Pothello

Go On -
Even if you are the world's biggest fan of Windbag Willie, you must have a certain sneaking regard for Conrad's ability to create imaginative slurs about him.  I thought that one up last night whilst waiting to fall asleep. 
     And NO!  The "Pot" in question is not the illegal drug that stinks like a privet hedge - really, couldn't they breed a brand with a sweeter smell? - it refers OF COURSE to the container that you brew tea in*.

A pot pot

     Okay, I suppose a few explanations are in order.  If you are reading this then THRUSH were successful and an assassination - then my experiment has been successful, since I'm typing this up first thing in the morning, ready to post before ten ante meridian.  This is a corollary of not starting work until one post meridian and not finishing until seven post meridian, meaning I'd not get home until nearly nine post meridian.  Do you follow?

A Corolla.  It seemed apt.

     There was no blog post yesterday because, whilst I could compose it at work, I couldn't post it until getting home, which was approaching midnight.  Because I was off at a gig.
     Now, in "Gaudy Night" there are several - sorry, what's that?  Whom did I  go to see?  Oh never mind that, we have to get to the root of whom or what Endymion - excuse me?  You really want to know? O all right! <goes off muttering about Greek mythology>.

Public Service Broadcasting!
These chaps were brought to my attention by Phil and Rosie (pub quiz partners) a couple of years ago, after seeing them at a festival.  Of note was that there were but two musicians, whom I later learned were the bow-tie-and-corduroy clad J Willgoose (Esq.) and the considerably seedier Wrigglesworth, the drummer.  They also had a technician present to work the props, lights and videos.
     Last night they performed at The Academy, which is a fair-sized venue located inconsiderately distant from the city centre.  Art?

Befoe

     Your humble scribe took up position at the extreme right of this picture, where I was able to lean on the barrier.  If I was going to stand for over three hours, a little support was needed!  And once I was there, I did not shift, either to get beer or visit the toilets, since that would have lost me the pole position**.
     Since the band's recent CD deals with coal mining in South Wales, the stage props reflected this.  Art?

Pithead winding gear - that worked!

     And the poor quality of my photo, plus darkness, means you can't properly distinguish the replica miner's safety lamps that provided stage illumination, and which ascended and descended, too.
     The band, as stated, were originally a duo, but have now added JFAbraham, whom you can see above, centre stage.  He played everything that the other didn't - bass, trumpet, clacker, tympani, synthesiser - and also indulged in a little crowd-rousing and leaping into the air.  Rather less sedate that JW (esq.).
     Nor was that all.  A brass trio also took to the stage to cover some of the new songs, and at one point a trio of ladies known by the soubriquet 'Haiku Salut' came on, too, making it look nearly as crowded on the dias as on the dancefloor.  Art?

Quick, nurse, the screens!

     This particular pic shows the video feed in the background from some fixed cameras that had been set up, which were mixed into the public service films being shown in the background.  Frightfully clever stuff, eh?
     In another break from tradition, Ol' JW*** actually spoke to the audience, since in the past he's always used a pre-programmed touch pad that said "Thank you very much" or "good evening Manchester!" and the like.  As spokesperson for the band, he seemed to be really enjoying himself, and a little surprised how extremely vocal the audience were for a Monday night.
     Here's a picture of the stage after being reset, when the support band Palace had finished.  Art?

     I include that because I took it.  It would also be churlish of me not to mention more of the support band, who were okay - nice sound off some of the guitar work - but who suffered by comparison since I'd never heard of anything they'd done before.  Nor did I take a photo (doing the crossword, remember?) so this will have to do.  Art?

    And there we shall end the grand experiment.  Tot siens!

*  Loose leaf OF COURSE; none of the modern world's most wretched invention, teabags.
**  I did do the crossword to pass time, which isn't really very rock and roll.
***  (Esq.)