A busy week or so. This week, Tuesday & Wednesday are my Weekend.

Back from Download site work on the 18th June. missing Billy Bragg, as I couldn't be arsed to leave the house and just wanted to shower, eat and drink. I'd agreed to work UFO on Friday, but realised I'd be battered from Download so got covered for that job.

20th of June was 'The Saturdays' and a long day with a difficult load out, as it was a seated gig. Sunday and Monday off. I can't remember what I did, just sat at home going Engghhh I think.

Tuesday the 23rd Was an Evening with Joe Calzaghe Plus Sir Henry Cooper. Sport isn't my thing, especially not boxing, so i just did the load in and load out. Wednesday was 'Blur' who seemed to have all the lights in the world and another tough-ish load out, but a stonking atmosphere for the show and some old pals, working on the lamps and drum tech'ing.

Thursday 25th was 'Fleet Foxes' a nice surprise for me as I didn't know any of their tunes, but seeing part of the show meant I discovered a new band. The lampee was another old pal, but again what seemed like a difficult load out, especially considering that there was bugger all gear. I'm not sure if it was because I was tired, or the colleagues I was working with were being especially dense.

Friday 26th was Jimmy Carr upstairs and 'Pendulum' downstairs. I couldn't be bothered to sit through a comedians set and only wanted to have a neb at 'Pendulum' as I'm getting bored of hearing their tunes at the clubnights. I was impressed with the sound during the sound check and they had a top light show.

Saturday 27th Was 'Lenny Kravitz'. What a pile of arse, but I was up-rigging for the show, which I always enjoy, and a good pal had come down to ground rig for us. So it was a good day, we had a pint at dinner time, then went to see another pal who used to work for us, just to chew the fat and watch a bit of Glastonbury on his TV, before it was time to head back for the Load out.

Sunday 28th was another day sitting at home going Engghhh.

That brings us to Monday 29th, and 'The Dave Matthews Band'. Another day up-Rigging, with my pal grounding for us. For a mostly American touring crew, everyone I had to deal with were really nice. Though I heard that the runners had a bit of a 'mare with one of the production people. Sweated like a bastard dicking around putting the points in, then did dribs and drabs, 'til it was time to put the safeties on the PA. 31C in the roof. My head started leaking as soon as I got up there. More sweating and dripping on my specs'. That was around 14:00 and we were done 'til load out. So off to the nearest pub, for a cold Cider to replace essential bodily fluids, then off to 'The Bell' at Tong. One of the pubs they send us to eat at when we're working on the 'V Festival before catering has arrived, or after it's  gone off site. They do proper full on meals that make you feel you've had your moneys worth, rather than something expensive, with a fancy description on the menu, but that ultimately leaves you wishing you'd ordered two meals. A mixed grill for me.

After that we headed off to the Cosford RAF Museum to kill more time, we only had time to look at the 'planes in one of the buildings. I had Airfix models of some of them and seeing the real thing was great. You'd be surprised, how big some aircraft are, and also how small others are when you get to stand right next to them. By the time we'd bimbled about the one building, we didn't have time to look at the Cold war exhibition, which is housed in another spectacular, modern, asymmetric/weird shaped building. Something for another day then.

When we left, thunder was rumbling and the sky towards Wolves was that Purple heading to black colour of a proper thunderstorm. We didn't see any of it, but the road was wet and we passed through a couple of flooded sections, with popped man-hole covers and the smell of sewage.

We still had the evening to kill so popped back to the same pal from the other day to chew some more fat, until it was time to head back to work, via the chippy.

Caught a bit of DMB and the bits I heard were Jazzy/Santana-esque. I'm not sure I'll go out of my way looking for their music. Load out was sweet, with the temperature in the roof having dropped to only 30C, but with outrageous humidity from all the sweat that had risen off the punters below. More sweating, but a nice efficient load out.

Despite some of the nasty load outs a good week or so that I've enjoyed. Especially Monday, with the visit to the Aircraft Museum. A couple of days off. When I need to get some food in and do laundry stuff. Then it's on to working house tech' for the Methodist Conference on Thursday.