What a perfect day, what a crappy end to the night.
Everything had started well. Try and imagine what kind of festival this guy would put on:
Yep meet Walter Micklethwaite, creator of The Insider Festival and a gem of a man who showed us around the gorgeous 200-acre grounds of his scottish manor.
Not only does he seem to live the most enviable life, but he lives not 20 seconds from the best cake shop in Scotland:
I would have taken a picture of the slice I picked, but I ate it before I had the chance…
On to Aberdeen’s venue. The mis-named Cafe Drummond is the last place you’d grab a bacon roll or sip on a latté. It’s one of those proper music venues that form the backbone of the UK’s music industry. Sticky floor, good sound, big but not too big, there when you need it when you’re building your career, forgotten about when you’re bigger, grovelled back to on the way down.
Some personal shit span me out before the gig (I blame Facebook), and for a while it threatened to swallow me up. But I got into the support acts, Cara Mitchell and Boy With Compass, and was so up for expressing myself by the time we went on. John played so beautifully – he’s like a rock on this tour – partly cos he’s so solid, but mostly cos he rocks. I snapped a string, played a song in the crowd, talked to a guy who loved both Frank Zappa and the Presidents Of The United States Of America, and met some really interesting people.
What a shame it ended with me feeling crushingly lonely in a travelodge, eating shitty fast food cos absolutely no where else was open. LOW POINT! Not even drinking the milk servings as if they were little shots could cheer me up like it normally does. I love what I do but I do miss the important people in my life. You know who you all are. At least there are plenty more people to meet along the way, so don’t forget to come say hi.
Next postcard to: Jan Williams
Postcard sent to Walter Micklethwaite
Thanks to: Gordon, the Pottery Shed cake shop, Walter and his lovely mum, Ross, Callum and everyone at Drummonds (especially the barmaid who bought her first ever CD off a band who played there), Hazel the reviewer who did just the same, the dudes I was chatting to about music, Cara and her whole extended family, Dave, Sam and Dom from Boy With Compass (thanks so much for letting me borrow your guitar).
5 Comments on “#6 Cafe Drummond, Aberdeen”
Posted picture makes me laugh still loudly. Like this as well. Thanks mate and keep it up.
Thanks so much again for this show. Hope to see you back in Aberdeen soon. Absolute pleasure. Great album!
hey just wanted to say that i feel well and truely honoured to have had the chance to support you, you were amazing :) x
awww bless you Jake, we’ll give you the biggest warmest friendlist welcome ever in Exeter! keep your chin up another day is always on its way!! xxxx
Will I be forever remembered as looking dog tired, sideburned, soundly cidered and sporting a one piece swimsuit? Where can I go from there? Only Insider 2012 will tell…
Listening to your album myself right now and loving the tunes with the full band.
Good luck with the rest of the tour, may the milk of travelodge kindness sustain you through the nights and may your road be paved by miles of smiles.
I havent had a postcard for years, Im childishly excited…
Walter