Finally… another gig in a ‘proper’ venue: Cwrw, Carmarthen – terrific vibe, lovely beer, great reception… and they want us back…
Huge Improvement
After yesterday’s grind, we took some time to re-plot our route for today, mostly along B roads. This was a huge improvement. Whilst there were still some hefty climbs, these were generally steady and rewarded us with some stretches of higher ground. Here, we could stretch out and eat up the miles.
We did have to join the busy main road for a while but there was a well-marked cycleway alongside the dual-carriageway, separated from the traffic. And soon we were in Carmarthen. Our digs were in an old-fashioned but clean and tidy guest house, which – in my book – is preferably to a fancy yet badly maintained one.
Great Venue
Tonight’s gig was at Cwrw, a great little venue, run by a very cool Liverpudlian named Michael. When we arrived, several games of chess were in progress and the clientele all appeared to be in their 20s to 30s. Which was a first. On setting up, there were a few issues initially. However, these appeared to be due to our acoustic instruments resonating through the hollow stage and were quickly resolved.
We enquired after a meal but were told the venue really only offers ‘basket food’ (fried stuff). After a little suggestion-searching, we decided that the local ‘Spoons would be the quickest and cheapest option (as is often the case). This was undoubtable true but the food was dry, uninspiring and low on nutritional value. Well, we knew the risks.
Beautiful People
Returning to Cwrw, we found a sparse yet colourful audience. This included my dear friend and former Rivers of England bandmate Annie, on her second attempt to see us. She was in Carmarthen for an upholstery course and was joined by a fellow attendee. The gig was well-received and we, once again, connected well with our audience, which grew steadily as the evening progressed.
A highlight was one young couple (Layla and Jude) dancing to ‘Beautiful People’. The former essayed a kind of double-tempo tap dance, which was enjoyed by all. Also among the more attentive was a young woman who told Rob she knows a local DJ and Shindig co-founder who lives in Cardigan. She promised to encourage him to come to our ‘Cellar’ gig there on Sunday.
We enjoyed several post-gig beers, chatting to various audience members and signing Michael’s ‘wall of fame’ that provides a colourful backdrop to the stage. Once again, we’d shown that – given an audience – we are more than capable of winning them over. And Michael said he’d certainly have us back – ideally on a busier night.
Job done.