Social Butterfly

Hola! What a busy (but fabulous) few days. 

After I signed off on Tuesday, it was a quick change into my vintage Hindu Kush dress & Afghan coat and a sprint into Walsall to meet Brendan and Lynne for drinks and artisan pizza at the Light before being blown away by the National Theatre's live screening of Nye.

Nye was the 100th production to be screened in this way and it gave us shivers down our spines to know that audiences in twenty-two countries across the world were watching the performance at the same time as us and more than likely as incredulous as we were over Michael Sheen's powerful portrayal of one of the UK's greatest ever politicians.

And somewhat ironically, after spending an evening celebrating the life of the founder of the National Health Service, the following day I was back in the care of the NHS for my appointment with the optical consultant at the Eye Infirmary at New Cross Hospital over in Wolverhampton where, after a thorough examination, I was told that my eye was healed with no vision loss, scarring or inflammation. Although 50% of Iritis cases have no underlying causes, they've taken blood tests just to rule any undetected conditions including syphilis and TB (how very Victorian!) 

On Wednesday I wore a Dilli Grey midi dress (via eBay, 2021), a quilted Monsoon waistcoat (retail sale buy, 2022) and those green cowboy boots (above). On Thursday (below) it was a Dilli Grey maxi I'd bought new in 2022 with my cherry red Docs, Greek Gucci sunnies and a chazza shop necklace made from horseshoe nails. 

Despite still being horribly cold, it was so bright on Thursday morning we were up, out and at the baths when the doors opened. Once again I was on top form and managed to do 50 lengths and 50 poolside pushups in 35 minutes. 

After a 'Spoons breakfast we popped to Lidl and picked up a £1.50 Waste Not box.

Later in the day we headed back over to Wolverhampton as we'd got tickets for a gig at the Wulfrun Halls. Jon's not really as angry as he looks, he's just muttering Get a move on, I'm effin' freezing as I insisted on the obligatory going out photos as we left the house. He's in a Stronghold, Los Angeles workers jacket, an Indian army camo shirt and Levi's (all charity shopped) and I'm in a vintage Hilary Floyd psych maxi (a friend found for me in a charity shop) and a 1970s wizard sleeve velvet jacket (bought from a fab vintage trader mate). 

After the stress with the virtual ticketing when we'd been to see Roisin Murphy back in February, we were delighted that the teething problems with the app had been sorted out. After stopping to chat to the charming door staff who were in awe of my Egyptian Revival pendant, we headed straight to the bar.

The support act was The Dhol Foundation, founded in 1989 by former Alaap member, Johnny Kalsi. Dhol, as I'm sure you know, is a traditional drum from the Punjab. The Dhol Foundation are regulars on the festival circuit and played the Bandstand (the stage directly outside the Kinky Melon shop) at Glastonbury last year where a huge percentage of the 250,000 festival goers turned up to dance bhangra in the Thursday afternoon sunshine.

Their energy is so infectious and had most of the Wulfrun waving their hands in the air and singing along. The Dhol Foundation's music has been used on films including Gangs of New York and Rabbit Proof Fence and they opened the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006. I can't wait to see them at Womad. 

The main event was Kula Shaker, the British psychedelic indie rock band who were huge in the late 1990s. I saw them play at the legendary Oasis weekender at Knebworth in 1996 (which I'd completely forgotten about until I started writing this post) and they supported one of Jon's post-Charlatans band projects around the same time. 

Although the public loved Kula Shaker, with their debut album K reaching number 1 in the album charts & going triple platinum and being voted Best Breakthrough Act at the Brits in 1997, the music press loathed them, dismissing them as privileged public school boys (frontman Crispin Mills is the son of Hayley Mills and grandson of Sir John Mills, bona fide British acting royalty). They also hated the band's fixation with Indian culture, music and mysticism (top ten single, Govinda, which charted in 1997, was sung entirely in Sanskrit.)  Simon Price, The Observer's music critic actually described them as A joke band in 2016 (how rude!)

Anyway, b*llocks to the British music press, Kula Shaker were magnificent. 

The music, the sound, the attitude and those incredibly trippy backdrops and lighting....wow! 

The band were joined on stage by a proper Bollywood singer (I didn't catch her full name) and I was thrilled when they performed Chura Liya Hai Humne Jo Dil Ko from the 1973 movie Yaadon Ki Baaraat which was originally performed by Asha Bosle (HERE), a vintage filmi tune I absolutely love.

We'd already bumped into one of our vintage trading friends from the sorely missed Moseley Vintage Fair plus a couple of our regular customers plus a girl we ended up spending a crazy weekend with at the Big Chill festival back in the noughties. Towards the end of the gig I got a text from Claire. Just read your blog, are you at Kula Shaker? It turned out that she and Gareth were, too.We managed to find them and danced along to the final three songs (the last time we'd been to see a band together we were dressed as unicorns! HERE)

The night had already been amazing but when Johnny Kalsi joined Kula Shaker and covered the epic 1990s dance anthem, Dee-Lite's Groove is in the Heart - already one of my all time favourite songs but with Hendrix-worthy guitar riffs, dhol drums and the dulcet tones of a proper Bollywood filmi sensation - it took my breath away. Straight into the top ten of best gigs ever! 

The first gig I ever went to was The Stray Cats play the Birmingham Odeon (now a cinema) in 1981 with Screaming Lord Sutch and The Savages as the support. Liz's Dad dropped us off and my Dad picked us up at the end of the night, I'd just turned 14 and felt so grown up ditching the parents and having a night out in the city! 

What was your first gig? 

I woke up this morning (Friday!) with my ears still ringing. I wore a Seventies Soul block printed maxi and a vintage tooled leather bag (with a big coat over the top!) for a morning of charity shopping.

It was a decent day for vinyl. I've already got Legend but at £2 you can't leave Bob behind! We've seen Hawkwind live (utter madness) and Jon's seen Simply Red (not with me, I hasten to add!)

After a very social week, this weekend is mainly going to be spent decorating. We've got the final episode of the uber-stylish and utterly absorbing Ripley to watch later (thanks to Sarah from Sussex for the recommendation) and hopefully I'll actually get my bag packed for Greece.

See you on the other side!