Where do I start?!
Being both an Inspirals and New Order fan of some vintage I decided this was too good to miss.
Got my tickets a few weeks ago and then..........the snow started! Until Saturday lunchtime I wasn't sure I was going to be going as Tan Hill was still cut off by snow mid-week, but when Tom Hingley texted to say he'd got there in one piece me and the wife decided to go.
One 200 mile journey later (including through some of the biggest snow drifts I have ever seen, literally 15 foot high) and we arrived at Tan Hill at about 4pm. We were greeted by some of the most pissed up Glaswegians I have ever met, and that is saying something. The whole lot of them were pissed as cunts. Glasses smashing, people falling over, and tempers starting to fray. Tom Hingley was hiding in his room and there was no sign of Hooky.
We decided to go down to my Dad's until the "gig" started, a journey that should have been 3 miles but was actually 20 as the direct road down from Tan Hill was still shut with "Road Closed" signs at top and bottom.
Anyway, we headed back up to Tan Hill just after 8pm via the same 20 mile detour and as we saw the lights of Tan Hill in the snow covered distance we noticed another set of headlights coming up the "closed" road. Utterly amazed that anyone would dream of driving up there (we are talking huge drifts across the road with sheer drops either side), let alone actually achieve it, we waited to see who would be so brave/foolhardy.....
As the vehicle approached we saw it was a big top of the range 4x4, and as it got even closer we saw the numberplate; H100 KYS!! Turns out his satnav had sent him the worst possible route and, ignoring the road closed signs, he ploughed on regardless, nearly coming off the road on several occassions. Still, he made it; must be the Viking blood! He'd obviously been tipped off about the nutters in the pub so sat in his car until he was needed.
Anyway, we went into the barn where the gig was happening, which was nicely draped out with tables, chairs, and a dancefloor. That was the nice bit. The worse bit was that the pissed up Glaswegians from earlier consisted 95% of the audience and things had degenerated somewhat in the previous 4 hours. The biggest lad there (6ft 5, 20 stone, Glaswegian skinhead) had had his nose broken by someone/something, and most people were literally unable to stand. One lad stood next to us fell over 3 times in five minutes........
After the dire local support band finished Tom Hingley came on. Announcing it was going to be a set of accoustic Inspirals songs he played;
Dragging Me Down
Saturn 5
Uniform
Directing Traffic
Joe
Sackville
And one more I think (can't remember). Pretty good stuff apart from the tunless yelling and out of time clapping from the Glaswegians (oh, and more falling over and smashing of glasses)........... Tom's voice is strong enough to do the tunes justice with just him and an accoustic guitar.
During Tom's set Hooky sat behind his decks (on an old tressle table) with an expression of bemusement at the scene surrounding him, which resembled the Last Days of Rome. You could almost see him thinking "what the f*ck am I doing here.......", a look which only got worst as he was accosted by the most pissed up member of the audience who, after smashing a few more pint pots whilst trying to walk (the straight line) over to where Hooky was, then proceeded to hug him and and shout in his ear for the next 5 minutes. Picture the bit in the cartoons when Pepé Le Pew is holding onto the cat and the cat is desperately trying to push him away and you aren't far from the reality!
After Tom Hingley came Hooky and, to be fair, his DJ set sounded excellent but by this time the barn looked like a war zone so we headed off home. Some of the mad bastards from Glasgow were camping outside in the snow; when we left it was -5............
So, verdict? The most bizarre gig I've EVER been to.....
Forgot to take my camera in the evening but this is what the roads were like on the way up, and this was the "good" road!:
http://jakesgigs.fotopic.net/p56302359.html
christ, they were pushing it a bit. I got there about 6.30'ish and stayed well away from them :D Got in the barn and it was freezing, kept my parka on all night. I enjoyed Tom, bought his cd but not had chance to listen to it as yet, as well as the support bands. They were pretty good actually, 'dirty' rock type stuff that sounded well. Hooky was hus usual self,arrived,done his gig, and went 
