After a night off we played to a hot Friday night crowd at Basingstoke’s Anvil Theatre. The SatNav managed to take us all the way to the venue this time. Much to Tom's surprise!
When we arrived we found that the big room, a 500 seater, was playing host to folk musician Tom Paxton.
We were in the smaller room, which was lucky, as having 25 people in a 100 seater venue was tough enough. The woman who ran both the concessions stand and took tickets on the door told us that Russell Brand had managed to attract 11 people the penultimate time he’d visited their venue but had promised to come back and sell out the big room. He made good on his promise, as indeed will we. Although we made the slightly more realistic promise of half filling the small room the next time we came to Basingstoke.
Tom Paxton was referenced throughout the show, especially by [our] Tom. His quote in the venue’s brochure was something along the lines of, “Tom’s songs are fine songs in anyone’s book” which apparently sold him 500 tickets. Just goes to show that people would sooner see a “fine” singer than “the funniest”* sketch team.
After the show we met a couple who had been to see Paxton but had been at our gig in Fareham two days earlier and came up to say how much they’d enjoyed the show. Our show, that is. Not Paxton’s. That would have been rude and not a little awkward. Tom missed this meeting as he had gone to find Paxton, who had gathered quite a crowd as he signed autographs and sold CDs, and was busy flipping him off.
*The Scotsman, Aug 2008
When we arrived we found that the big room, a 500 seater, was playing host to folk musician Tom Paxton. 
We were in the smaller room, which was lucky, as having 25 people in a 100 seater venue was tough enough. The woman who ran both the concessions stand and took tickets on the door told us that Russell Brand had managed to attract 11 people the penultimate time he’d visited their venue but had promised to come back and sell out the big room. He made good on his promise, as indeed will we. Although we made the slightly more realistic promise of half filling the small room the next time we came to Basingstoke.
Tom Paxton was referenced throughout the show, especially by [our] Tom. His quote in the venue’s brochure was something along the lines of, “Tom’s songs are fine songs in anyone’s book” which apparently sold him 500 tickets. Just goes to show that people would sooner see a “fine” singer than “the funniest”* sketch team.
After the show we met a couple who had been to see Paxton but had been at our gig in Fareham two days earlier and came up to say how much they’d enjoyed the show. Our show, that is. Not Paxton’s. That would have been rude and not a little awkward. Tom missed this meeting as he had gone to find Paxton, who had gathered quite a crowd as he signed autographs and sold CDs, and was busy flipping him off.
*The Scotsman, Aug 2008
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