The conversation moved onto what we do for work and Teresa revealed that she’s a lighting designer and works in live theatre. I told her that I’m interested in sound engineering and that I volunteer as a crew member at my local theatre. We all marvelled at how weird it was that we’d only just met and we were both interested in the same line of work, especially a line of work that’s mainly male dominated. We then got talking about live music and Laura told us how much she loves guitars. So we had a lighting designer, a budding sound engineer and a potential guitar tech. I joked about us potentially being hired as extra crew members for the band. By this point the temperature had dropped and I noticed that my feet were so cold they were almost numb. Thankfully the time had finally come for them to open the doors and let us in.

All that waiting in the rain was worth it because we managed to get a spot right at the front! I’ve never been right at the front before, I usually get so close but this was the first time I actually got a barrier spot! We were just to the right of the stage, right in-front of the PA Stacks. This was the first time I’d been to a Uni gig and I was surprised to see that there were no curtains up by the side of the stage. This meant that we could see everything clear as day. I was happy because I could see the sound guy and his DiGiCo Sound-desk, Laura was happy because she could see all of Jake’s guitars and Teresa was happy enough pointing out all the different lights to us. I also noticed that the stage was a temporary one and a lot smaller than normal. In fact looking around the venue I noticed that the bar was bigger than the stage, definitely a Uni gig!

The support act was a singer called Yola. She was amazing and performed some awesome songs including a great cover of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi. After that we watched the crew mill about on stage setting everything up for Greta. Teresa pointed out that there were only male crew members up there and we both cheered when a female one joined them.

Then the time had finally come. We all cheered as we watched Josh, Jake, Sam (bassist) and Danny (drummer) walk through the backstage door and onto the stage. Time to rock out with Greta Van Fleet! Jake waved to the three of us before pulling his guitar strap over his shoulder. I watched as Josh threw some flowers into the middle of the crowd. He then turned and threw some right to us! I was so unprepared for this that I didn’t even think to catch them so they just hit me on the head and fell to the floor behind the barrier, a security guy had to come and pick them up for us. So the three of us got a flower each and the gig was off to a great start. After their first song they went straight into playing Don’t Let Me Down by The Beatles, the three of us looked at each other and started cheering. They only performed the beginning of the song but it made us so happy. From there the whole gig was fantastic! Josh’s vocals were unbelievably good, at one point he belted out a note-perfect scream, everyone started clapping and cheering but I was so in awe of his performance that all I could do was just smile at him, at that point he looked over, saw me smiling and smiled right back. Towards the end of the show, Jake finished a guitar solo and threw his pick to Laura! Everything that we talked about before the show was happening! First the flowers, then the Beatles cover and now Jake’s pick!

They finished their set and walked off stage. The crowd then started chanting “Oh Greta Van Fleet” to the tune of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. We were all chanting it for ages before it finally died down and normal cheering resumed. Greta came back on stage and Jake started playing the Seven Nation Army riff and got us all going again. “Oohh Greta Van Fleeeeeet!”. While they were playing one of their last songs it suddenly hit me that the show was almost over and I realised how much I didn’t want it to end. I was then overcome with sadness for a few seconds. I’m no stranger to ‘Post-concert depression’ but this was the first time I’d gotten it before the gig had even finished!

After the show I said goodbye to my new friends and headed back out into the rain. As I walked away from the venue I was full of mixed emotions. I was mainly on a post-concert buzz and couldn’t wait to see them live again but I also knew that probably wouldn’t be for a while. They’ve been continuously touring around the world for about two years and on one hand I want them to tour again soon, but on the other hand I think they should take some time out and get some much needed rest, they must be knackered!

As I reached the city centre I noticed how busy and lively it was for a rainy night. I could hear loud music coming from various different buildings and was tempted to do some exploring but I was cold, wet and tired so I carried on back to the hotel where I got changed, ate some snacks and waited for the post-concert buzz to die down so I could get some sleep.

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It’s All Happening in New York, May 2019

I went to New York about 12 years ago with my family, I’ve recently been wanting to go again. My brother and his fiancé (Jason and Jasmin) were planning a trip there and invited me along. So this one’s not a solo adventure but I thought I’d blog about it anyway. So here’s a day to day look at what we got up to in the big apple…..

Monday 20th May

Being booked on a 8:00am flight seemed like a good idea in theory before realising we’d have to be at the airport for about 5:00am. So 3:00am Monday morning we were all up and ready to leave the house, all of us running on about 2 hours sleep. But no one was grumpy, we were all in high spirits, ready to embark on our American adventure. The drive to the airport was smooth (not much traffic at that unholy time) until we got there and couldn’t find the right car park, at this point Jason was getting a little bit grumpy. We eventually found it and jumped on the bus to the terminal….we missed our stop (Jason got a little bit more grumpy). So not off to a good start. But we got to the correct terminal, checked in and got through security with just about enough time to have a cup of tea and some breakfast.

Fast forward through 7 hours of sleeping, watching films and falling asleep while watching films. We landed safely at Newark airport in New Jersey (or as Jason and I like to call it “The Land of The Boss”). From there we got the train to Pennsylvania Station, New York (a.k.a Penn Station to those who know it personally).

We stepped out of the station into the (boiling hot) sunshine and got an eyeful of tall skyscrapers, yellow taxis and hundreds of people. We started making our way to the apartment we had booked. The more we walked the more we felt the 28 degree heat, nice weather but not the right weather for lugging suitcases around in. I was pleased with the sunshine but wasn’t expecting it to be that hot (I packed 3 pairs of skinny jeans!). After about 16 hours of travelling we got to the apartment excited, tired and slightly sweaty. The apartment was small (the kitchen was basically a cupboard with a sink and a kettle in it) but it had everything we needed so we were happy with it. We had some rest, freshened up and went out looking for somewhere to eat.

View from the apartment.

After walking around for about 10 minutes we came across a rooftop bar that had decent food for a decent price, looked like we’d found a winner, we went inside and they were playing LA Woman by The Doors, definitely found a winner. Jason and I filled up on Pizza while Jasmin enjoyed a stir fry as we watched busy New Yorkers and loud fire trucks passing by outside. We then ventured up to the rooftop for another drink. This round was on me, as I was ordering the barmaid asked where I was from and said she liked my accent. Only in America would someone say that about an Essex accent. That was probably the most expensive round I’ve ever bought ($35?!), I had my usual (JD & coke) and as I took a sip I realised why it was so expensive. It turns out they don’t do the single/double system over there they just give you half and half. We had our drinks while admiring the sunset, well the reflection of the sunset in a tall building across the street.

Jasmin and I enjoying our strong drinks.

By this point we were all pretty tired so we decided to bring our first evening in New York to an end. We went back to the apartment and were all in bed, asleep by 10:00pm (3:00am back home).

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It’s All Happening at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, August 2017

I’d been wanting to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival ever since I became obsessed with Comedy at the age of 13, so what better place to go to for my first adventure. I decided to write about my whole Edinburgh experience in the form of a diary entry for each day. So here’s my ‘Ed-Fringe/Comedy Holiday Diary’…..

 

Tuesday 15th August

After 7 hours of train travel I finally made it to Edinburgh. I stepped off of the train feeling nervous, excited and actually quite tired. Nevertheless I was ready for my first big adventure. I walked out of that station full of confidence…..that confidence then vanished as I realised I had walked out of a different exit to what I had prepared for and had no idea which direction my hotel was in. It completely threw my sense of direction off. I managed to find my way to the Royal Mile and found my way from there. The hotel is about 3 minutes away from the station; it took this idiot about 20 minutes to find it!

After checking in and freshening up it was time to hit the Fringe. I started making my way to my first venue. On the way I stopped to watch some musicians performing in the street. There was a guy playing drums, a guy playing electric guitar and right in-between them was a guy playing the bagpipes (of course he was playing the bagpipes, Welcome to Scotland!). They were actually pretty good. The drummer had a tiny drum kit but he was going to town on it! At one point he hit it so hard that part of his drum stick broke off and flew into the air.

By the time I got to the venue there was still about 45 minutes until the show so I decided to go for a drink in a pub called ‘The Conan Doyle’. (Because when you find pub named after one of your favourite authors there’s no question about whether you should have a drink in there). It’s a nice, cosy pub and well in-theme with old fashioned wallpaper, old portraits/paintings and low hanging, dusty lampshades. Basically when they’re closed and empty and they turn the lights off at the end of the night the whole place must look and feel a bit like a spooky haunted house.

Back over the road to the venue for Show # 1 (Carl Hutchinson). The venue was actually in a posh hotel where they had transformed a small meeting room into a comedy club, which created a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, perfect for stand up comedy. I really enjoyed Carl’s set, especially the part about going out for a drink when you have work the next morning. I found that part extremely relatable. I’ve seen Carl a few times supporting Chris Ramsey and he’s a great comedian so it was really nice to see him in the spotlight of his own show.

After seeing Carl Hutchinson it was time for Show # 2 which was just a short walk up the road to a small club called ‘Nightcap’. I was directed into an even smaller room (about the size of my hotel room) with a bar in it, so you could sit on a bar stool instead of the seats provided (which some latecomers did). Show # 2 was a free show by Kevin McFadden called ‘#AlmostFamous’. The only reason I was interested in seeing this show was because the title and poster were clearly influenced by one of my favourite films. This was another typical stand up show with funny relatable observations. At one point he started talking about people who bring their newborn baby to the office and compared it to the beginning of ‘The Lion King’. A reference to another one of my favourite films! So Show # 2 finished leaving me feeling pretty satisfied with my introduction to the Fringe. This is where I had originally planned to go back to my hotel and get a good night’s sleep. But when the show finished I ended up chatting to a couple of Americans that I’d been sitting next to. It turns out that they’re both comedians and their show was on next. So I decided to stick around and watch it. Bring on Show # 3!

Unfortunately not many people turned up and they both ‘died on their arse’ a bit, which is a shame because they both had some really good jokes that would have worked on a bigger audience. I chatted with them some more after the show and we were joined by one of their old school friends. They decided to go for a drink and invited me along, I almost declined so that I could get that good night’s sleep but I decided to be spontaneous and join them.

We found a big pub that also happened to be another Fringe venue so we had a drink and a conversation that mainly involved bad jokes and puns. 1:00am soon came round and we went downstairs to watch a Cabaret show (Show # 4). The show finished with a guy playing the same chord on his guitar over and over while singing about everything and everyone in the room. He even started singing about a random piece of red tape that was stuck to the wall, he then ripped it off and stuck it on his face and did the rest of his set with it just dangling off his nose. I wasn’t 100% sure if he was a performer or just a drunk guy who had found his way onto the stage. He was hilarious anyway.

So that concludes my first night at the Fringe. I said goodbye to my new friends and wished them luck for the rest of the festival. I finally got back to the hotel at 2:30am, so much for that good night’s sleep.

Joke of the day:

Kevin McFadden – (about his racist granddad in the hospital talking about a black doctor): “How can you judge someone’s skills based on the colour of their skin? You’re white and ya canny even wipe your own arse!”

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