Welcome to the Nursie's Diary Archives. This is the June 2001 entry. (Exciting, isn't it?) Remember to check out the other pages on this website for information on where you can buy Grief Society albums and merchandise. Keep an eye on the gig pages to see where the band is playing next. If in doubt, go back to the homepage by following the links below or typing www.griefsociety.com at the top of your browser.

Oh Look! There's links an' everything!!

WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE 2001...

After much irritating tinkering about, we've finally sorted out a site at which US fans can buy some GRIEF SOCIETY merchandise. About bloody time too! I'm told you still can't get the yellow T-shirts with the sheep logo on, but there's now a rather fetching ash grey t-shirt with the sheep logo on the breast and a website banner on the back. It's at www.cafepress.com/griefsociety (apparently) I think I'll order one and see what they look like.

New European T-shirts are being debated at the moment as well. I've been asked to approve a clever line drawing with the cover of 'Universal Misunderstanding' on. We all like it but Steve isn't convinced that people will buy it. I think I might take a chance and trust in the love of the people.

Let's hope I'm not disappointed....

THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2001...

An unexpected telephone call from our agent, Stella, leads to another gig. We were expected to have a small break before doing the September Tour but Stella gives us an opportunity to play at the Horn of Plenty (or 'Horn reborn' as its sometimes called) in July. As we're heavily involved in plugging the album it sounds like a good idea.

Sooooooo, next Grief Society gig, Horn Reborn, Victoria Street, St Albans. Tuesday 24 July 2001. Marvellous!!

SUNDAY 10 JUNE 2001...

Busy, Busy day! I managed to squeeze in a couple of fanzine interviews and talked to a few people about gigs. Also trying to catch up on the business stuff that also gets neglected. The first date of the September Tour (It better be a Tour or somebody gets their bottom smacked!) is now in the bag. We're off to Southport in Merseyside on Friday 7th September. Great news!!

Also started work on promotion in America. Those lovely people at Portland's CD Baby are stocking Universal Misunderstanding and they seem to be doing a good job of shifting a few copies. We're talking to people about going out to the US West Coast and we've got a date in the diary for a San Francisco gig. It looks impractical to ship the band's equipment over there so we're having a think about combining acoustic and electric gigs.

Very Exciting.

WEDNESDAY 6 JUNE 2001...

So..... There's National and local elections tomorrow, there's an England World Cup qualifying match live on national television and the largest employer in a town has recently announced it's pulling out with a loss of 2,000 odd jobs.

Ah well, best book a gig in the centre of town then?!?

Yup, tonight's GRIEF SOCIETY gig is in Luton with all of the above things going against it. In addition to this, the two band bill has now become a three band bill. Two thrash nu-metal acts and Litlle-Old-Us! (We're not really old except Don. He may even be 23, by now!)

Despite all the things that could go wrong, the gig is actually good fun to play. The sound check is almost a testy affair. The mixing desk is behind the band with the result that the monitors are unbelievably loud and tinny, almost making me dizzy everytime I hit one of the high notes. Perversely, every time I sing at a lower volume or at the lower end of the range I start to disappear in the mix. As an experiment I start mucking about during one of the songs but am told afterwards that my vocals are coming out fine. (Hey! I was only singing every third word and was mouthing most of the rest). After a few minor adjustments the sound improves dramatically. Don declares that it sounds like GRIEF and so that's good enough for me and Steve. (Stef is being strangely quiet and it becomes a bit unnerving)

Then it all gets surreal...

The Venue informs us that they do random drug testing and so we all have to stand in a line while a sniffer dog walks up and down the line. Weird??

The guy with the dog is cool. He asks if anybody objects to being searched by the dog. (We're all smart enough to say nothing.) He also asks if anybody has ever been searched before. (I can recall one time in Germany but it doesn't seem worth mentioning at the moment) The dog then wonders up and down the line, pausing only to take a, frankly unhealthy, interest in the testicles of the guy behind me. On the way back up the line I swear the dog sniffs my arse approvingly.

This is not right...

The gig itself is a belter. We go down very well in front of the young metallers and the older folk (those in their late twenties and early thirties) seen very keen on our funk-metal stylings. Nice cheers, applause and approving nods. The sound has improved and the crowd is a healthy size as well. Steve and I stick around to watch a bit of Chimera, the next band. A nice energetic set with a Sepultura cover thrown in for good measure. I sort of drifted off in the middle of the set but that was the hunger talking.

On the way home Steve and I see a fairly unpleasant road accident. It spooks me sufficiently to drive the rest of the way home at a snail's pace.

I can't stop thinking about that Drug Dog, though..

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