Sunday, 10 March 2013
Sydney
There's nothing like a good night's sleep, and for once the body clock decided to take a break. Or maybe it didn't and I'm still working on Queensland, rather than daylight saving, time. In any case it was after seven when I started to stir and a shower, cup of industrial strength coffee meant I was ready, more or less to face the day.
With the evening's concert action as the main item on the agenda there isn't a whole lot else to occupy the thoughts. A check revealed Red Eye Records is open, along with most of downtown Sydney on a Sunday, so it looked like a post-breakfast stroll was in order. There's an Incredible String Band live album just out that I wouldn't mind getting my hands on so that was an excuse to head in that direction once I'd checked out Offsiders. In any case I haven't been getting the regular regimen of exercise lately, so I needed to do a bit of hoofing.
Breakfast downstairs at the Rendezvous was OK without doing anything to amaze or impress, the three hours' free Internet access took me up to Offsiders time and a walk into the CBD could have produced a little more in the way of shopping action but I wanted to check out the rendezvous arrangements before tonight's show. That seemed to require some negotiation about financial arrangements, but when I asked I was given a printed receipt with the relevant code without having to hand over anything in return.
Back upstairs it was a case of bringing things back up to date, regularly checking the email and the Winterlong Facebook page and taking it easy until the word came through to advise that the candidates for a spot on the rail were gathering.
That eventuated around three-thirty, and I made my way around to the venue to find the familiar faces gathering again, this time alongside a group of oriental dancers practicing their disco moves in front of the glass windows where they'd be able to use the reflections to ensure they were doing it right. That was Stub King's take on the matter anyway.
With the queues organized there was the regular opportunity for individuals to wander, and I this case the wandering generally headed towards The Pump House, a boutique brewing operation hat had added a few Neil-themed beers to the lineup. Since I wasn't a candidate for the rail I had a more chances than most to sample what was on offer, to the tune of a Psychedelic Pilsener, a Zuma Chilli Chocolate and a Harvest Moon Pale Ale, which was a deal darker than I'd expected. The pick of the three was the Pilsener, which predictably was the first to run out.
When the doors opened at five-thirty I stuck around to watch the stampede, then made my way around to Gate E, checked myself in and headed for the queue. With the best part of an hour before the doors to the actual auditorium opened you had to do something, and in the absence of other company...
Opening the doors to the main auditorium produced the regulation scramble and I wandered around in search of a snack and a chilled article in an attempt to kill the next hour. It wasn't a particularly successful attempt, and I was heading for a comfort stop before claiming my seat when an announcement just before seven advised a change in the scheduled programming.
Husky, we were advised, would be starting their set half an hour earlier than scheduled, which seemed to confirm the rumour we'd heard regarding The Drones being added to the bill. In any case, needing to drain the bladder before heading inside I wasn't going to be able to get to my seat before Husky started, so I had no option but to wait for the interval between Husky and The Drones.
Not that I was heartbroken by this little development.