Honestly, I wouldn't have gone to this if two of the members hadn't been colleagues of mine. But, well, I had nothing better to do.. so I bought one of the discounted advance tickets to see Hard Façade (and others) at the Water Rats tonight.
There were quite a few going from the office, and some of us decided to eat beforehand at the Hare and Tortoise Japanese restaurant, on Kensington High Street, which is walking distance from the office. I've passed it so many times, but never gone in. Came close once, but it was so crowded we decided to eat elsewhere. Tonight, they were sufficiently empty as to be able to accommodate a table for seven with no waiting, apart from waiting for them to push a few tables together.
I don't like sushi, but was relieved to see chicken teriyaki on the menu, which I love. And they have three special sides this month, one of which sounded good, so I ordered that too. Despite being a "side", it came out as a starter. I can't remember its name, but it was what you might call the Japanese equivalent of chicken nuggets. :-) With sweet chili sauce. I found the teriyaki a little sour, but tasty, and had a glass of quite the nicest wine I've had in a while - a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, The Frost Pocket. The meal was rounded off with dessert - no great hardship on my part to choose, there was only one chocolate offering, and I had that. An intriguing taste was provided by a mousse ice cream, with chocolate covering and a chocolate sauce. Ooh yes, I'd have that again..
There was some discussion as we left about the best way to get to our destination, which is near King's Cross. One was of the opinion that we should take the Tube to Victoria, then the Victoria line. Another thought we should just take a bus straight there. Which would probably have been the best option, had we researched the buses, which we didn't. In the end, we took a Tube to Edgeware Road and changed there for another going to King's Cross. It went swimmingly, and we found the place, at a short walk from the station, without difficulty, arriving at about 10 to 8, with our band supposed to come on at 8.15. In the end, they were delayed until 8.30 - the act before them ran on.
I haven't been here before, but I really liked the atmosphere! The bar area is at the front. The theatre is through a pair of swing doors, with a booth in front, painted red, with "Ticket Booth" helpfully painted on it, and a young lady sat behind it, guarding the doors, to make sure everyone who passes through has a ticket. Actually, red is a real theme here - even the ceiling is red. And the doors through to the music venue acted like a kind of portal to chaos, swinging open every now and again to emit a cacophony of noise, before swinging closed again to muffle it. The effect was heightened by the floor-length, heavy red curtains that covered the doors..
We also visited the toilets, down stairs with a red banister. Unfortunately, the toilet cubicles weren't up to much, with two officially out of order, only one having a working lock, and that one having an insipid flush. The next (working) one down had a much better flush, mind. And the trip was enlivened by the graffiti on the walls, and the music from upstairs, which periodically rattled the ventilation shafts.
The time duly came, and we decided to head in while the band was setting up. Got a stamp on our hands in return for our tickets - we also had to say whom we'd come to see. I believe the artists get a share of the proceeds from the tickets they sell themselves. The room where the gigs take place isn't very large - the stage is at the far end, with an open area in front of it and a slightly raised area to the back, where the doors are. There's a limited amount of seating here, but basically you're standing. And be warned - it will be quite loud, although not as loud as some places I've been. You may want to position yourself centrally, if you want the ringing in your ears to be evenly distributed, what with speakers at either side.
Well hey, we from the office all took ourselves down near the front anyway. Some were taking photos. There were about 50 people there, and it was great to see Hard Façade developing something of a following! And I'll say this - they've really improved from the last time I saw them, last September. Mind you, that was in a marquee - the sound setup was much better here. But also, they've developed their live skills, and the music - which is all their own, by the way - sounded much better. If you hear of them playing, and you're into heavy metal.. Go check them out! They certainly got a great reception tonight.
And I shall arise and go now (well, tomorrow), and take my ringing ears to Ireland. Where I shall abide until Tuesday. I was having a quick look at what's on in London on Wednesday, and what I came up with was a film called The Unknown Known. In this documentary, Donald Rumsfeld is interviewed about his career, and apparently enlightens us as to things we didn't even know we didn't know! Showing only in the Ritzy, it includes a q+a with the director. I'll have to try and make sure it doesn't sell out without me getting a ticket.. on a related note, it seems to have gotten to the stage where I've seen so many films currently showing, that pickings are getting a little slim! Fancy that.. And, as I noticed while trying to find a film for Wednesday, with respect to the top-rated (as per IMDB) films on my list, 7 of the top 8 are only showing on Thursday! What is it with Thursdays, all of a sudden..?
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