Art and Fiddles

Last night was great-two very different experiences in one evening. First, Caroline's exhibition opening. I was very impressed indeed. There was very little work that left me completely cold, and for any contemporary art exhibition that's quite a feat, never mind for a BA show. Her work was brilliant, which was good as it meant I didn't have to feign enthusiasm (unlike at Graeme's show, but that's a different subject...). The space was great as well, and the whole thing had a really professional feel to it, much better than I expected. Plus there was free wine, and lots of fancy crisps with nice dips. I was the greedy person standing next to the food table for at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted snacking, cramming food into my mouth because it's FREE! Yes, I have no social graces whatsoever when it comes to any sort of buffet.

After an hour or so of being cultural and wafting around looking intelligent in front of paintings (and trying to hide the trail of crumbs that inevitably follows me), we set off to the Drunk In Public gig. There is quite a contrast between these two events. The exhibition was full of 22 year old art students in expensive dresses trying to explain their work to their rich but interested suit clad parents. The gig was full of 40 year old crusties and stoned 18 year olds. Guess where I felt more at home.... Anyway, it was awesome (as are all Levellers gigs). Who would have thought that four middle aged blokes with acoustic guitars and a fiddle could make people dance like that?! Drunk in Public gigs definitely have a different vibe to full on Levs gigs, but there's still the same rowdiness. You've gotta love a folk mosh pit-well, it's not exactly moshing, more everbody trying to jig in the same few square metres of floor space. I felt I held my own quite well as one of the only girls in the most 'lively' bit of said floor, and was quite thankful for my year of being dragged unwillingly to Leeds metal clubs for my moshing apprenticeship (it's all in the elbows). But it was good humoured and I even had a topless skinhead bloke thank me for dancing with him. It was also the most exercise I have had in a long time and I got seriously knackered, which is somewhat worrying.

Really looking forward to Beautiful Days now, and all the summer festies. Ahh summer, please come back to us! It has rained non stop all bloody week, after the tempting glimpse of how beautiful life in Leeds can be in the sunshine. No matter. We are supposed to be going to a barbecue this evening, I think it will be more of an indoor shove a load of things under the grill type affair. But I get to watch Eurovision!