Reviews...
Monday 31st December - The Drovers Inn, Memus, by Forfar
This gig was quite far from home, which is unusual for me at Hogmanay. I have always been close enough to go a-visiting after the gig, but not this time. These are the occasions when I really am thankful for Al and his long distance driving. I get nervous if I have to go out of Fife! After an hour and a half we arrived at the pub, and were pleasantly surprised at this beautiful venue. i had visited a few pub websites previously to get an idea of what to expect, and the photos I had seen showed a wee country pub. They didn't feature the beautiful gardens, with their numerous tables and sitting areas, nor the huuuuuge car park.
The name Drover's Inn suggests farming country, and you wouldn't be far wrong. The crowd were sitting inside at beautiful tables but on hay bales! I was skeptical at first, but I reckon a hay bale is the most comfortable seat I have sat on. You can pull out some hay to soften the seat, and it takes on the shape of your - erm - posterior.
I was on the bill with a very nice and talented guy called Joe Baxter, a very experienced and self-confessed `old hand` at the business. He plays guitar as well as singing, and he kept the crowd well entertained from start to finish (which is sometimes difficult when the crowd are sober!). Joe's website is not up yet, but I'm sure Alan can give him a hand to allow him to show what he can do for you and your venue.
We split the evening, and tossed a coin to see who would start off. Joe won, and chose to go first. Fair enough, as he had the furthest to go at the end of the night (Ayrshire) and would be able to pack up during my last set. As it turned out, he was enjoying himself so much he stayed and we did an impromptu version of Auld Lang's Syne after the bells. The laptop came in handy as it is set to GMT!
Outside the pub we were impressed to see a whole pig roasting on a spit, and I must admit I was tempted to have something from the buffet. I never eat during a gig though, so I missed out. No doggy bag for me....boo hoo..
All in all, I enjoyed myself, Joe enjoyed himself, Al had a good time (with his alcohol free beer) and the punters seemed to be having a ball.
One wee niggle - please be careful of my equipment when you are dancing! And one girl put her glass on top of my speaker! Not wise.