It all started in reverse. Quite literally in fact. We started the evening being chased backwards by a tram on a tram only street.
I was staring down at a badly printed multimap image, frowning and doing my best imitation of a person trying to find out where they are, all the while trying to avoid eye contact with Johnny and the tram driver, who were not looking happy.
Life became simpler a few minutes later, once we had abandoned the car, and crossed our fingers that we wouldn't get a parking ticket. After the recent weeks and months wrapped in scarves, gloves and big thick coats the mild sunny weather in Nottingham felt vaguely exotic. It was the kind of afternoon that you could just imagine sitting down in bar drinking a cold drink and letting the troubles of the world pass you by.
As it happens that was what we intended to do; only we were going one better. We were going to sit in a bar, drinking a cold drink and letting the troubles of the world pass by whilst watching two bands play.
The exotic air had somehow drifted inside the Rescue Rooms. Tables were laid out wit little candles and people were sat around having civilised conversations. It was all very sophisticated.
We found a seat and started a sophisticated debate about who's fault it was that we had ended up being chased by a tram and whether or not Johnny's expensive mountain coat (or whatever he calls it) was actually just an anorak. Luckily we didn't have too long to wait for the first band to appear on stage.
First up were theonewhoflew, a duo from Glasgow specialising in haunting vocal harmonies, and soaring melodies. Lead singer Chris's voice ached and stung. Guitars were plucked and strummed. Music danced around the room covering the audience with a warm blanket of pain and hope and regret and desire.
"I don't have Gordon's way with words" said Chris apologetically between songs. He then proceeded to entertain the audience stories about pilots with suicidal tendencies and the secret love affairs had by dogs and cats.
Emotions were poured out and the audience seemed caught up in the stream. It was one of those rare occasions where people seemed to forget seemed that this was not the headline band and were totally lost in the performance.
During the interval, whilst waiting for ++Money Can't Buy Music to appear on stage Johnny and I had just enough time to continue our debate about his anorak, but I shall spare you the details and instead I will fill you in on a little background information about ++Money Can't Buy Music.
++Money Can't Buy Music is the new project of Gordon McIntyre (ballboy), Maja Mångård and their trusty ipod filled with beautiful computer generated backing tracks. They released their debut single last year and have an album on its way very soon.
They began the performance in style with the fashionably late entrance of Maja, who had flown all the way from that evening Edinburgh, only to arrive at the Rescue Rooms 5 minutes before going on stage. Unphased they raced through a 30 second sound check and the show started with a song about hangovers, men wearing women's knickers and why you should always look both ways whenever crossing the road.
At work recently, I was reading the exam-board music syllabi, and I discovered children now have to learn the defining features of modern music. For example:
House music can be defined by four-four beats, short repeating patterns, rasping hi-hats, artificial handclaps, bass and drum loops whereas Britpop is guitar driven, contains a verse a chorus and middle eight and tells tails of provincial British Life.
++Money can't Buy Music had obviously not studied these definitions. Their music stole bits from multiple genres with a few they made up themselves for good measure. And I'm so glad that they did.
Their songs were filled with stories about love and life and men with their head's in buckets. Gordon and Maja sung and talked and played guitar and violin all backed to beautiful swirling loops created prior to the show on Gordon's computer.
Not to mention plenty of inter-song banter, including a revelation for anyone who has ever wanted to know what happens to old people in Nottingham, and where Gordon and Maja were going after the show - to a vegan anarchist open mic poetry reading of course!
I watched the tiny candles flicker on the tables backed my ears filled with hopes and dreams. And for a little while I really did feel I was somewhere slightly more exotic, somewhere slightly more perfect.
The set ended with a "love will break your heart" and a big sigh of contentment from the audience (well my little corner of it at least).
Johnny and I drifted out into the street and ended the evening reverse, as we managed to find yet another tram only street to drive down.
Well who could be expected to read a map after an evening like that?
Listen to the bands:
++Money Can't Buy Music
TheOneWhoFlew