Meeting Nick (Just wow)



So yesterday my manager/bessie-mate Luke, me, and my girlfriend Jess all went down to Bignor Church. No we didn't go and pray, instead we went and saw Nick Symes, head of the festival. After a brief greeting we were lead to a reasonably large picturesque field behind the church, Nick described what was going to happen on the two nights (Saturday and Sunday) and we then offered a free demo.

Nick then walked off for a long time, trying to gather a crowd.

Two things then happened, Omens probably.



The church across from the hanging site, anyone seen The Wicker Man?



First a huge buzzing swarm of bees passed right in front of us, so close that we all had to hit the grass and lie down flat. It's insane, I know. After a few minutes of WTF they passed and a lady trundled over and asked if it was a swarm of bees, she then said she needed a swarm for her empty hive. This was when she walked off TOWARDS THE DIRECTION OF THE SWARM. 

As if that wasn't unusual enough, we then started practising before the crowd arrived. Luke was juggling a few balls, Jess was just staring at the hills. Meanwhile I picked up a machete and somehow I managed to unsheathe it in such a way that I cut my index finger, a good prelude to a performance. Luke was like 'Well done' and immediately as I acknowledged the small cut it started streaming blood. Great.



Luke acted as medic and plastered the wound so I didn't bloody the equipment, then a long while after Nick arrived.

Many things made me smile, Luke's general stage-banter, everyone standing metres back, and what the crowd said. "You aren't gonna juggle that are ya?" by now I was holding a meat cleaver, machete, and a sickle. "Oh please don't tell me you're gonna walk on those with your bare feet!" Luke was about to walk on the machete-bed.

Overall it was a mediocre performance as we didn't bring much equipment, we then said goodbye to Nick and his helpers and returned to Luke's parking skills. He had left the car on a crossroads, on a 40% sideways slant, on a tiny patch of grass. The same tiny patch of grass where criminals used to get hanged until death.