RB and Soul Revue

Tonight, back at the QT Bar - for the RB and Soul Revue. I can easily walk there from home - and my route took me past GBK. So, in I went. Busier than usual, but they managed to find me a table that was already cleaned! That's the thing here, they're understaffed for how busy they get, so tables go uncleaned for hours, at worst - honestly, they'd do it, but whenever they start, they get called to attend to someone - I saw it happen this evening. Well, the bloke that showed me to my table wasn't the one who knows me, so he brought a menu - when I said I already knew what I wanted, he said he'd be right back with the tablet to take the order. Except he wasn't - two tables who'd been deciding for a while grabbed him in the meantime, so it was actually perhaps 10 minutes later that he got back to me. No harm, I had time.

It was then about half an hour before my order arrived - and this was an easy one, just a classic burger; I'd have liked onion rings, but they were out of them again. The burger came before the wine - I said it to the waiter, and he disappeared for another few minutes, but had it for me by the time I'd taken a couple of bites of the burger. Which was, as usual, delish. Mind you, I'd had to get my own knife - the cutlery tin on the table contained all of six forks, but no knives! I thought it'd be quicker to get it myself.

I hung out there for quite a while, playing my phone game - despite getting an email earlier today from QT Bar, about my reservation "at 6.30", I knew they don't actually open until about 7.30, the show starting about 8.

Now, they put on a great show - but, given my experience last time, I was going to buy my drink at the upstairs bar and take it down with me - better choice! At least this time, I knew where I was going.. Pity I didn't think to check CT first, who have cheap tickets!! Unfortunately, by the time I got there it was nearly 7.30, and when I asked whether downstairs was open, he checked and said it was, and directed me to the person in charge, who sent me off down. So that little plan didn't quite work. Never mind, I got a front row seat - I was supposed to share with someone, but she never showed, so I got the table all to myself!

Ah man, they were excellent! Great musicians, mostly music I knew - and a cracking frontman, who came out into the audience in an effort to get us up and moving. Reminded me a little of another frontman..

Had to admire the waiting staff. who were pretty on the ball - less to do than usual, I think, mind you, with the whole audience on their feet. And the Maitre d' bopping his way among us as he collected payment at the end of the night.. Yes, another excellent show from QT Bar. Have to hand it to them, the entertainment is first class.

Tomorrow, I booked at Conway Hall, for a concert called Sing Like a Vagabond - Shouts and Cries of Victorian London. Tickets are free, but you do have to book.

Of course, when something is free and I'm going on my own, you know my plans can change.. Well now, I did think it funny that the one free, solo, and therefore changeable, event that I was going to this week.. coincided with Bono's stopover in London (at the Palladium) on his book tour (speaking of frontmen); he's promoting his autobiography, Surrender. Which, of course, I have already - plus the audiobook. Couldn't resist, given that Bono himself narrates it. Anyway, tickets for his live appearances went on sale a month ago. Could I get one?! Not a hope - Dublin sold out in five seconds, London in seven, I hear. (They are smaller venues than usual for U2 concerts - not that U2 is actually playing on this tour, he has a few stand-in musicians.)

But lately, there have been ticket drops.. so I checked when I woke on Sunday. And would you credit it, London was advertising about eight tickets.. literally shaking, I booked the closest I could get to the stage - Stalls, Row M. Had the wrong password for my Ticketmaster account, of course.. but managed it, in the end. (At this stage, only the London one is convenient.) And then - I wept tears of joy and relief. Goes to show - never give up. (Now sold out again.) Oh, and the ticket comes with a free copy of the book.. Lordy, at this stage I'll be gifting everyone a copy for Christmas!

On Thursday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats at the Coliseum, for a performance of Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert & Sullivan. And knowing the steepness of the steps in the Balcony - and the irregularity - and what with my stairs phobia - I've done my best to get a seat at the side, so I can use the handrail to get down. Oh, and an aisle seat, what with the restricted legroom.. So, a very musical week.

Then I'm back to Ireland again. On Saturday, UL is hosting a PhD reunion, with a tour of the campus and, crucially, free lunch. And I'll be using the occasion to catch up with an old friend and, hopefully, find out what finally prompted him to quit lecturing at last, more than 10 years after I did, considering he was bullied even worse than I was!

Planning a film on Sunday.. and coming up is Aisha, just releasing this weekend, which centres on a young woman in Direct Provision (Ireland's asylum processing system). Looks like a hard watch, focusing as it does on a severely criticised system, which can see asylum seekers stuck for years in limbo, while their claims are processed..