So - turns out it's even handier to get there from the new office, which is a plus. There's a bus that goes from right outside the office to within a long hop of Wilton's - passing my flat in the process! Well, I could hardly resist. Now, although the stop apparently has a name, it's not in evidence - how lucky that someone thought to remedy that!
When the bus arrived, the dozy driver wouldn't let anyone else on until the wheelchair had boarded (never seen that before..?) and then forgot to turn on the ticket machine. Well, he did get us there, at least.. and it was a short walk (from the opposite direction to before) to the venue. Where our resourceful organiser had already secured us a table. Eh - right beside the stage. One of the speakers was turned directly towards one of our group - as it happened though, it was fine - he was just one man with a guitar, after all.
He arrived on a blast of cold air (the weather has gone that way), and one of the people working there had to get the door closed properly after him. He was really friendly as he set up, making sure we wouldn't be disadvantaged by our seating arrangement. And in due course, having fiddled with the sound settings, he started - just him on a stool, with guitar.
He was really good. I have to admit being inordinately moved, particularly at the start - he hit a nerve. Me, I detected strains of melody very reminiscent of Radiohead in there. (He's better looking than Thom Yorke, mind you!) But whether or not you pick up on that, he's a terrific singer, with a rich voice, and some beautiful melodies. Songs are from the heart - long may he continue. He played straight through without a break.
Which was challenging. Because - not all the audience was attentive. Yes, I know it's a free gig. But if people can't be bothered - or aren't familiar with the concept of live music, being so inured to prerecorded stuff - let them get the hell out to somewhere where they won't be bothering people who are trying to listen - not to mention the performer himself. It reminds me of kids who can't behave in a restaurant because they don't understand that they can't behave as they do at home.
Specifically, a guy in the corner was determined that, just because there was a live performer, he wasn't going to be stopped from having his conversation. At the volume he chose to have it at. We'd been grumbling among ourselves for a while before the singer asked people just to keep the volume down a bit, please. And when that didn't work (naturally - people don't like to be inconvenienced), our organiser lost his composure enough to shout across to said table to keep it down please, they were bothering all of us. Which they were. And that did, indeed, quiet the bar - the chatty couple beside me carried on, but in whispers, and the troublesome gang in the corner were gone soon after. Good riddance to disrespectful folk. We need more of that resistance.
So, something of a cathartic night. And I walked home. Tomorrow, back for another comedy show at Soho Theatre - this time, it's Hench, by Jessica Fostekew.
On Wednesday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats for a preview of Aisha and Abhaya, at the Linbury Theatre - apparently a new venue for the Opera House. My first time there.
I hadn't anything definite booked for Thursday - which turned out to be for the best, as The Embers Collective has finally published their New Year's schedule! Very late notice - I swear this wasn't up till last Thursday. They have a show on Thursday, called Wild Beasts, in Cafe Cairo - and I've booked. Tickets, as usual, from Design My Night. I just hope I don't have a repeat of the last time I tried to get there, when the Tubes were down..
And on Friday, I've booked for the Troy: Myth and Reality exhibition at the British Museum. Should be interesting.
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