Ginger!

So today it was 17th December, and as is traditional and typical we went to the annual Ginger Birthday Gig. Slightly more organised than in previous years, this time round it was The Wildhearts supported by Ginger Wildheart (i.e. the frontman's current solo project). There were basically 3 sets: the Ginger Wildheart band, then The Wildhearts, then the usual loose melee of guests which at one point led to there being 5 guitarists on stage all playing at once. That's five guitarists plus a bassist, in case you were wondering, and something like 6 people who were just singing. It was the sort of gig that's pretty much indescribable to someone who isn't already a fan.

And it had Jef! Jef Streatfield is the poor sod who replaced the very popular guitarist CJ when Ginger sacked him in 1995 in a drug-fuelled rage. (To this day neither CJ nor Ginger can tell you what their argument was about). Jef is a very good singer & guitarist, who could provide the melodic backing vocals that The Wildhearts depend on, but he is Not CJ. When the band got back together, it was always going to be CJ that the fans wanted, because the combination of Ginger & CJ's vocals is divine - and I've always felt a bit sorry for Jef, because he went from being in a really quite famous rock band to being nobody through absolutely no fault of his own. Simply because he was The Replacement. The Wildhearts have had three official drummers plus three official bassists & a couple of temporary ones, but the classic lineup has always included CJ. It was really good to see Jef back for a couple of songs - and it turns out that Ginger, CJ & Jef all singing together is even more divine!

Set list to follow when I'm not on my phone.

It's 6.30am, we've been home nearly 5 hours, and have only just calmed down enough to attempt sleep. Woo! And also Hoo!

Also

I have to go & get a blood test done a.s.a.p., ideally about when I wake up later today (which will probably be about 3pm). I need to find out whether I have the very evil c(o)eliac disease. Obviously, I am hoping for a result that is so absolutely negative that I can go on eating wheat, spelt, barley, & other gluten-containing grains with impunity for years to come. Though I am actually more afraid of a borderline result than a positive one. If I have to change my whole effing diet, I have to change my whole effing diet - I've done it before and it didn't kill me. But if I get a result which says "you might have it... Have another test next year" (or however these things work), that will be Stressful.

So please pray to your deity of choice for a nice clear result, and if you do not possess a deity then I shall recommend the Flying Spaghetti Monster, who is so obviously the god of delicious carbohydrate products :)