As an RR Social virgin (as it were) I have to admit to a certain amount of social unease, not to say trepidation, about next Saturday. I have no idea of the etiquette in these matters. Should I bring gifts? Are we expected to contribute some music - a mix tape of some sort? Should I kiss on a first date? Would you all respect me in the morning if I did?
So for the sake of us filthy first-timers (that should get a few more Google hits for the 'Spill) could the more experienced amongst you, please post a few tips?
64 comments:
Oops, I just responded to your message, but to recap,
gifts are always welcomed by those who receive them I suppose. Yes a mix CD is good RR etiquette, "undeRRated" songs please. You will be asked to sing a song acapella, chosen by somebody else than you, if not, it's knickers on dee 'ed, as tradition dictates.
what ever you do it's always good form to send the rest of us, who can't make it - bloody festivals getting in the way- your RR social discs otherwise we sulk...
@ Toffee - Speaking as one who definitely WON'T be there next Saturday *sniff* ...
No name badges or formal introductions are necessary. There are enough of us that know each other for the party to get itself started, and if you use the (pre-doctored) photo from the last one, you should be able to pick out a couple of the regulars yourself.
Anyway, won't you be the one in a vintage cotton TOFFS Everton shirt?
;o)
If you are still all going to do CDs, can I have a volunteer?
Would someone who (i) is definitely going, and (ii) has previously provided me with their postal address,
...be willing to take a batch of CD-Rs to the meet if I post some by Thursday? All I'd ask in return is some of yours posting back to me, if one person would be so kind as to grab a selection. If the answer is yes, then someone better give me an idea of how many to produce.
And a topic of conversation for the night, if I may be further so bold:
2009 Northern Social: Who? Where? When?
Cheers everyone. Shame I'll be 200 miles too far north to clink glasses.
:o(
There is one long standing and non negotiable requirement of all newbies, you must take pictures of everyone there and post them by the following Monday.
I was planning on having everybody do a bit more than the number of attendees, and I would send the surplus to whomever. Your way works too, do you have my address?
Toffee, serious question: is that photo from the Star Wars bar scene? If so, is the human-looking one on the right you PhotoShopped in?
I'll email you to check, EJD. Not going to post it as a question here, obv!
And if so, Toffee, what are you assuming about the rest of us? Mhmmm?
(Whispered aside to ToffeeBoy) You're drinking ginger beers, right? Get everybody else drunk. Ask them embarrassing (but, you know, interesting) questions. Post on the 'Spill the next day. With Pictures. That's all we (those of us who cannot attend) ask.
great blog! please check out or maybe put it on your link:
http://noiseboxmusiccollection.blogspot.com/
we have the same interest in music. thanks and keep up the good work!
@Ejay- I had thought I might make this one, but a heavy school programme and a bit of a crisis with Sandra's mother has unfortunately cancelled out any chance we had of makÃng it over. So we'll have to postpone our boring-everyone-else-stupid-with-Miles-Davis conversation until next time.
Will there at least be a live webcast?
@ ejd - is that supposed to make me feel less trepidatious!!!!???? OK - mix CD it is. Let us know likely numbers when you can.
@ saneshane - not a problem.
@ DsD - if I can find it, the Hurrah! T-shirt will be coming out of the closet. If not, they'll have to take me as I come.
Yes, it's a Star Wars scene - undoctored - you're assuming that I'm the human looking one?
@ ejd - just trying to express my fears!
@ goneforeign - piccies are a cert.
@ steenbeck - I will be experiencing an alcohol-free night - which may or may not be to my advantage!
Hi Noisebox!
@ nilpferd - sorry you won't be able to make it - I was looking forward to sharing tales of the Pfalz! Another day perhaps?
You're welcome to get me drunk too.
However, my shameful musical secrets will all probably be on the UndeRRated disc already.
Look forward to it.
Comrades - have to sit this one out, kicking every ball from the touchline like a latter-day Darren Anderton. Have a trememndous night and I look forward to the pictures and cold light of day reports.
feel free to use dropbox as a virtual CD exchange
Thanks for posting this, TB: exactly what I was planning to ask meself. Apologies to everyone in advance that, because I'm now in flat panic about book, I almost certainly won't have time to put a cd together. I'll try to think of a less time-consuming alternative to bring.
@ Abahachi - May I recommend a dozen bottles of your rather fine RR Ale?
Not very practical unless you're driving, I suppose?
Sorry I won't be there either. But yes DsD, a northern social would be good. Especially if it's this side of the Pennines' turn...
Sorry to miss this week on RR too - I sat it out and feel a bit better for getting to bed earlier.
Now, I would walk 500 miles, but I think I may have to set out about now.. ..
Well I am hopefully going to be able to be there although, weirdly for a (currently) unemployed chap, things seem to be rather busy right now. The 1930s themed wedding this weekend was ace. A village fete. A mass Bus Stop for the first dance. And I got myself a short back and sides and a moustache. Result!
I too am disappointed to have missed this weekend's topic as it is the first in a while that has struck me as having real depths to it, but camping in a field near Hereford is not the greatest of broadband hotspots. Shame.
So, for the social, how many CDs is a recommended number to (try) and make? And is 'UndeRRated' an official theme? Plus how vital is inlay information? I have no printer right now... Ta.
@ DsD, saneshane, nilpferd, May, tin, blimpy and, of course, our dear friend Noisebox - you will all be sorely missed and we will in probability raise a glass or two in your honour.
@ ejd - do we know how many are coming?
@ steenbeck - sorry, missed you off the list of absent friends!
Not sure of the exact number as I got responses on 3 different email addresses and I'm not at home, but 15 copies should be enough.
'Underrated'is open to interpretation (mine is: songs you might not know that I think are good).
Inlay information is always nice when it's made proper like Saneshane, Dorian or murphsup do. I usually come late, too late to have an inlay ready and send the tracklisting by email when I get back home, which is less nice, but I make it up with charm.
Has the bar got something we can play CDs, iPods or similar on. Do we need something we can plug iPods into or play CDs on. There'll be enough CDs around to soundtrack the entire evening after all.
Given the recent admissions about social inadequacy, perhaps an office cube city venue where participants could participants could plug in & text each other in peace would be more fitting?
Seriously, sounds like a lot of fun and wish I could be there, if only to stand in the corner & stare at my shoes.
About the music being played there, yes we can plug in mp3 players in the upstairs room, not sure about CDs, but I was thinking, the room fills well with about 20 people, and there will be maybe 12-15 of us. Should we stick with the upstairs room which we'll have to ourselves, or go for some tables downstairs?
I know I'm not going, Ed, but definitely upstairs. It was nice to be able to move/mingle, and to hear myself think / others talk.
My vote is for upstairs as well.
Upstairs it is then, now starting time:
6.30-7ish?
I don't think I can turn up late for that one.
Let's say 7ish - I'll be fashionably late of course ...
I think I've mentioned to a few of you that I once played a gig upstairs at the Union Tavern (23 years ago?) and I haven't been back there since so this is going to be a strange experience for me.
Ed, off to Post Office in 20 mins. Can't ring you; forgot my mobile. If you see this do I just post the CDs (bit bulky) or can someone sign for them tomorrow?
reply here if you see this immed.
DsD
There should be someone to sign for them.
Ta. I'll get off my customer's computer now!
;o)
DsD
I considered making a CR-R made up entirely of 20-minute prog epics, so I'd only need to choose about four songs.
So far got 61 minutes' worth, and wondering whether to call it done, or choose another couple of songs - probably needs more uptempto songs with male vocals. Time for some metal?
Well, if I go for the full 37 minute version of Coleman's Free Jazz, that's two-thirds of a cd in one fell swoop, and maybe I'll have time after all.
I've got my playlist down to ten tracks for a total running time of 62 mins. There's probably an art to sequence these things which I almost certainly haven't got.
So far burned nine copies, another half-dozen to go.
Oh my. I picked out about 45 songs last night but have yet to whittle them down, sequence it, burn 15, find something to put them in, find an unbroken printer or a functioning pen to write out a tracklisting AND come up with a witty yet memorable title.
THEN I have to write my list of topics for small-talk, mentally practice my nodding-and-listening face, work out how the hell I get there and sort out my outfit. Oh my god. My OUTFIT.
What's that you say? Calm down?
CAN'T YOU SEE I'M SHITTING MYSELF AND HAVEN'T EVEN CHOSEN MY OUTFIT YET!!!
*struggles to breathe*
*takes long look at self*
*sighs*
[looks at Snadfrod, shakes head and tuts]
Hmmppf! Actors ... all the bloody same! All histrionic show, and no go.
What? Oh, er, hello magicman! Um, didn't see you there. Oh my, is that the time?
[Exit stage left, pursued by a bear.]
@DsD - Actor? Not me guv. Must have the wrong guy... I was just having a moment of, um, oh look, another bear!
It's got to have a title?
I shouldn't worry Kalyr, I suspect it may just be me...
I'm usually the world's least organised person but I'm worryingly on top of things:
Concept - sorted
CDs - burned (x15)
Title - decided upon
Artwork - pretty much there
Printing - to do
And still almost two days to go.
Still gotta look for that Hurrah! t-shirt though ...
No, Toffee, I claim the least-organised crown ("I'm Brian!"), but happily, EJD's already got my CDs for Saturday.
And Kalyr? Don't listen to Snadfrod - it ALL matters! In my case, there's even reasoning behind the choice of fonts/colours for the cover text.
So I think I'll claim to be the true heir to the Procrastinator's Title Belt too.
Can you tell I'm still sulking at being too poor to attend?!
;o}
Shower time before the MFF over on the mothership . . .
@ DsD - I was just about prepared to accept your claim to the crown of the Kingdom of Disorganasia, when I read your final comment about taking a shower before attending the midnight feeding fest.
Sounds a bit like careful planning to me ... consider yourself deposed ...
I've only started my preliminary list today, and I was debating wether to do a CD at all, feeling a bit CD'd out, promising that if I did do one, I would limit it to 10 songs, but now I've got to narrow down 55 songs, not forgetting the last minute additions. I think I will be emailing the tracklisting on Sunday morning after all...
EJ - 10 songs is exactly what I said to myself, too. And down from about 50 now. So what's the bet we both end up with 36 track double albums and a sore hand?
Well so far, Snadfrod, the record is held by glasshalfempty at 37 songs on his BookLaunch Social disc, so your 36 wouldn't cut it as a 'Spill record.
Oops, just thought of another etiquette question, probably far too late for anyone to answer: real names or aliases? Oh, well, I answer to more or less anything anyway. I'll be the one in a pink lycra T-mobile cycle top, carrying a rolled-up newspaper and a red carnation.
Real names, unless you want to remain super-anonymous, or somebody doesn't remember your real name.
So does that mean that masks and cloaks are acceptable, but not encouraged?...
Another small query - does the place do food?
And, well, see you tonight I suppose. Oo-er.
They do do food, it's alright, it don't taste like doodoo. See you at the do.
That's doody. I don't do doodoo, but I do do do's, dude.
Save some for tonight!! We're already limited as it is.
Limited? Limited how?
Limited in so many respects, but mostly small talk. See, now it's going to be all awkward tonight.
No problem.. just bitch about everybody who's not there! Like that Steen, who's hoovering up the RR charts, or DD, with his forklift fixation.. or, -um- that stinky Hippo, who always tries to be sooooo flippant and nonchalant..
Hope you all enjoy yourselves, anyway..
Well we could maybe get ten minutes or so out of this conversation...
'Remember when I said 'limited'? and then you said 'Limited how...''
No?
Sorry.
'And then do you remember when Nilpferd butted in MOST INNAPROPRIATELY?...'
..or you could discuss the permutations of the letters "n" and "p" in the word inappropriate..
Yes. Yes you could.
Cough.
Oh! Is that a spelling mistake? I thought he was being oh-so-clever about tonight's drinking establishment ...
... I'll get me cloak ...
... or actually I won't, because of course I'm not going out anywhere!
:o(
Sorry DsD, I'm not that smart. We will all, however, regALE you with tales of PUBlic fun and LAGER-than-life characters tomorrow. GINuinely, we will. Don't WINE. We will. BAR none.
I'll get me Oyster Card...
Just about to set off - unfortunately I couldn't coax the printer into printing, so the CD-Rs don't have a track listing :(
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