Whinges of a Hug Slut

Wednesday, August 30

Rory says it far better than I ever could.

Saturday, August 26

So tonight Suck My Left One had an experimental new feature: free cake. I think it worked. In fact someone came over and hugged me when they saw me putting up the "free cake!" signs, and someone else told me the carrot cake was so good, she didn't need to pull tonight. I just wish I hadn't had quite so much myself...

01:57

Thursday, August 24

It's been an eventful time, whilst Rory has been over. Last Saturday was the Data Panik gig, attended by pretty much everyone I know in Leeds, and Mark, who needed some cheering up. Data Panik were playing at the wedding party of two people who had met at a Bis gig, with the evening gig being open to the public. This meant that bridesmaids were swanning around in ridiculous dresses and even more ridiculous hats, mixing with the likes of us. The set itself was pretty good, making me bop along in my seat at the side, whilst Rory went off and took pictures of the guitarist pulling faces. But the thing that turned it from being a good night into an amazing one was the inclusion of Kandy Pop at the very end. And suddenly I was 14 or 15 again, playing the 7" on my record player, full volume, over and over and over again, much to my parents' delight. It was brilliant.

After Robert Dane had nicked the set list, as he always must, and we were leaving to go to the karioke party, we spotted the band smoking in the car park. Robert insisted on getting them to sign the list, whilst he and Rory enthused at length about how great Bis were. Judging by the looks on the musicians' faces, this didn't go down well. And then four days later, they announced they were splitting up. Were we to blame? Who can tell? But it's great to torture Rory about it.

Aside from the collapse of a great band, the evening does provoke something else for consideration: if we were to ever lose our minds and get married, *shudder*, who would play at the wedding? There's no band we're both obsessed with who are worthwhile seeing any more - the Manics and Suede both having been shit for many years now. We do both love Marine Research, so we could always invite Tender Trap, but their newest album was pants, and the same goes for Bright Eyes. The bands Rory adores are, on the whole, just noise to me - Senseless Things, Ride, Slowdive, the Wildhearts and all their spin-offs... And the bands I venerate have never meant much to Rory - Belle and Sebastian, Pulp, Ooberman, Radiohead... We could always compromise on Arab Strap or Ballboy, but, for fuck's sake, this would be a wedding, we don't want the guests slashing their wrists after 10 minutes. The only band I can think of who may even come close to being what would be called for is the Pipettes. But I bet Robert Dane would persuade us to let him do it anyway. He's sly like that.

The party itself was nothing special. Rory and Mark left early and I left shortly afterwards, Belinda Carlisle still ringing in my ears. Mark went home on Sunday afternoon, then on Monday Rory and I went travelling around the north of England on a special train ticket. We went from Leeds to Carlisle, where we stopped for a sandwich, then on to Newcastle, which was grey and shit, and to York, where we didn't even leave the train station. We got back to Leeds again about 7 hours after we left, bums numb from sitting down so much, and camera memory cards full. The day was quite overcast, certainly not as beautiful as it had been when I last went up the Settle-Carlisle railway, but there was still plenty of things to see, most of them being cows and sheep and crows.

Tuesday was the first meeting to organise Ladyfest Leeds, and was an exciting time. About 30 people turned up and we all talked about the kind of things we want Ladyfest to be and to embody and to offer. Some wonderful ideas were floated, though some were more realistic than others, Bob wanting a time machine and a self-sustaining queer castle with a dungeon. Still, at least he's got an imagination.

On Thursday, Rory and I travelled down to Abergavenny for Green Man. Rain was predicted for the whole weekend so we spent Wednesday in Millets, hurriedly buying wellies and kagoules. As we made our way south, it became clear that they had been sensible purchases, the rain being so heavy it sometimes obscured things further away than just 10 metres or so, and being greeted upon reaching Abergavenny with a thunderstorm. Joy. Perhaps if we went now we could still catch a train back to Leeds and be home in time for tea? We bravely soldiered onwards though, being rewarded with some glimpses of sunshine as we were driven towards the festival site, about 5 miles from the station. The scenery was beautiful and I was glad I was there to experience it, no matter the conditions we arrived in.

A rundown of the festival then...

Good: I managed to survive the whole weekend!	Bad: I spent the whole weekend wishing I was at home.
Good: I got to see loads of bands: Foxface - had never heard of them but they turned out to be ace. Aidan Smith - who didn't know the lyrics for all of his songs, but who did Song To Delia Smith which made me very happy. Nalle - who had every instrument under the sun, and used mandolin feedback. Adrian Crowley - who was surprisingly undepressing. Richard James - who was using two harmonicas, and managed to try and play with the wrong one. 18th Day of May - who may have been good, I couldn't be sure because the sound was shite. Misty's Big Adventure - who had a bloke dancing in blue face paint and a red suit with blue hands sewn on. Shortwave Set - who made the sun come out! Benjamin Wetherill - who was fantastic and got huge demands for an encore. Shady Bard - who rocked. Fink - who were quite good but got more applause than Shady Bard, confusingly.	Bad: There was loads of bands I wanted to see but didn't manage to, for various reasons: Chris T-T, M Ward, Skygreen Leopards, A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Tunng, Micah P. Hinson, Bat For Lashes, Alasdair Roberts, Viking Moses, Sunburned Hand of the Man.
Good: The toilets were amazing clean, most of the time, even on Monday morning, and there was more of them than last year.	Bad: They still stank though, especially when they were being cleaned out.
Good: The hills and the trees were immensely beautiful.	Bad: There was too many hills we had to climb up.
Good: There was loads of pretty people to drool at.	Bad: None of them offered to get off with me. And there was loads of kids too.
Good: There was a much wider choice of food this time, and the food from Thali Cafe was divine.	Bad: The food did tend to be over priced, though as expected, and there wasn't much vegan food around.
Good: There was lots of bins to be used, and even some recycling ones.	Bad: There was still lots of people who didn't use the bins, it was pretty disgusting.
Good: A ladybird came and befriended us in our tent.	Bad: Lots of spiders decided to join it.
Good: It was sunny on Monday!	Bad: But it was throwing it down the rest of the weekend.

I was very grateful to get home and be able to have running water, and a bath! To not have to sleep on the ground, or worry about rolling over too far and making it rain inside! Such little things. And to check my email, of course, cos I'm a bloody geek like that.

16:20

Friday, August 11

Something always happens when Rory's meant to be coming over. One year it was the Hatfield train crash combined with blizzards, once it was very bad fog leading to the plane getting rerouted to Newcastle, once the plane kept flying into birds... And this time, when he's meant to be landing at 8pm, the live flight information thinks they'll be lucky to land by half twelve. And comes with a free cavity search, courtesy of the government. Joy.

If he does make it over, we're meant to be going to see Data Panik tomorrow night, followed by a party at Bob and Helena's house. Monday we were considering going to Carlisle, and on Tuesday evening there's the first Ladyfest meeting. The weekend will see us basking in the sun at Green Man. Hopefully. So there's lots for us to do, we just need to be together to do it first. I told him he should forget about the flight and just swim over. He declined to do so. No sense of adventure.

Yesterday was quite exciting as I was interviewed, along with Ferg, Jess and Ali, for Leeds Guide. For some reason they were wanting to do a little feature on Suck My Left One so we all met up in Hyde Park for some photographs, then went back to Ferg's to avoid the wind and talk about the club. It was fun to do, even though I wasn't really the best person to answer all the questions, seeing as I've only been involved with Manifesta for 9 months. Afterwards, Ali, Jess and I walked down to see Peet and Box, who miraculously are renting the house next to Bob and Helena. It was most bizarre. Of all the houses in Hyde Park, they had to get one next door.

Today it was Ali, Jess and me again. We met up and went to the art gallery to see their current exhibition on "a universal and all-too-present theme explored through the work of international artists who set out to explore the essence of Paranoia as the deluded interpretation of events." I managed to walk completely past a pile of bricks, a hoover and a noose without even noticing them. Oops. Afterwards we went and had lunch in a cafe, which was lovely but far too small for my liking (the food, not the cafe) (but then most food portions are too small for my liking, I must have a bottomless stomach).

Hmm, two hours til he might land. If they don't get delayed again. And they're not even allowed to take a magazine on board with them! He's probably ready to kill by now...

22:26

Monday, August 7

Today I have been listening to Tigermilk. It must be the first time in at least two years, and it's the first time in a week I've listened to a CD other than the iLiKETRAiNS one. I had forgotten how wonderful it is. It still makes me want to dance around the room, ten years on. Well, not that I ever had the vinyl, but you get my point.

Today I have also been experimenting with the latest addition to my toy box, a pink, glittery electric toothbrush. Because as Rory and I discovered when I was over in Belfast, an electric toothbrush can do things to me no regular vibrator has ever done. I recommend them heartily. Just get two, because you won't want to stick it in your mouth to clean your teeth once it's been used for, uh, other purposes.

In the past week or so I've managed to find a new person to add to my list of Men I Desperately Want But Can't Have For Various Reasons. This one is monogamous, annoyingly monogamous. I promised myself I wasn't going to play with people unless they're poly or single, and he is neither. And flirting with people I can't have just makes the not-having even more maddening. To make things worse, I think he fancies me too. Oh, this all sounds so teenaged, and yes, I have my toothbrush now, but there are some things a toothbrush just can't do, and I know that he can. And I don't fancy his girlfriend, so there's no way in through that way, either. Meh. Monogamy is just so selfish!

But what good things are happening? There must be some. Well, Rory's coming over on Friday and on Saturday we should be going to see Data Panik. The first Ladyfest Leeds meeting is a week tomorrow, featuring Free Food, and I'm really looking forward to it. My nipples have started oozing gunk which is good fun to pull off. And they will be oozing gunk for the next six months, too. On Friday I'm going to the art gallery with Ali. I'm doing quite well at sticking to my diet and have lost a few pounds. My brother got accepted onto the MA he applied for at Cambridge. I've been playing with Robert Dane's housemate's kittens, who are little and adorable and wonderful. And it's Green Man in a week and a half. Yey!

17:40