The Ned Wood Archive

Sam

Friday morning.  Everyone is getting excited about who they’ll be seeing later that day.  Sam and Dave compare notes.  Dave’s torn between Fontaines and Idles.  Sam thinks he’ll do one or the other, probably Idles, cos they’re at the Peel Stage.  He’s still telling himself that he’ll break with tradition and won’t be seeing Billy Bragg.  They talk about why on earth anyone in their right mind would have Idles clash with Fontaines when they know all along that it’s to reduce the numbers going to each gig.  They’ve noticed that happening more and more over the years: two similar acts on at the same time so the punters will divide themselves between the two venues.  The problems only arise when everyone on site goes to the same band.

Almost everyone else on the line that morning it seems is up for Lady Gaga.  Lyn and Lex, Jill and Fiona.  They’re all singing Born This Way as they sort on the line.  Just Dance.  Poker Face.  Oh, whoa-oh, oh, oh.  Anne’s facing them, leading the dancing.  Sam’s joining in as best he can.  It makes the morning go more quickly.  

Except that Sam doesn’t really know Lady Gaga.  So he starts talking to Karen, who’s stood next to him, about the Yardbirds.  Turns out she saw them way back.  Like when she was fourteen.  She’s even got a picture of her with them outside some show somewhere.  He recognises Keith Relf, but there’s no sign of Beck or Clapton or Page in the photo.  She tells him that all the girls were in love with Keith.  He can see why.  He wished he had hair like that.  Well, nowadays, he just wishes he had hair.  He’s not with us any more, though, Keith.  Neither’s Jeff.

“Nor Chris,” says Karen.  She’s obviously more into the Yardbirds than Sam.

So while there’s Mayhem amongst the rest of the recyclers, Sam and Karen are singing For Your Love, Shapes of Things, and Mister You’re a Better Man than I. The songs of preparation and rehearsal disappear in the air under the clash and crash of waste removal. The crew carry on their work cleaning and tidying and loving the farm, repairing it for the party to come.