Day 3...Show 2: Lyon.

Departure is slow and solemn, but with our supply of baguettes replenished, spirits rise and we make our way to Lyon. Another 6 or 7 hour drive in 35 degree heat with few stops. The joy of driving in the summer heat. We arrive, confused and hot, at what appears to be an abandoned office building around 5pm. The concentration of gig black and white, hand-drawn gig posters leads us to the entrance to Grrrnd Zero, Gerland: our Venue for this Saturday night, mid June in North east France.



Our manager, Thomas J, had been in contact with Guilliame and it was him he asked after when he met us. We explained our manager was a slack bastard who never left his computer and with increasing excitement were shown around the crazy, carpeted, converted office space that was Grrrnd Zero’s venue number 2.

The band was allocated two rooms with ‘urbantramper’ scrawled on the doors and we had a bed each. “Thank you kindly…that’s just great.” Guilliame then unveiled our spread to incredulous gasps of joy. There were like 9 quiches of different flavours (made by Guilliame himself) and a huge pasta salad…Mean as. The lack of sleep really caught up with me at this show and the rotating fan did little appease the sweltering heat, or clear the fuzzy thoughts in my head. That said, I think we played pretty well to a fairly decent crowd. They were quiet but we were told it was the heat, and I believe it.



We were followed by Sharon Tate (his name taken from Charles Manson’s wife). Sharon was a nice guy and he dressed up in high heels and lipstick for his show. He also fixed a plastic penis to himself so that it protruded from his midriff. He entered the performance area to the tune of the Brittany Spear’s song ‘Miss you're too fat no you're too thin’, holding a mirror that he studied himself in as he pranced about. The music changed and he then proceeded to smash the mirror on the ground and stamp on it with his heels. The music changed again as he splashed water on his face and writhed on the ground. I may confuse the chronology of the events but bear with me. Sharon then read from a book for quite a period of time in French. Someone from the audience shouted, insults? Tate continued. More shouting, the offender is berated by Sharon and restrained by Guilliame. Tate then proceeds to wrap himself up in cling film. Slowly and thoroughly… Slowly and thoroughly…

We were told later that the extracts from the book were mainly concerned with sodomy and assholes. Sharon was a nice dude, but I can’t recall his given name.

After Tate a hardcore jazz instrumental band played. They were kind of like Tortoise and the Drift. But heavier. They were very good. Sweet drum kit and cool trumpet effects. There was some crazy dancing to these guys and our shouting friend from earlier was resolute in his goal to play along on one of the drummers broken cymbals. More restraining from Guilliame was necessary, though the cycle of disobedience, then ‘telling off’ was quite comical.

Early night. Long sleep…

Guilliame.