Alice at the 100 club

Where does the time go? Way back in June, I was lucky enough to snag a ticket to see Alice at the 100 club...and what a night!
No props, (except Dali the snake), not a lot of make up, no Ethyl (and Sheryl apparently didn't feel like playing the part, so we had to use our imagination!)

He made a big point of being Vincent rather than Alice, and chatted to us inbetween songs....he said "I can talk to you tonight, cos I haven't got the full make up on - Alice wouldn't talk to you - he doesn't even talk to me!"

I decided it would be a good idea to drive all the way up to London and park in a nearby NCP - this would avoid the late night tube tango, and also the possibility of missing the last train. So I borrowed a Tom Tom, (thanks Graham xx), printed off loads of maps and set off about 1 pm. Trouble with the TT was, I never figured out how to use it before I went......

Nightmare journey. I got stuck in 2 major traffic jams before I even hit Uxbridge, and eventually ended up on the Westway for a third. Trouble was, it's a long time since I drove in London - I wasn't even sure I was on the Westway, and began to get paranoid about being on the wrong road, driving around in London for weeks and never getting out, and - HORROR OF HORRORS- MISSING the show. And my right arm got sunburnt on account of it being the hottest day of the year so far. By the time I got into the car park I was a nervous wreck.
But I made it. NEVER gonna drive in London again, though. Well, that's what I thought at the time, but now I have a ticket to see Alice at Ally Pally in October.


There was about 10 people outside the 100 Club when I got there at about 4 , Janice, of course and a few others I've seen round and about. And a guy called Steve whose boots and red top hat I covet. They wouldn't let us in til 7, and then we had to wait half an hour in the foyer, and, after the mad dash to be at the front, another hour til the show started. I didn't quite make it to the front, but was in the second line and anyway, the place is so tiny, even the back is near the front, and I luckily picked a spot right in front of Alice - about 4 ft away in fact.

An AMAZING show. Never been so HOT in my life ..., but it was so worth it, had the best night of my life!! The only thing that slightly spoiled it was some blonde person who insisted on treading on me at one point and couldn't seem to accept the either the fact that A) I was in front of her, and B) I couldn't've moved anyway - we were packed in like sardines along the front of the stage.....

The set list was taped on the floor....and there were a few dollar bills in a bucket so I was hopeful of getting one.

Unfortunately I missed the throw out of billion dollar bills, but - YAY- I managed to get one off the stage afterwards..........didn't catch the cane either (as he threw it out, he said "who hasn't got one of these yet?) (Well, me actually........)
And then there was the surprise guest. We were kind of expecting Slash to turn up, but.....it was Johnny Depp! Alice introduced him as John D from Kentucky and I don't think anybody really knew it was him at first, cos he had shades and a flat cap on, but as soon as we realised who it was, everybody went nuts. He played on Schools Out and 18, but looked at the floor most of the time. Still I got a few piccies.
20 pints of sweat later and the space I was in got smaller and smaller.......... the trouble with being only 5'2" is that pretty much everybody is taller than me. Anyway, I held my own and managed to take lots of pictures. I've seen many a dvd on You tube since, but only managed to spot my camera being waved aloft :)) Although I swear I can see my hand in one of the clips on the new video for 'Bite Your Face Off'.......

After Alice finished I hung around near the bar and talked to Bill Crowe - -who I first saw at the Halloween gig last year but never managed to speak to, in spite of the fact that he was dressed in Alice gear and looked almost as good as The Master - and Damon Johnson, Steve and Karen Hunter, and generally soaked up the atmosphere (whilst drinking 10 pints of water)....... at last I decided it was time to go. Managed to find the car ok, but then I got completely lost trying to get out of London. You would never guess I spent the first 30 years of my life living here.
What a brilliant night, I don't think I've ever been to a gig like it. I really hope he does this kind of gig again, I absolutely LOVED it - what would I give to see the original band in a place like this???