42%

Drinking 42% beer is not a good idea. Especially when accompanied by all manner of craft beers of varying strength and texture (including chocolate/coffee). Washing it all down with pissy lager is the height of uncouth, but such are the decisions made in the grip of an excellent and most entertaining evening.

The main event was the JD McPherson band which I booked before JD was played all over Radio2. The heavily rockabilly crowd seemed very pleased with themselves to claim ownership of Mr McP and leave no room for squares. Ever since Imelda May reached wider popularity for her music I welcome these sorts of acts gaining broader audiences. The squares may never understand the style and the culture of the scene but they ensure the survival of a music scene I love. The band performed with the fluid style you only get when you live for the music, Jimmy Sutton makes playing the bass seem easy and laid back while JD himself fleshes out the brilliant production of the album with fantastic playing and singing. Initially the choice of support act, Sean Rowe, seemed odd but I really enjoyed the contrast; again another great performer with a mighty voice.

I will be doing it all again next time they visit the UK including the 42% beer.

Pilgrimage

 

For me, this is what I imagine Daytona feels like only its smaller... much smaller... and very English. It draws me back year after year like a pilgrimage. Old men in old wax jackets drinking brown beer and smoking pipes, walking around and admiring other peoples motorbikes- no wait, that was just me. 

There are no pretenders here, only participants. There are a smattering of bikes that are old but not ancient and even some new bikes but everyone there is here for the vintage cycles; flat tanks, exposed tappets, leather drive belts, wicker baskets and so on. For the first time in my memory there are 2 Indians here. One of them, the 751, was bought recently for very cheap. So cheap you could have almost bought a Sportster for the same money. So cheap it made my eyes water. It's the ultimate biker urban myth made flesh. Gutted that it didn't happen to me but glad that it does still happen, even in the UK.

This year the Queen stole my Bank Holiday and hid it for some reason I have yet to understand so we went on Saturday night instead of the usual Sunday. I got my first pint in at around 2pm and before I knew it the camp fire was dying down and the sun was coming up. We talked some shit and sang some songs. If you say it like that it's the same every year but every year is different and it never gets old.

Hot

Just ate the most chilli sauce I've ever put on anything ever. Ghost Pepper Sauce; not as hot as the Mad Dog Inferno sauce but if you put enough on its close. The second world record I broke tonight- fastest beer I've ever drunk.

Lashings of fun

Sugar, water, ginger, yeast. Three weeks later and I can barely walk! No idea how strong it is but after 3 pints I'm wavering about having a fourth... and it's still brewing. The second batch should be better.