Good Vibrations in the making...

Since the pub quiz has been finished, money banked and had a few days rest I have been able to throw myself even further into the world of Good Vibrations and what a world it is! I thought it was also time I shared the start of the Good Vibrations journey with you all and what has happened along the way so far.

It has already bought to me new experiences I never thought possible, new friendships fast and thickly formed and an abundance of kindness, community spirit and warmth from all angles, giving me more than I could have ever imagined possible in a quest that I have started to keep Dad proud of me. It really is true, smile and the world smiles with you. A lot has happened, this could be a long blog, grab a cuppa...

So, it all started one night, back in the early days of the summer, when the sun was shining the nights were long – pah who am I kidding, it was probably raining, grey and a little miserable, but none the less it was the 4^th August and my two regular drinking DJ fun filled nights were coming together for a Thirsty Ear Vs Boneshaker event and boy it was FUN! The music was right up my street, there was plenty of rum on the go and smiles all round. Like I say PLENTY of rum, but yet one clear flash of the night I have is dancing, in Pip style with my eye closed, smiling away and I drunkenly thought to myself, hum this could make money for charity, interesting ... and yea there is this band, a band I saw at Tramlines, hum they’d fit in well as well....continues dancing and being in Pip land. A hungover stumble to the park on the Sunday and coffee with some friends, they suggested the same thing, “Pip this could be a charity night, reckon it would be pretty good”, I shared their sentiments and the idea of a band or two as well and they seemed keen. Again, ponders, interesting. (Listen to sample tunes from the night, trust me you'll love it!) 

I was still smiling from the night a couple of days into my 9-5 work grind and Joe (Mr Boneshaker) and I had started chatting on facebook just saying hi and sharing drunken laughs at the fun that was the night, where I threw the idea passed him, not only was he keen, he was excited, offered help with posters and knew the band personally, who I was looking to book AMAZING! Right okay, I started thinking, maybe this could work. I went for breakfast with Paulo (Thirty Ear DJ) a week or so later and he helped me thrash out all the basics, he was a man in the know, with music credentials and nights a plenty he has put on – me, I knew nothing, what is a PA system? Speakers, what do you mean you need speakers? etc. etc. he talked me through what I would need, what to expect from venues, what key questions and considerations I needed to have on my famous lists. So, I’d done a bit of ground work, talked through my ideas with family and friends, time to get the bands on board.

Joe got in touch with the one and only Johnny from Carmen Ghia and the Hotrods, a band so full of amazingness that I’d have to put them on. My first crushing blow came back after an agonising 2 weeks of waiting for a response, waving between excitement and nerves – they already had too much on, a similar night in the making and the run up to Christmas to fit in – it wasn’t going to be. The highs and lows of trying to put this on were already getting me! I am an excitable and giddy character, I smile hard, I laugh often and try and keep a positive and optimistic outlook on life – what comes with that, is if I feel sad, I feel it, I cry sometimes what feels too easily and can find myself feeling disappointed, especially when I have been so excited at something. I felt my heart sink when I got the response, I was already SO EXCITED!!!!!, about this night, I didn’t want it to not happen. A reassuring word or two from the lovely Boneshaker and we were back on track, if we do it in Jan, we have more time to promote, sell tickets and make it the best and most kick ass charity event there ever could be! Some how Joe has gone from someone DJing at the night, to being my partner in crime through this whole thing! It is a Cheshire Charity Challenge and Boneshaker production and I love it and love all the people he has introduced me too. The Armitages (Mr and Mrs Boneshaker and their 2 adorable children) are a lovely family and I cannot recommend working on a project with them enough! Their wider circle of friends have also welcomed me with open arms and are behind this project 100%, it makes me smile, almost daily, the warmth I get from this wonderful group of people.  Even if this project doesn't raise the hundreds and thousands of pounds for charity that I wish it could, I will smile that I put it on as it bought these people into my life and I hope they remain in it for years after this project is complete. 

A reassuring word or two from the lovely Boneshaker and we were back on track, if we do it in Jan, we have more time to promote, sell tickets and make it the best and most kick ass charity event there ever could be! Anyway, if I carry on in this sort of detail this blog will literally be a novel and I already have so much more to add! By the by we got Carmen Ghia and the Hotrods booked in, a venue organised, PA system quotes and some in roads to making this happen.

Along the way other bands were suggested to me, Niamh from CDHR had suggest The Roaming Son, Mark from The Roaming Son in turn suggested The Wolftones, I had friends offering me suggestions, too many bands to fill in the short amount of time we had – maybe this means there is definitely scope for Good Vibrations – Part 2!

Somewhere early on in the making we decided to thrown in a rollerderby game to the mix as well, the worlds go so well together and well being a roller derby girl any opportunity to put on a bout is a good one. The Sheffield Steel Rollergirls are facing each other in The Death Leopards vs The Steel Panthers in a pre-match to warm up for the big event on the 9^th February.

So, we had our night, what was next, promoting it and getting it out there to the world.... Read all about that in Part 2 - Good Vibrations:  What it has done for me; which is coming soon.