The Beat Surrender

Do you ever do things you regret, or is that just me? I’ll set the scene for you on this one and try to let you into the head of a bloke who struggles to say no to socialising, especially if it involves gigs…no matter what the circumstances.

So here goes. It’s about six or seven days before this gig, i’ve never heard of Hush and i’m just getting everything in place to head down to the Isle of Wight for the Bestival festival (try saying that after ten pints) this up comin g weekend. I get a phone call from a lovely young lady who offers me two tickets to go see Hush supporting Stephen Fretwell at The Cockpit in Leeds, all I have to do in return is review the gig.

Now I know that doesn’t sound like any sort of decision that you should have to make, after all free gig and a bit of rambling (I know my limits don’t worry) from myself in return is a good deal isn’t? Well usually yes, however I hadn’t factored in the festival that would be proceeding this gig and everything that went with that.

So basically I party like a good un’ for three days at the festival, get a total of four and a half hours sleep between waking up Friday morning and waking up Sunday morning, I then skip sleep on the last night and travel for five hours back to Leeds with a hangover, listening to England finally win the Ashes. Within an hour of getting back I have to meet my Aussie mate for a beer and go to this gig that I had been looking forward to, but now seemed like some sort of endurance test.

So I start to drink in the Cockpit and it’s instantly regretted as the place fills up and takes on it’s renowned oven like atmosphere, sweat is literally dripping from peoples heads as they stand and watch opening one man band Liam Frost play a a competent set, that makes up for his lack of confidence in himself between songs.

Hush finally come on and the matchsticks are still holding my eyelids open. Initial impressions (remember I know nothing about this band) are that the two central figures, Michael Hartmann and Dorthe Gerlach obviously get on musically but you really can’t see them being together as a couple despite the intimacy between them on stage, he after looks like a failed musician from the late eighties and she has something of a passing resemblance to Alison Goldfrapp...I later find out that i’m wrong on this and that they actually got together and fell in love during the writing of the album A Lifetime, which they are currently touring.

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