The Wedding Present's Bizarro Barmy Army 2010 US Tour (Part Three)

THE BOWERY, NYC.



SUBWAY.

So we decided to do the tourist bit on Saturday, hang out in NYC all day looking at the various sights and then head off straight to the gig.
The original plan included getting up early and finding a pub to watch the Man City match in, but after a late and fairly sleepless night we decided to watch it in our room on Mark's computer.
Harry and Kirk gave the game a miss and went off in search of photo opportunities.
As for the match, it was a corker as City stuffed Birmingham 5-1 with Tevez and Adebayor looking like scoring every time they got the ball.




STATUE OF LIBERTY.

We finally got to Manhattan in the afternoon and took the free ferry across the Hudson River to get a good view of the Statue of Liberty.
I have been here in the US for 22 years and to be honest seeing the grand lady of New York was an honour and fulfilled an ambition I have had since I was small child.
I would have liked to have got up close, but it wasn't feasible.
Oh well, next time.
Our group consisting of Derek, Mark, Kirk, Harry, Kellie and myself wandered to streets for hours, taking in Beaver Street, Wall Street, the famous bull and it's balls and many others.
One of the most exciting things for me was spotting a skateboarding teenager wearing a Buzzcocks t-shirt.




THE BOYS DRINKING AT IGGY'S BAR NEAR THE BOWERY.

We finally headed off to the Bowery and once found, we decided to look for a bar.
We were going around in circles like headless chickens and tensions were running high until some Russian geezer directed us to a place called Iggy's Bar just around the corner.
It turned out to be a good call as the Ramones were blasting through the P.A. when we walked through the door.
Turns out that they were having an extended happy hour and all draught beers including Boddingtons were $4 a pint.
We ended up staying for a couple of hours, which was the perfect way of unwinding before the gig after our exhausting day of sight seeing.
Right on cue the rest of the barmy army joined us as we were leaving the bar and heading to the Bowery.
We got to the Bowery and despite it looking like a dump from the outside, inside was a different story.
You entered the venue through the bar and the place was packed, full of fans young and old.
Various classic shirts were spotted, Seamonsters and original Bizarro and a Mini one.
The place was buzzing and people seemed pretty excited.
While in the bar a guy approached me and introduced himself as "Brian", someone who had commented on my previous barmy army blog. We exchanged greetings and then he announced that he could get a Bizarro t-shirt as he wore XXL and they had sold out.
"Hang on" I said and ran over to the coat check girl and grabbed my backpack.
I pulled out my favourite blue stripey 2008 barmy army shirt and gave it to Brian as it was pretty baggy on me these days.
Brian's face lit up and I thought he might even cry, keep that a secret people, I don't want my reputation to be ruined and word getting out that I might actually be a nice guy.
After the support band finished we moved into the concert hall and found Ian and Steph from Ian and Steph up front and centre, we muscled our way up to them and nobody seemed to object.



GRAEME WEARING HIS BARMY ARMY SHIRT DURING THE SOUNDCHECK.



BIZARRO KEG????


The floor was full and David later confirmed that the gig eventually sold out.
We were quite pleased to spot Graeme wear his barmy army shirt for the sound check.
The gig started and it was obvious from the first couple of songs that this was going to be a special show, the place was rocking and with the barmy army bouncing up and down like it was 1989, most people around us joined in.
There was a dodgy Brix Smith look-a-like near Steph from Ian and Steph doing some vintage 80's dance moves and just behind us I was shocked to spot the forum's very own Keg. On closer inspection it wasn't really him, but it certainly gave us lot a chuckle or two or more.
The crowd was already into the set and leaping about, but things kicked into overdrive when the Bizarro songs started.
Despite everyone jumping around and people getting knocked over from time to time, not one person objected, this wouldn't have been the way in L.A. I can assure you of that.
Down the front were a few small young women and they rolled their sleeves up and were moshing with the rest of us, it was fucking brilliant to be honest.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end and before we knew it the final bars of Be Honest sounded and the show was over.



US WITH GAV AND SALLY AT THE BOWERY.

So it was back down to the bar where we chatted amongst ourselves, with members of Jet Age who bought me a pint, result.
Sally even got chatted up by two members of Girl in a Coma, unfortunately (for the lads) it wasn't the gorgeous lead singer.
We chatted with TWP and David reckoned it was one of the best shows he had ever played, not one of us disagreed.




DLG & ME AFTER THE GIG.

After leaving the venue we said our farewells to Gav and Sally and Phil and Jen who wouldn't be joining us in Cambridge for the next gig.
Then the real fun began.
We struggled to find our way back to the hotel in a scene straight out of 70's cult movie The Warriors.
It was 1am and the subway station was shut so we once again had to wander the mean streets of New York and an effort to find the right train.
Hilarity followed as Harry and Kirk's Scottish rivalries came out and they sniped at each other like an old married couple.



We eventually got back to the hotel at 2.30am and it would have been a lot worse had it not been for the helpful people we met along the way. In spite of New York's horrible reputation, everyone we met was nice, polite, very courteous and extremely patient despite one of two of us being a bit crabby due to tiredness and the stress of not thinking we'd ever see our hotel room again.

To be continued......