28th March 2007 - Boogie Wonderland, Battersea Park, London
Written 23rd July 2008
We remember this one quite well actually, for numerous reasons. It was quite an experience playing at what was essentially a party for rich and famous people. It's little different to something Joe Bloggs from the some council estate would throw in the local community centre really, except, of course, the budget was BIG, the venue was a little more upmarket than the aforementioned community centre to say the least, dress code was a touch smarter, the guest list was larger, famous people were in attendance and the entertainment was more professional (ourselves included, of course, naturally 
)
The occasion was the first dinner (read: party) celebrating Will Greenwood's Testimonial year. The standard format of entertainment for a dinner really ... Drinks, food, music, drink, food, speech, drink + music. Obviously, being in the kind of company we were made it something really different to our norm. Of course we weren't really "in" the company of these people, we were locked up in a dungeon underneath the kitchens safely away from them apart from the 30 minutes we spent on the stage, but we still got to watch a fair amount of goings on.
- The stage was big, looked great. Nice big dance floor in front of it too. Abba Gold and Love Train were also on the bill, with the former opening up and the latter closing. Love Train had already set up and had commandeered the majority of the stage. We wondered how the stage was gonna be managed for all three bands, with several ways possible, but then when it came time for us to set up we were pointed to one end of the stage ...
"There's your space."
... or something along those lines anyway. So we had to squeeze into a space barely big enough for a duo - no problem really, we managed it. Dunno how, but Tetris skills certainly helped.
"What? Just that bit?""Yes."
"Erm, there's five of us, full drum kit, two guitar amps, a synth and a big mock case for the piano."
They just pointed. - We had about 8 hours to kill I think after soundcheck, and it was a loooooooong 8 hours i tell ya.
- Until you've met a rugby player in real life you just don't realise how BIG they are. We got our photo took with Lawrence Dallaglio and, naturally, shook his hand afterwards - like shovels they were
- Asa ... In My Place But we'll let you off. It was, after all, only your second gig.
- Hearing Trevor McDonald swear during his 10/15/20 minute speech, was pretty mad - heard that guy a lot, with him being on the news. Hearing him say "f****** w*****" was pretty special
- I think we didn't go on stage until midnight or something daft like that. After getting there at 3pm (ish). For a 30 minute set
- They had an auction before all the bands went on and that must've taken an hour at least. Things like signed shirts from the England Rugby World Cup winning team starting at £5,000 and going up to £20,000, a day's golfing with Colin Montgomerie (easy went for £40,000 i think, maybe more) and there were loads of these auctions. A £1,000 bandied about for random things like it was only a fiver.
A pretty mad day really, great to experience how these kind of people throw a party and in some ways it's identical to the rest of the nation but in others it's a different world. Glad we got to do the gig
Wayne, 23rd July 2008
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