Nations UK's Best Part-Time Band


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This programme contains strong language

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Come on! It's UK's Best Part-Time Band. Hello!

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'I'm Rhod Gilbert, stand-up comedian.'

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I've had a radio show for ten years and people send me music

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all the time. Some of it is absolutely fantastic.

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It's got me wondering just how much undiscovered talent

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there is out there.

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There are thousands of part-time bands in the UK.

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From barristers to bakers, dustmen to doctors, skiffling, punking,

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rocking and funking every week in pubs and clubs

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up and down the country to escape the nine-to-five grind.

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What possesses somebody my age to continue being in a band?

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It's definitely not for the money or the glory.

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The BBC have hooked up with this ropey, old van and I'm off on tour.

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I've rounded up three musical juggernauts to help.

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Supercool Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B.

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-Buongiorno.

-Jazzie. How you doing, fella?

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Beardy Manchester music icon Peter Hook.

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There was some real weirdos in that station.

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-Was there?

-Yeah, I felt perfectly at home.

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And the Fresh Prince of lip hair, Ultravox front man, Midge Ure.

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Oh, dear!

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'But this is no run-of-the-mill talent show.'

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There is no prize. No Christmas number ones, no recording contract.

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There is shit all. LAUGHTER

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Like musical truffling pigs,

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we're going to sniff out the working men and women who play music for the

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sheer bloody love of it.

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Music is something that really soothes the soul.

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Each legend will pick their top two bands...

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I just felt like an idiot. A stupid, inane grin on my face.

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..who will battle it out at a grand final in Manchester...

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Unfortunately, you've got to decide which are your favourites now.

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..where one will be crowned the UK's best part-time band.

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This week, my ropey tour bus is taking me on an epic 700-mile

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Celtic funfest to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

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Joining me is Midge Ure, who's been in his fair share of bands.

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Best known as the front man of Ultravox...

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# We walked in the cold air... #

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He also played guitar with the Rich Kids and Thin Lizzy.

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Despite being born with a debilitating moustache,

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Midge co-wrote and produced the second-biggest selling single

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of all time, Do They Know It's Christmas?

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HORN HONKS

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-Hey.

-Midge Ure!

-How you doing?

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Midge Ure from Ultravox!

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-Oh, this is going to be fun.

-Aw, I'm going to have to go up on the kerb.

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LOUD SCRAPING AND CREAKING

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I'm sorry to say, Mr Gilbert, you have failed your test.

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THEY LAUGH

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So, Midge, 1,200 bands have entered this.

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That's a lot of bands!

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We're going to see them all this week!

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No, we're not, we're going to see as many as we can cram in.

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At the end of the week, you're going to choose your five favourites

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to go on and do a gig in Belfast.

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That's going to be scary stuff for some of these guys.

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Performing in a big club can be quite daunting.

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The ones who aren't maybe as capable might just crumble.

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They may well crumble before that.

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Midge is just going to wander in,

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in the middle of their rehearsals and gigs.

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'My driving went to shit the moment he got in the van.'

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-Down there?

-No, you can't go down there either.

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-Oh, for fuck...

-You'll have to pull in there and reverse

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-and go back the way we came.

-Oh, for fuck, fucking sake.

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Come on, this is good practice for you.

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Every time I get in this van...

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You're looking for that coherence.

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You're looking for that indefinable something,

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you know, that when they start playing you feel something,

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kind of, build. People are passionate about what they do

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and I presume if you're working all week to make enough money

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to afford to be able to go out and play music,

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you better be good at it.

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We're going to Edinburgh to see a ska band.

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-They're called Bombskare.

-Bombskare?

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-A ska band.

-Is that a Scottish thing?

-A Scottish ska band.

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Is that a big Scottish thing?

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-McReggae. McReggae's big.

-McReggae!

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I know less about Scottish reggae

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than a 92-year-old Bulgarian sheep farmer.

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What makes a good ska?

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What are we looking out for when we watch a ska band?

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Well, I suppose, from the 2 Tone days it was...

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There was a look about it, there was a vibrancy about it.

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It was real bouncy, tight playing.

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I'm looking for something that's a bit of joy.

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# Oh-ay-oh...

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# Gold crocodiles

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# They snap their teeth on your cigarette

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# Foreign types with their hookah pipes say

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# Ay-oh, ay-oh

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# Ay-oh, ay-oh

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# Walk like an Egyptian... #

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When he's not walking like an Egyptian,

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Scott, Bombskare's lead guitarist, can be found delivering meat...

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like a Scotsman.

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Mysterious meats. I don't know what that is.

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Klingon burgers.

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It's all pretty glamorous.

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I used to do a lot of crew work and techie work but I just had to stop

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doing it because it was interfering with the band.

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I had to take something a little bit more regular,

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Monday to Friday. This is it.

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Scott might love delivering his meat but his dedication to the band

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means Bombskare always comes first.

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I changed jobs and I took a pay cut to make the band work.

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The band have been part of Scott's life for almost 20 years.

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It's definitely a labour of love.

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If it was all about making some financial gain, or to get famous,

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we would have given up ages ago, you'd have stopped doing that.

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When lead singer Andy isn't hitting the high notes with the band,

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he's doing other high stuff, as an industrial climber.

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While bassist Mandy wrestles real-life mannequins

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for a living as a visual merchandiser.

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People come up to us and gigs and say, "My 90-year-old granny

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"was just dancing.

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"She hasn't moved in 30 years."

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# Walk like an Egyptian... #

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We entered this competition

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because that's describing us exactly, just gigging all the time,

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pushing what's possible as a part-time band.

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Fantastic!

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When's the next gig?

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Stupidly tight.

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You obviously rehearse far too much.

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-It was great.

-How many are you? Two, four...

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Nine of you. You're obviously a band that don't want to make money!

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THEY LAUGH

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-I loved that. It was amazing energy.

-Yeah, it was great.

-That dancing!

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You exude energy.

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You obviously just love doing what you're doing,

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cos you look at some bands and you get the angst look of the singer...

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Ultravox, for example.

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Ultravox is more...

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LAUGHTER

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You stick out a bit on this...

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How did you get involved in this?

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I pretty much begged him to play a gig. "I'll do it, I'll do it,"

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e-mailing Scott, "I'll do it, have you got any gigs?"

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As I said before, the tightness of the band, I mean, it's fantastic.

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All the syncopated stops, and all of that stuff, it's just really vibey.

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That stuff doesn't come overnight.

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I can see it when you're playing, you'd do this for nothing.

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We do!

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'We're off to a good start and Midge is clearly impressed.'

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Ridiculously infectious.

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Stupid smiles.

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I just felt like an idiot, a village idiot, standing there grinning.

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Yeah, you look at each person in turn and they're all doing something

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different but they're all together, each character is coming through.

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And what they did with the cover version,

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I think is a mark of the band.

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-The Bangles, Walk Like An Egyptian.

-Not a ska number at all.

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Not a ska number at all. They put their own mark on the thing,

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-which is really difficult to do.

-Yeah.

-Scottish ska is where it is.

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One band down and Midge and I are taking the high road

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to his hometown, Glasgow, to see our next act.

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So, Midge-aroo, we're going to see a blues band.

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-Oh, good!

-Are you a blues fan?

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I am, although my subsequent music doesn't really show it.

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I learned my first guitar licks

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copying Eric Clapton and Peter Green.

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For window cleaner and GT's Boos' frontman, Greig Taylor,

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singing the blues squeegees his troubles away.

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Blues music, for me, is the biggest release.

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When I was younger, life for me was a bit up and down.

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After a spell in prison,

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music played a big part in getting Greig back on track.

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Cleaning windows is not what I want to be doing,

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but it puts food on the table.

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Good old Scottish delicacy.

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Fish and chips.

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But the flexible job has allowed Greig

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to bring his daughters up single-handed.

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Whenever he got the chance to, he would sing.

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He loves being in the band.

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Having devoted the last 10 or 11 years of my life to bringing up

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my children, to be able to head off to a band practice,

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it's just the most amazing feeling.

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# Every time I see your face

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# Wanna cry, cry, cry... #

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I can channel any of my problems, release it, through my music.

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# Cos you're my baby girl... #

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Twice a week, band-mates builder John, Fireman Sam,

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sorry, Alan, and Postman Pat, sorry, David, do just that.

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# It's been such a lonely road

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# But I'm coming home

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# Again

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# Mmm

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# Mmm... #

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-Very good.

-Thank you very much.

-It took me back to my Thin Lizzy days.

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-When did you start, then, Greig?

-I started singing five years ago.

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Nothing before that?

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Nothing except singing in the shower or, I love to go...

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I was on holiday with my daughters, and I would have to find somewhere

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that we could go up and sing. That developed on to...

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We went to an open mic. John was there, looking for a singer.

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-Once we hooked up it was...

-HE CLICKS HIS FINGERS

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Debate rages up and down the country about, what is blues?

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For me, it's that feeling and passion and honesty.

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Lyrics-wise, it's me able to get my story across, you know?

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There's nothing wrong with writing a commercialised song

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that's rooted in the blues.

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Look at early Fleetwood Mac. Beautifully written songs.

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-One of the greats.

-But still had that great blues essence.

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You're doing gigs at weekends when you get the opportunity?

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At the moment, we're getting as many gigs as we can.

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Two small tours to the Netherlands last year.

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We got a great reception over there.

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-..to Holland, they drove the van over.

-Your mum and dad?

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-Were the roadies. They drove the van.

-They drove the fan...

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-Oh, you flew?

-We flew.

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Never stop being a parent, do you? You should be ashamed of yourselves.

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Thanks for having us. Thanks for your time.

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Great to meet you guys.

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Good luck with it. Good luck.

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-Well, well, well, well, well.

-Yes, I know.

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I thought they were great. And, as the singer's saying,

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he's pulling from his own life experiences,

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exercising all those ghosts he's got inside.

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There's no better format than music, especially blues, to do that.

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It's what blues is all about.

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They were great, technically, weren't they? Really precise.

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Great guitar player. It's a really difficult thing to pull off,

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to play those really slow, bluesy things

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and still have all that empty space.

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-Greig, he wants it.

-As they say in Glasgow,

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he would shove his granny off a bus to get it!

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# You've got your spell on me, baby... #

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As we're in Midge's hometown,

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he wants to show me one of his regular haunts.

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In case he wants to throw a pensioner off our tour bus,

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I insist we go on foot.

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This is a bit like you taking me to joke shop,

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I'm going to take you to this music shop I always go to.

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I like that '80s...

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That?! No...

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That's a paddle.

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This... I did my little stint with Thin Lizzy,

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I went out to replace Gary Moore in an American tour.

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I'd never been to America before and I got a phone call from Phil Lynott

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one night, I was in the studio, finishing off the Visage album...

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-As you do.

-As you do.

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I thought, "It's a long way to America.

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"I'll learn the songs on the way," and they flew me out on Concorde...

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-No way.

-I was halfway through the second song and we landed.

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I was in New York.

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I turned up and I had a Japanese guitar.

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They said, "You can't go on stage with Thin Lizzy

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"with a Japanese guitar."

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Phil took out one of these, which he'd just bought on tour in America.

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A beautiful, old thing.

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It's an exact replica of that that I used

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during the Boys Are Back In Town.

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HE PLAYS INTRO TO BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

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MUSIC: The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy

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With loads of bands to see,

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we're going to work harder than Keith Richards' liver.

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In Scotland alone, well over 100 bands have applied.

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Everything from police officers to psychiatrists,

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playing folk to funk.

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Which doesn't actually mean anything, but you get the gist.

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Lovely guitar stuff going on there.

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It's always nice to get good feedback, especially fae...

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-Somebody other than your mum.

-Aye!

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Just who gets to play a whopping live gig in Belfast

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will be down to Midge and which bands tickle his musical fancy.

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We're back on the road for the next leg of our epic trip.

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But before we get there, we'll be getting off the road,

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getting onto the sea, and getting back on the road again,

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as we head for Northern Ireland.

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It's not very nice weather. The last time I did this journey,

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every single person on board emptied themselves of every single

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-bodily fluid. It was coming out of their eyes.

-Aw!

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-How were you on it? Were you...?

-I was empty.

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Which begs the question, "Why are we doing this?"

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This is going to be awful. We're going to drive off the other end

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-just two, empty, desiccated husks of men.

-Two ex-entertainers.

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So ahead of us in Belfast. Do you have expectations, hopes?

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Ireland has a great history of music.

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You look at Van Morrison or Rory Gallagher,

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they've got a history of show bands. They were all brilliant players,

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but they had to go out and play pop songs.

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All the great Irish musicians stemmed from that background.

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Music is something that they celebrate with,

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but they also lament with. You know, it's very Celtic thing.

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# So sing while you have time

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# Let the sun shine down from above... #

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Luckily, the sea was as calm and still

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as Daniel O'Donnell's underpants.

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'We've made it to Northern Ireland with no sick bags in sight.'

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-Do they drive on the same side over here?

-You do.

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Well, in your case, somewhere in the middle.

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Yeah, I'm just hedging my bets.

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Thankfully, it's Midge making the decisions.

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The choices ahead of him are tougher than Dave Grohl's palms.

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Next on our multi-stop tour is an art studio in Belfast

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to see Wookalily, a multi-female band of multi-talented,

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multi-instrumentalists.

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Made up of teachers, classroom assistants and a photographer,

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who play blend of Americana and bluegrass.

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# Sweetest woman

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# That you'd ever seen... #

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And they have the smallest roadie in the UK, 9-month-old Rosa,

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daughter of banjo player Sharon.

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The band absolutely adore her.

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At two weeks old she was on the road with us.

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She went to London for a showcase.

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ROSA GARGLES

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CHEERING

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The band was formed seven years ago by guitarist

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and festival programmer Adele.

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I needed some friends, so decided to form a band.

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We're like sisters.

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We can have a good punch-up still be friends afterwards.

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You've got a bit of a following?

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We got invited out to Nashville

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to the International Bluegrass Festival.

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There's big links between Belfast and Nashville.

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-Yeah, we're twinned, as a town.

-Yeah, we're twinned with Nashville.

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Country music came from the Celts.

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A lot of bluegrass came from Presbyterians, actually,

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emigrating over to the Appalachias,

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and they're called hillbillies cos they used to sing

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about King Billy, apparently.

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Really, is that where it came from? You see, I'm getting educated here.

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-This is good.

-A bit of politics!

0:18:180:18:20

Is that what all of you individually were into?

0:18:200:18:22

I would have started with traditional Irish music and rock

0:18:220:18:25

music, so it's completely different,

0:18:250:18:27

and then went into country. I've branched into different stuff.

0:18:270:18:30

You were rocking that ukulele. Quite rocky ukulele use.

0:18:300:18:33

-It's a mandolin.

-Was it?

0:18:330:18:35

I didn't want to correct him! Thank you, Midge!

0:18:350:18:39

What's the difference?

0:18:390:18:40

-Eight strings.

-A ukulele has four strings, that's got eight.

0:18:400:18:43

OK, I couldn't...

0:18:430:18:44

It's my maths.

0:18:440:18:46

-So, Wookalily.

-Multi-instrumentalists.

0:18:490:18:52

They were playing a whole variety of instruments.

0:18:520:18:54

-Lindsay was the singer. I loved her voice.

-The song was great.

0:18:540:18:58

The Devil's A Woman, yes. A lot of bitching in there.

0:18:580:19:01

It was very good, and it's got a strong country influence, you know,

0:19:010:19:04

all that shuffling snare drum.

0:19:040:19:07

In a weird way, it came from here in the first place.

0:19:080:19:11

Our tarmac-munching mega tour continues at pace.

0:19:150:19:19

This is pure love, isn't it? You can see it on stage.

0:19:280:19:31

You're still out there giving it attitude, it's fantastic.

0:19:310:19:34

350 miles and two countries down,

0:19:460:19:48

Midge's decision about which five bands are going to battle it out in

0:19:480:19:51

Belfast is getting tougher.

0:19:510:19:53

It's only right that the last leg of the tour should be in the spiritual

0:19:550:19:58

birthplace of music,

0:19:580:20:00

and I'm secretly hoping my country will do me proud.

0:20:000:20:03

Have you got any expectations, going to Wales?

0:20:030:20:05

It's a stereotypical cliche that the Welsh are all great singers.

0:20:050:20:08

The Welsh are all great singers, apart from choirs...

0:20:080:20:11

-I've heard you, so...

-And I absolutely...

0:20:110:20:13

You've broken the mould.

0:20:130:20:14

We're in the bosom of my home nation, heading for Cardiff,

0:20:140:20:17

and I've got an embarrassing confession to make

0:20:170:20:20

about how Midge's music shaped my early years.

0:20:200:20:23

If I think about Ultravox stuff,

0:20:230:20:25

which I was massively into as a kid...

0:20:250:20:27

You have excellent taste!

0:20:270:20:29

The Ultravox collection, that played...

0:20:290:20:31

That was my first, sort of, proper girlfriend, teenagers...

0:20:310:20:36

I don't know whether I should tell you this!

0:20:360:20:38

-..experimenting...

-You are sullying my songs.

0:20:380:20:40

We were at it to Dancing With Tears In My Eyes.

0:20:400:20:43

When you should have been at it to Vienna, you know,

0:20:430:20:46

especially the bit where it speeds up and then there's the big...

0:20:460:20:49

"Nothing to me!"

0:20:490:20:51

This means nothing to me, yeah.

0:20:510:20:53

-We had tears in our eyes, but for different reasons.

-Oh, dear.

0:20:530:20:57

What was it actually about?

0:20:570:20:58

You know when you take your two weeks away from work

0:20:580:21:01

-and you go on holiday and...

-Don't tell me Vienna was about a holiday?

0:21:010:21:04

-Well, kind of.

-A package holiday in Vienna!

0:21:040:21:07

So, you go to somewhere beautiful, like Vienna,

0:21:070:21:10

this crumbling, ancient old city,

0:21:100:21:13

you meet somebody and you vow that that wonderful moment

0:21:130:21:16

that you've had together will carry on when you get back

0:21:160:21:19

to your normal life, and, of course, the moment you get back

0:21:190:21:21

to your normal life, that moment disappears.

0:21:210:21:23

It means nothing to me any more.

0:21:230:21:25

So, are you telling me Vienna is a sort of arty Summer Loving?

0:21:250:21:28

Yeah.

0:21:280:21:30

# Summer Loving... # It's basically a holiday romance.

0:21:300:21:34

-Is that what it was?

-It's exactly that.

-No!

0:21:340:21:36

That's exactly what it is, yes.

0:21:360:21:38

# The image has gone only you and I

0:21:380:21:40

# It means nothing to me... #

0:21:400:21:41

So was it a woman in Vienna?

0:21:410:21:44

No, it wasn't, it was an absolute fantasy.

0:21:440:21:46

-I'd never been to Vienna.

-What?

-I'd read about it, you know, and...

0:21:460:21:49

Oh, my God. My whole childhood is going up in smoke.

0:21:490:21:51

Well, don't ask me the questions!

0:21:510:21:52

# Oh, Vienna... #

0:21:520:21:54

I don't want to burst people's bubbles.

0:21:540:21:56

You'll tell me David Bowie was never in space next.

0:21:560:21:59

There is no time to mend my shattered childhood,

0:22:040:22:06

cos we've got work to do,

0:22:060:22:07

on a picturesque, little industrial estate just outside Cardiff.

0:22:070:22:10

We're hunting down local rockers Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove.

0:22:100:22:15

When these self-confessed scuzz bombs

0:22:150:22:17

aren't chasing the rock and roll dragon,

0:22:170:22:20

band-mates Dan and Peanut...

0:22:200:22:21

-He's so strong.

-He only smells strong.

0:22:210:22:24

..are living a different dream.

0:22:240:22:26

Selling and repairing catering equipment.

0:22:260:22:28

The daily routine is after a gig or rehearsal,

0:22:320:22:35

get to bed in the morning,

0:22:350:22:38

and get up in the same morning, and come to work, bleary eyed.

0:22:380:22:41

We've got to install microwave ovens, custom kitchen deliveries,

0:22:430:22:47

got to move refrigerators.

0:22:470:22:49

HE LAUGHS

0:22:490:22:50

Money for nothing, mate.

0:22:510:22:53

Peanut and Dan first met when they were 17 on the dance floor

0:22:530:22:56

of a local rock club

0:22:560:22:58

and they've been making music together ever since.

0:22:580:23:00

And that's been made easier as their best mate is also their boss.

0:23:000:23:05

You need an understanding partner and an understanding boss

0:23:050:23:09

to make music work, yeah. I mean, if you haven't got those two things,

0:23:090:23:12

it's not happening, dead in the water.

0:23:120:23:14

When we're busy, it's two full-time jobs, pretty much,

0:23:140:23:17

as we'll come out of here, we'll have a rehearsal.

0:23:170:23:20

Gigs, sometimes two or three gigs a week,

0:23:200:23:22

so it does get absolutely mental.

0:23:220:23:24

Dan and I couldn't do it without each other, now.

0:23:240:23:26

THEY LAUGH

0:23:260:23:28

Musical soul mates, man.

0:23:280:23:30

# There she blows

0:23:430:23:45

# ..her everywhere... #

0:23:450:23:47

# Some things are better left alone

0:23:550:23:57

# And some things are better off left alone

0:23:570:24:01

# Some things are better off left... Left alone

0:24:010:24:05

# They have got a hold of you...

0:24:070:24:09

# Some things are better left alone

0:24:150:24:18

# Some things are better off left alone

0:24:180:24:20

# Some things are better off left alone... #

0:24:220:24:25

-Thank you very much. Cheers.

-Is this your smallest gig?

0:24:320:24:35

-Yeah, yeah!

-That was brilliant, thanks, guys. Thank you very, much.

0:24:350:24:38

I loved that. It's funny, when you come back to Wales, you do have a

0:24:380:24:40

little bit of investment, a little bit of ownership...

0:24:400:24:43

I thought you did us proud.

0:24:430:24:44

When we were in Scotland, you didn't give a shit about the band.

0:24:440:24:48

It was very powerful and it was...

0:24:480:24:50

It was lovely and tight and chunky and you've obviously been playing

0:24:500:24:53

together for a bit of time, haven't you?

0:24:530:24:55

For longer than we care to remember!

0:24:550:24:57

It's got that pub rock thing, that mid-70s in London or whatever,

0:24:570:25:00

the feel-goods, pure energy.

0:25:000:25:03

Fantastic. You were like a muppet, it was fabulous.

0:25:030:25:06

Your mouth was wide open.

0:25:060:25:08

-It was great.

-Animal.

0:25:090:25:11

-Animal, yeah.

-So, what's the situation at the moment, then?

0:25:110:25:13

-Does it pay for itself?

-We tried to give up our jobs, and we couldn't,

0:25:130:25:17

so we went back to work.

0:25:170:25:18

In the summer, with the festivals, we do generally play every weekend.

0:25:180:25:21

There was one gig where a girl just tore her clothes off

0:25:210:25:24

and threw herself down the front of the stage.

0:25:240:25:26

-What, she stripped all her clothes off?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:25:260:25:28

Pretty much everybody pulls at Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove.

0:25:280:25:31

So you whip them up into such a frenzy,

0:25:310:25:33

they all get off with each other?

0:25:330:25:35

We do want to be the band on stage at the party

0:25:350:25:37

-at the end of the world.

-Yeah!

0:25:370:25:39

Being the megastars we are, we'll be in a rocket, somewhere.

0:25:390:25:41

-Totally, totally.

-"See you, guys!"

0:25:410:25:44

You will be. I'll be standing, holding everyone's coats going,

0:25:440:25:47

"What's happening? Where's everyone gone?"

0:25:470:25:49

THEY LAUGH

0:25:490:25:52

Those grimy buggers have thrown a mangy cat amongst the pigeons.

0:25:520:25:55

-That's shaken things up a bit, Midge.

-In a great way, actually.

0:25:570:26:00

A really funny, likeable bunch of guys.

0:26:000:26:03

That was a real surprise, I wasn't expecting to see something go bang.

0:26:030:26:07

I can imagine, you know, watching them in a club somewhere,

0:26:070:26:10

sticky carpets, sweat running down the inside of the walls.

0:26:100:26:13

Knickers flying everywhere.

0:26:130:26:14

You've got to choose them, cos I want to go to a gig where

0:26:140:26:17

-everybody strips off and gets down to it.

-What, including me?

0:26:170:26:20

You don't want to see that!

0:26:200:26:22

Funnily enough, I didn't have you in my head when I was...

0:26:220:26:25

-Well, you have now!

-I have now! God...

0:26:250:26:28

Midge clearly seems to be enjoying himself. How could he not be?

0:26:310:26:35

We're in Cardiff, on the biggest tour of his career.

0:26:350:26:38

# I'm on my way from misery to happiness today. #

0:26:380:26:43

-Uh-huh.

-Uh-huh.

-Uh-huh.

-Uh-huh.

-What do you think of the new van?

0:26:430:26:47

-I liked the old one until you broke it!

-I didn't...

0:26:470:26:50

Our van blew up.

0:26:500:26:52

-How do you feel about skiffle, Midge?

-Uh...

0:26:570:27:01

-Skiffle? As in...

-You like a bit of skiffle?

0:27:010:27:03

-As in skiffle, yeah.

-As in tea chests and stuff?

0:27:030:27:05

As in, this isn't just chitchat.

0:27:050:27:07

-Oh, right, I thought...

-This isn't idle chitchat, mate.

0:27:070:27:09

We're going to see a skiffle band in Cardiff.

0:27:090:27:12

-I thought you genuinely wanted to know.

-No. Well, I do.

0:27:120:27:14

In a way, skiffle was the punk of its day.

0:27:140:27:16

You know, if you couldn't play an instrument,

0:27:160:27:19

you'd buy a tea chest and a broom handle and a bit of string and you

0:27:190:27:22

taught yourself how to play a one-string bass.

0:27:220:27:24

It was at transition between trad jazz and rock and roll.

0:27:240:27:28

John Lennon started out playing skiffle.

0:27:280:27:31

We are going to see a band called Railroad Bill.

0:27:310:27:35

# Way down in Soho

0:27:350:27:39

# Poor Rocky had to die

0:27:390:27:45

# Way down in Soho before the world began

0:27:450:27:49

# Way down in Soho before I was a man... #

0:27:490:27:52

The band first met at Aberystwyth University, so long ago,

0:27:520:27:56

Jesus was still best known as a carpenter.

0:27:560:27:58

Now all grown up, the band boast a history teacher,

0:28:030:28:06

two council workers, two IT geeks and, handy for any band,

0:28:060:28:10

a wine merchant.

0:28:100:28:12

CHEERING

0:28:170:28:19

Thank you very much for that. So, 30 years.

0:28:230:28:26

-That's amazing.

-30 years without any success whatsoever.

0:28:260:28:29

THEY LAUGH

0:28:290:28:31

Your song was great, cos it was so much of that era.

0:28:310:28:34

I wouldn't have been able to tell whether it was an original skiffle

0:28:340:28:37

-song or not.

-Dan and Chris tell good stories in the songs,

0:28:370:28:42

so the songs are entertaining.

0:28:420:28:43

We're both very traditional song writers

0:28:430:28:45

in the sense of verse, chorus, middle eights...

0:28:450:28:48

-Nothing fancy.

-We're clearly limited with instruments

0:28:480:28:51

and there's not a lot you can do.

0:28:510:28:53

You are with this.

0:28:530:28:55

I think I've probably taken it to the limits.

0:28:550:28:58

-Is this home-made?

-Yes. It literally is what it looks like.

0:28:580:29:01

-It's a tea chest.

-It's a tea chest from Kenya.

0:29:010:29:04

It's a broomstick, screwed to the corner of a tea chest,

0:29:040:29:07

with a bit of parachute cord.

0:29:070:29:09

So, when you formed the band,

0:29:090:29:10

were you looking to do that as a full-time thing?

0:29:100:29:13

I think one of the big mistakes that young bands do is look in a very

0:29:130:29:17

linear way at making it, rather than having a good time,

0:29:170:29:22

keeping going, enjoying themselves and being able to do this

0:29:220:29:26

into their 50s, and I think it's a shame,

0:29:260:29:28

because there are so many other ways you can make music.

0:29:280:29:31

What do you make of them?

0:29:350:29:37

Real buzz, real lovely stuff.

0:29:370:29:39

But it's so diverse from everything else that we've seen.

0:29:390:29:42

It's like dolly mixtures. Which one is your favourite?

0:29:420:29:45

It's really difficult to choose.

0:29:450:29:47

These guys, I thought, were just vibey, fun...

0:29:470:29:50

I was floored when they said they had been together for 30 years.

0:29:500:29:56

I mean, that's some drive, to take that through all the highs and lows

0:29:560:29:59

that those guys have been through.

0:29:590:30:01

-If Madness and Lonnie Donegan and Chas and Dave...

-The Pogues...

0:30:010:30:05

..all crashed into each other, this band would pop out the middle.

0:30:050:30:09

# Well, it's a hard road Dead or alive

0:30:120:30:15

# Well, it's a hard road Dead or alive... #

0:30:150:30:18

I think Wales are punching above their weight.

0:30:180:30:21

I've been really chuffed that they've been excellent.

0:30:210:30:25

So, can you stop sticking £20 notes under my door every night?

0:30:250:30:28

I don't want to sway you, but you should definitely choose

0:30:280:30:31

-the two Welsh bands we've seen so far.

-Subtle as usual.

0:30:310:30:34

Do you have a clear idea in your head so far

0:30:340:30:37

of who your favourite is?

0:30:370:30:38

There are a handful of very, very strong contenders.

0:30:380:30:43

This is about the best part-time bands, so you've got...

0:30:430:30:47

I think I've got to think of, "If I was standing here,

0:30:470:30:49

"watching an entire gig, would I love this?"

0:30:490:30:52

And that criteria alone makes it a little bit easier.

0:30:520:30:55

So, you've got two Welsh ones so far - who else?

0:30:550:30:57

MIDGE LAUGHS

0:30:570:30:59

It's a difficult moment for me, as I have to break it to Midge

0:31:000:31:04

that we only have one more band left to see.

0:31:040:31:06

We are off to the infamous Welsh town of Pontypool.

0:31:060:31:11

We are going to see a nine-piece R&B...

0:31:110:31:15

When I say R&B, I mean old-school R&B, they got together...

0:31:150:31:18

Well, in 1963, they supported The Who, these guys.

0:31:180:31:22

They have got a combined age, I can tell you, of about 850,

0:31:220:31:27

-and I'm not exaggerating.

-Hold on, how many are there?

-Nine.

0:31:270:31:30

-You do the maths.

-Old-school R&B, rhythm and blues, it's the Stones...

0:31:300:31:34

I presume these guys are old-school R&B.

0:31:340:31:36

Maybe they're not. Maybe they're, like, Rihanna and that.

0:31:360:31:40

So, these men are reputed up to the age of 90

0:31:400:31:44

-are going to do some twerking for us?

-Yeah!

0:31:440:31:47

Pieces Of Mind are playing a gig to friends and family

0:31:490:31:52

over 50 years on from supporting The Who.

0:31:520:31:55

I was offered £1,100 for that.

0:31:550:31:58

These pensioners make the Cardiff skiffle band

0:31:580:32:01

look like S Club Juniors.

0:32:010:32:02

Nonstop dancing, they've all got nonstop dancing, 7:30 to 11,

0:32:020:32:06

12 shillings and sixpence.

0:32:060:32:07

And late buses back to Newport.

0:32:070:32:09

All of them have got late buses, "Don't worry. Don't panic."

0:32:090:32:13

This is gold dust. This is fantastic stuff.

0:32:130:32:16

# Early in the morning 'bout the break of day

0:32:230:32:26

# That's when my baby went away

0:32:280:32:31

# Come back, baby, I wish you would

0:32:330:32:35

# Try and love me You won't do no good

0:32:380:32:40

# Come on, now

0:32:440:32:46

# On my way

0:32:490:32:51

# Ow

0:32:510:32:52

# I wish you would. #

0:33:010:33:04

APPLAUSE

0:33:070:33:09

Thank you.

0:33:090:33:10

-How are you doing, man? Fantastic. How are you doing?

-Awesome.

0:33:100:33:15

-Are you sure you're all in the band?

-Here, we've lost a couple.

0:33:160:33:21

-A couple, unfortunately.

-We lost one last week, unfortunately, as well.

0:33:210:33:24

One of the band died last week?

0:33:240:33:26

Yeah, and then we lost a drummer last year.

0:33:260:33:28

Thank fuck we got two others.

0:33:280:33:30

What, one and a spare?

0:33:310:33:32

We've still got five out of the original six left.

0:33:320:33:35

That's him, him, him, him and me.

0:33:350:33:38

In 2012, we were talking about

0:33:380:33:39

the Rolling Stones having their 50th anniversary,

0:33:390:33:42

so I said to Rob, "Pieces Of Mind have their 50th anniversary in 2013.

0:33:420:33:46

"Why don't we get together?"

0:33:460:33:49

Cos we hadn't seen each other for 50 years, whatever,

0:33:490:33:51

and so we got together in Wales, didn't fucking recognise anybody,

0:33:510:33:55

because obviously, we had barnets and that when we were kids,

0:33:550:33:58

and this one, because he's the leader of the pack, said,

0:33:580:34:02

"We should play." So, we do about half a dozen shows a year, now.

0:34:020:34:05

The posters out there, you've got, supporting The Who...

0:34:050:34:08

When we played with The Who, it was January '66.

0:34:080:34:11

We had the audacity to finish with My Generation,

0:34:110:34:14

which was number one for them at the time.

0:34:140:34:16

So, we come back down into the dressing room

0:34:160:34:19

and Daltrey has got Pete Townshend up against the wall,

0:34:190:34:22

cos they're off their tits, Townshend and Moon,

0:34:220:34:24

and I said to Ducksy, "There's no fucking way

0:34:240:34:26

"this lot are going to stay together."

0:34:260:34:28

So, you obviously know how to ingratiate yourselves with the bands

0:34:280:34:31

you're playing with, by playing their current hit before they do!

0:34:310:34:34

Well, I can't make Vienna, otherwise we would have done that for you.

0:34:340:34:37

How the hell do you get together for rehearsals?

0:34:370:34:40

-We don't rehearse.

-I'm glad YOU said that!

0:34:400:34:43

LAUGHTER

0:34:430:34:45

Midge, you're going to get a kick in the bollocks!

0:34:450:34:48

That's how I can still hit the high notes in Vienna!

0:34:480:34:50

Oh...Welsh cakes all round.

0:34:560:34:59

Not that they were trying to bribe us.

0:34:590:35:01

Of course not! But they were brilliant,

0:35:010:35:04

and they kind of epitomise what this is all about.

0:35:040:35:07

You know, they're a band who broke up for 40 years.

0:35:070:35:09

Stonkingly good, now.

0:35:090:35:11

The three Welsh bands we've seen here are really good. Very proud.

0:35:110:35:15

-Stop it.

-Very proud. Nothing to do with being Welsh.

0:35:150:35:17

Think about it while you have that Welsh cake.

0:35:170:35:19

Is this... Is this, kind of...?

0:35:190:35:21

You have that, don't let that influence your decision.

0:35:210:35:24

So, Midge, has this trip been the greatest touring experience

0:35:270:35:30

-of your life?

-I've had an absolute ball.

0:35:300:35:32

Was it just me or was it partly the bands and things as well?

0:35:320:35:35

Oh, no, it was all you!

0:35:350:35:37

Always all you.

0:35:370:35:39

I didn't know what to expect.

0:35:390:35:40

-Are you surprised?

-Hugely surprised.

0:35:400:35:43

Some of the bands are just...

0:35:430:35:45

exceptional, and incredibly diverse -

0:35:450:35:49

the cross-section of musics, age groups...

0:35:490:35:52

Which made it even harder to try and decide

0:35:520:35:55

who you'd like to see again,

0:35:550:35:57

but I am trying to do it just simply from

0:35:570:36:00

the sensation you felt when you saw the band perform.

0:36:000:36:03

After six days and over 700 miles,

0:36:070:36:10

our monster road trip in the love bus is over.

0:36:100:36:13

This is it, mate. 'And Midge has chosen his favourite five

0:36:130:36:16

to follow in the footsteps of the Arctic Monkeys,

0:36:160:36:19

Blur and the Strokes,

0:36:190:36:21

by playing the legendary Limelight in Belfast.

0:36:210:36:24

So, Midgeroo, who's made it through?'

0:36:240:36:27

Strangely enough, they're two Scottish acts

0:36:270:36:29

and two Welsh acts and one local Belfast act.

0:36:290:36:32

All-girl band Wookalily.

0:36:350:36:36

-Wookalily.

-Country rock.

0:36:360:36:38

Multi-instrumentalists and they're really talented girls.

0:36:380:36:41

We've got GT's Boos Band from Glasgow.

0:36:420:36:44

Bombskare, a brilliant ska band.

0:36:460:36:48

Just so full of power, it's fabulous.

0:36:500:36:52

Johnny Cage and the Voodoogroove.

0:36:550:36:58

You know, real energy.

0:36:580:36:59

And Pieces Of Mind, a band who supported The Who in 1966.

0:36:590:37:05

-They broke up for...

-45 years, I think it was.

0:37:050:37:07

..and got back together again.

0:37:070:37:09

It kind of epitomises the whole idea of a part-time band.

0:37:090:37:13

It's going to be buzzing in here. You know, Friday night, Belfast,

0:37:130:37:16

-it's going to be phenomenal.

-Awesome. Good choices.

0:37:160:37:19

-Good choices, Midge.

-Thank you.

0:37:190:37:21

Once he's seen how the five bands perform

0:37:250:37:26

in front of a capacity crowd,

0:37:260:37:28

Midge must choose which two will go through to the grand final.

0:37:280:37:32

It's a big step up from the rehearsal rooms,

0:37:340:37:36

pubs and clubs we have seen them in,

0:37:360:37:38

and the sound check is a chance to iron out any technical issues.

0:37:380:37:42

Because the girls aren't a rock band, like the rest,

0:37:420:37:44

can you pump their overall level up a bit?

0:37:440:37:47

Going through to the regional heats was just really exciting.

0:37:490:37:52

Our families were really delighted whenever we got through.

0:37:520:37:55

Just completely over the moon.

0:37:550:37:57

Excited or nervous?

0:37:570:37:59

-A bit of both?

-I'm nervous.

-I'm quite nervous.

0:37:590:38:02

Excited nervousness.

0:38:020:38:03

But you want that, don't you? That's what makes you step that extra...

0:38:030:38:07

For GT's Boos Band, tonight's gig is a step up the ladder.

0:38:080:38:13

But ironically for lead singer Greig,

0:38:130:38:15

it is also a chance to step down off the ladder.

0:38:150:38:17

Yesterday, I was out in the snow, cleaning windows.

0:38:180:38:21

Then I was getting picked up two hours later

0:38:210:38:23

to come here and do this.

0:38:230:38:25

You can play all your life and never get a tiny, tiny step,

0:38:260:38:30

so it's really nice to have a little insight to that.

0:38:300:38:33

It is really interesting that this is the first time

0:38:330:38:35

they've actually seen each other, these bands.

0:38:350:38:38

Till now, they didn't know who they were up against.

0:38:380:38:40

How does it feel, watching the other bands?

0:38:440:38:46

The ones we've seen have been fantastic.

0:38:460:38:48

-The competition is tough.

-The competition is tough, I have to say.

0:38:490:38:52

It made me a little bit nervous, man, yeah, yeah.

0:38:520:38:54

I don't get nervous often, but, yeah, yeah.

0:38:540:38:56

Win, lose or draw,

0:38:570:38:59

-tonight, we are going to...

-Win.

-Yeah.

0:38:590:39:02

Basically. If I've got to pick three, it's got to be win.

0:39:020:39:06

It's scary and exciting for them.

0:39:080:39:10

As long as they control it and look to the right direction,

0:39:100:39:13

then the only direction for them is forwards.

0:39:130:39:16

I want to see that spark,

0:39:160:39:17

I want to see it come alight in front of a crowd.

0:39:170:39:19

Sound check over, it's showtime.

0:39:210:39:23

GT's Boos Band!

0:39:230:39:25

Fans and family have travelled from all over the UK to be here.

0:39:250:39:30

Stirling, Newcastle, by boat, by sea, by plane...

0:39:300:39:33

We are from South Wales and we are supporting Pieces Of Mind.

0:39:340:39:37

THEY SHOUT

0:39:380:39:40

Please welcome to the stage Rhod Gilbert

0:39:410:39:43

and the legend that is Midge Ure!

0:39:430:39:45

CHEERING

0:39:450:39:46

Hello! Give it up, give it up, let me hear you!

0:39:460:39:50

Are you excited?

0:39:500:39:52

-ALL:

-Yes!

-Welcome to the UK's Best Part-time Band.

0:39:520:39:55

There's no prize, no recording contract, no Christmas number one.

0:39:550:39:58

There's fuck all. Nothing.

0:39:580:40:00

It's a pointless waste of time, the whole thing.

0:40:000:40:04

But we're here for the love of music, that is it.

0:40:040:40:06

This is Midge. CHEERING

0:40:060:40:09

You are seeing the combined talents of Scotland...

0:40:090:40:12

CHEERING

0:40:120:40:14

..Wales... CHEERING

0:40:140:40:17

..and Northern Ireland.

0:40:170:40:19

CHEERING

0:40:190:40:20

Midge selected them all.

0:40:200:40:23

-Do I get to speak?

-Yeah.

0:40:230:40:25

Oh, right, OK. All right.

0:40:250:40:27

I thought it was only that fucker Geldof

0:40:270:40:29

-that stopped me from speaking.

-At last, he says it! At last.

0:40:290:40:33

30 years, we've been waiting for you to say that.

0:40:330:40:37

-30 years.

-Oh, I'll regret that!

0:40:370:40:40

Tonight, you are seeing five, and we are going to choose two,

0:40:400:40:43

which will go into the finals.

0:40:430:40:46

We've got window cleaners, we've got postmen, we've got firemen.

0:40:460:40:49

This is not karaoke.

0:40:490:40:50

This is proper music by people who love it.

0:40:500:40:53

Midge, the first band, from Scotland...

0:40:530:40:55

CHEERING

0:40:550:40:57

This is a band who will never, ever make any money

0:40:580:41:01

because there are so many of them.

0:41:010:41:03

But they were phenomenal, so you're in for a good time.

0:41:050:41:08

The most sober I have ever been before a gig, so I'm very nervous!

0:41:080:41:12

But when I tell you their name,

0:41:120:41:15

you'll realise why I am in a slightly awkward position.

0:41:150:41:18

Don't get me wrong, I like Belfast.

0:41:180:41:21

But...I've never had to bring on a band called Bombskare.

0:41:210:41:25

CHEERING AND WHOOPING

0:41:250:41:27

I'm glad you laughed at that!

0:41:290:41:31

Ladies and gentlemen of Belfast, for once, we can cheer for Bombskare!

0:41:330:41:38

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:41:380:41:40

Hello!

0:41:420:41:44

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are Bombskare!

0:41:440:41:48

Go!

0:41:530:41:54

# Don't you know that it's true that Big Brother's watching you?

0:42:040:42:08

# I'd rather have him watching me than watch Big Brother

0:42:090:42:13

# I don't mind standing in the front line where I can be seen

0:42:150:42:19

# Cos he knows where I am Where I'm going and where I've been

0:42:200:42:24

# You're all for us

0:42:260:42:28

# Or you're against us

0:42:280:42:31

PLAYS HARMONICA

0:42:420:42:45

# Woke up one morning to the crime of the century

0:42:470:42:51

# Wake up, can't you see? It's right in front of you

0:42:530:42:57

# Woke up one morning to the crime of the century

0:42:580:43:02

# Wake up, can't you see? It's right in front of you... #

0:43:040:43:08

CHEERING

0:43:110:43:13

It was excellent. Very good. Very pleased.

0:43:160:43:19

-Hell of a pace.

-A lot faster than the sound check.

0:43:190:43:22

-Yeah.

-That's pure excitement and adrenaline, I guess.

0:43:220:43:26

-It was fantastic. By the end, they were with us.

-They were there.

0:43:260:43:30

-One more song, we'd have been like...

-One more song.

0:43:300:43:33

-Just one more.

-We would have destroyed them.

0:43:330:43:35

CHEERING

0:43:350:43:38

Did you enjoy Bombskare?

0:43:380:43:40

CHEERING

0:43:400:43:41

The next band, ladies and gentlemen, are all the way from Belfast...

0:43:410:43:45

CHEERING

0:43:450:43:47

-How are you feeling?

-Excited!

-No pressure!

0:43:490:43:52

No pressure at all.

0:43:520:43:54

Any teachers in?

0:43:550:43:56

This band, some of them are teachers and classroom assistants.

0:43:560:44:00

Formed in Belfast... Don't start!

0:44:000:44:02

We could literally go up on stage and fart

0:44:040:44:07

and they would be like, "Yeah!"

0:44:070:44:09

This band uses lots of different instruments.

0:44:100:44:13

I got a mandolin and a ukulele mixed up and he ripped the shit out of me.

0:44:130:44:17

"Oh, fuck... What's the difference?"

0:44:170:44:20

One of us on stage knows something about music.

0:44:200:44:24

-Did you know that, about a mandolin and a ukulele?

-Yes!

0:44:250:44:28

-Oh, yeah, everybody knew, yeah? ALL:

-Yes!

0:44:280:44:31

All right. Ladies and gentlemen,

0:44:310:44:32

please welcome to the stage...Wookalily!

0:44:320:44:37

CHEERING

0:44:370:44:39

Calm down, calm down. Why are yous so excited?

0:44:390:44:42

# Half past 12 and I'm watching the late show

0:44:470:44:52

# In my flat all alone

0:44:520:44:55

# How I hate to spend the evening on my own

0:44:550:45:01

# Autumn winds blowing outside my window

0:45:010:45:07

# As I look around the room

0:45:070:45:09

# And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom

0:45:090:45:15

# Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

0:45:150:45:19

# Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?

0:45:190:45:23

# Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight

0:45:230:45:27

# Take me through the darkness to the break of the day... #

0:45:270:45:31

Woo!

0:45:370:45:38

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:45:450:45:47

Thank you, Belfast!

0:45:500:45:52

-That was great.

-That felt like a very genuine reaction, as well.

0:45:550:45:58

It wasn't just a home crowd being partisan.

0:45:580:46:00

I threw my sunglasses into the crowd.

0:46:000:46:02

But I really liked those glasses!

0:46:020:46:05

I was just taken up in the moment.

0:46:050:46:09

Give it up one more time for Wookalily!

0:46:090:46:11

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:46:110:46:13

Next band. Midge, they're from your neck of the woods, Scotland...

0:46:130:46:16

CHEERING

0:46:160:46:18

One of these men, yesterday,

0:46:190:46:22

was rescuing people from burning buildings, ladies and gentlemen.

0:46:220:46:25

He is a fireman.

0:46:250:46:27

Is that your fella?

0:46:270:46:28

One of these men - not quite as exciting - was delivering the mail.

0:46:300:46:33

One of them - even less exciting - was cleaning windows.

0:46:350:46:38

Tell me if you are up for a bit of blues.

0:46:380:46:40

CHEERING

0:46:400:46:42

-Here we go.

-They're absolutely amazing.

0:46:420:46:44

All the way from Scotland, it is GT's Boos Band!

0:46:440:46:47

CHEERING

0:46:470:46:50

Is everybody having a good time?

0:46:500:46:52

# Everybody's talking, baby

0:46:580:47:00

# About this crazy situation

0:47:000:47:02

# Everybody's walking, baby

0:47:050:47:08

# Just trying to escape this misery

0:47:080:47:12

# I'm blaming you for falling in love

0:47:140:47:18

# And now everybody knows

0:47:180:47:21

# Yeah, I've been angry, baby

0:47:240:47:27

# Cos you've been lying with other guys

0:47:270:47:30

# Now I find myself riding high lately

0:47:320:47:36

# To hide the evidence of some crime

0:47:360:47:40

# But I'm a man and I said no

0:47:400:47:43

# Now everybody knows

0:47:450:47:49

# Everybody knows! #

0:48:030:48:05

CHEERING

0:48:050:48:07

Thank you!

0:48:110:48:13

Thank you so much.

0:48:130:48:15

Whoa! You've got a fight on your hands, there, mate.

0:48:150:48:19

It was powerful, and the musicality was fantastic.

0:48:190:48:22

The guitarist is extremely good.

0:48:220:48:24

A very tricky thing to pull off, but they pulled it off, as you said,

0:48:240:48:27

with great aplomb.

0:48:270:48:28

Yeah, it is a great feeling for us to come and do that

0:48:280:48:31

and to get a response like that off the crowd was fantastic.

0:48:310:48:33

Just trying to calm down a wee bit.

0:48:330:48:35

Rhod, in the absence of Tom Jones, you are basically,

0:48:390:48:41

like, Wales personified, so...

0:48:410:48:43

So, we are doing this for you.

0:48:430:48:45

We are doing this for you and my nan.

0:48:450:48:47

CHEERING

0:48:490:48:51

The next band are from Cardiff.

0:48:510:48:53

CHEERING AND BOOING

0:48:530:48:55

-That was a boo!

-Oh!

0:48:560:48:59

Right, someone is having it, now.

0:48:590:49:01

They describe their own music as

0:49:010:49:03

Cuban dirty rock and roll rockabilly...

0:49:030:49:07

It's rock and roll, it's proper rock. It's great.

0:49:070:49:09

You say it's rock and roll.

0:49:090:49:10

I would describe it as standing on a dirty needle...

0:49:100:49:14

in a good way.

0:49:140:49:16

If that makes any sense.

0:49:170:49:19

Give a massive, warm Belfast welcome for

0:49:190:49:22

Johnny Cage and the Voodoogroove!

0:49:220:49:26

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:49:260:49:27

-Good evening, Belfast, what's happening?

-So many Celts.

0:49:290:49:32

It's fucking beautiful.

0:49:320:49:33

# Edna Milton in a drop dead suit

0:50:110:50:15

# Dutch Pink on a downtown train

0:50:150:50:18

# Two dollar pistol and her gun won't shoot

0:50:180:50:22

# I'm in a corner on the pouring rain

0:50:220:50:25

# 16 men on a dead man's chest

0:50:250:50:28

# And I've been drinking from a broken cup

0:50:280:50:32

# Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest

0:50:320:50:36

# I'm full of bourbon and I can't stand up

0:50:360:50:39

# Hey, little bird Fly away home

0:50:390:50:42

# Your house is on fire Your kids are alone

0:50:420:50:45

# Hey, little bird Fly away home

0:50:450:50:48

# Your house is on fire Your kids are alone

0:50:480:50:52

# I said hey, little bird Fly away home

0:51:060:51:09

# Your house is on fire Your kids are gone

0:51:090:51:12

# I said hey, little bird Fly away home

0:51:120:51:15

# Your house is on fire Your kids are gone. #

0:51:150:51:19

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:51:190:51:21

Yes!

0:51:220:51:24

I'm watching this, and it's great that...

0:51:270:51:29

They turned it up to 11.

0:51:290:51:31

The drummer looks like the sort of boy

0:51:310:51:33

you'd want your daughter to bring home,

0:51:330:51:37

-until you see him play!

-I know!

0:51:370:51:39

-Unbelievable.

-He's determined to break the drum kit.

0:51:390:51:42

Great musicians. Guitarist is very good.

0:51:420:51:44

The singer is excellent, I think.

0:51:440:51:46

CHEERING Ladies and gentlemen,

0:51:480:51:51

what did we think of Johnny Cage and the Voodoogroove?

0:51:510:51:54

CHEERING Next band.

0:51:540:51:57

They are from a little place called Pontypool in the Welsh valleys.

0:51:570:52:01

As we pulled up in front of what looked like a little scout hut

0:52:010:52:04

in the middle of nowhere, Rhod said,

0:52:040:52:07

"The combined age of this band

0:52:070:52:10

"is 860, or something."

0:52:100:52:13

THEY LAUGH

0:52:130:52:17

One of them is called Ducksy.

0:52:170:52:19

I asked, "Why are you called Ducksy?"

0:52:190:52:21

All the others went, "Cos he used to wank off swans in the park."

0:52:210:52:24

So, I said the obvious question - "Why aren't you called Swansy?"

0:52:240:52:28

He says, "Because it's a town."

0:52:280:52:30

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up, all the way from Wales,

0:52:300:52:33

it's Pieces Of Mind!

0:52:330:52:35

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:52:350:52:36

Ducksy...

0:52:390:52:41

# A gypsy woman told my momma Before I was born

0:52:500:52:54

# Got a boy child comin'

0:52:540:52:57

# Gon' be a son of a gun

0:52:570:53:00

# Make pretty women jump and shout

0:53:000:53:06

# Then the world gon' know

0:53:060:53:09

# What it's all about

0:53:090:53:11

# You know I'm him

0:53:110:53:13

# Everybody knows I'm him

0:53:150:53:17

# Woo!

0:53:200:53:22

# I'm the hoochie coochie man

0:53:220:53:25

# Everybody knows I'm him

0:53:250:53:28

# I'm a hoochie coochie man

0:53:500:53:52

# Everybody knows I'm him, yeah. #

0:53:540:53:59

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:53:590:54:01

They were really good, yeah, really good.

0:54:010:54:03

And they don't care about anything. They're just partying on,

0:54:030:54:07

just having a good time.

0:54:070:54:08

-Yeah, a great lesson to us all, you know?

-I know, yeah.

0:54:080:54:11

Midge and I retire backstage to mull over his decision

0:54:130:54:16

as to which two bands will progress to the grand final in Manchester.

0:54:160:54:21

Where are my Welsh cakes when I need them?

0:54:210:54:23

You're going to have to kill off some bands that I love.

0:54:230:54:25

-Yes.

-Because you've got to put two through.

0:54:250:54:27

It's very difficult to try and choose

0:54:270:54:30

between different types of music.

0:54:300:54:32

The running order is always awkward for people,

0:54:320:54:35

can somebody has got to go on first,

0:54:350:54:36

you've got to follow a really powerful band

0:54:360:54:38

with a really intimate little thing.

0:54:380:54:40

There is a reason that all those bands were there today.

0:54:400:54:42

They were fantastic, they were phenomenal.

0:54:420:54:44

I really didn't expect that.

0:54:440:54:45

The audience loved it.

0:54:450:54:47

But you can only choose between

0:54:470:54:50

who made the impact to you personally on the day.

0:54:500:54:54

And I think two bands, who are incredibly consistent,

0:54:540:54:57

every time we've seen them, and they just...excelled tonight.

0:54:570:55:02

All right, mate, let's just go down and do it.

0:55:020:55:04

-Yeah.

-You do it.

-Absolutely.

-You do it.

-All right...coward.

0:55:040:55:08

Ladies and gentlemen...give it up!

0:55:100:55:13

It's decision time.

0:55:130:55:16

Which is probably why Midge is taking a while to get here.

0:55:160:55:18

I know he's not looking forward to this.

0:55:180:55:20

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to bring the bands back on.

0:55:200:55:23

You saw Pieces Of Mind...

0:55:230:55:24

CHEERING

0:55:240:55:26

Wookalily...

0:55:280:55:30

CHEERING

0:55:300:55:31

Ladies and gentlemen, you saw Bombskare.

0:55:310:55:33

CHEERING

0:55:330:55:35

Give it up for Johnny Cage and the Voodoogroove.

0:55:350:55:39

CHEERING

0:55:390:55:41

GT's Boos Band!

0:55:410:55:43

CHEERING

0:55:430:55:45

One big cheer for all the bands you've seen,

0:55:450:55:47

because three of them are going to go out tonight, unfortunately.

0:55:470:55:50

Midge, just before we come to the decision bit,

0:55:500:55:53

overall, how has it been for you?

0:55:530:55:54

I don't want to get too serious about it.

0:55:540:55:57

Our music industry has been hijacked.

0:55:570:56:00

It's been taken over by...

0:56:000:56:02

CHEERING

0:56:020:56:05

It's been taken over by mediocrity. It's dreadful.

0:56:050:56:09

It's a cardinal sin that artists and bands like this

0:56:110:56:16

can't make a living from making music.

0:56:160:56:19

There's no commercial break, there's no pregnant pause.

0:56:210:56:24

Midge, just tell us who you've chosen.

0:56:240:56:26

I said there's no pause - just tell us.

0:56:270:56:31

Tell them, or I will.

0:56:310:56:32

The first band through...

0:56:320:56:35

Bombskare.

0:56:350:56:37

CHEERING

0:56:370:56:39

Second band through...

0:56:490:56:51

Johnny Cage.

0:56:510:56:53

CHEERING

0:56:530:56:55

Thank you very, very, very, very much.

0:56:580:57:00

Bombskare have something.

0:57:050:57:08

They just...

0:57:080:57:10

It's like lighting a touchpaper on a firework and standing back

0:57:100:57:14

and this thing just explodes.

0:57:140:57:16

We might be the best zero-hours contract band in the UK!

0:57:160:57:21

Johnny Cage - when they got out in front of a crowd,

0:57:220:57:25

they completely outstripped everyone else.

0:57:250:57:28

-Outstanding.

-I feel lubricated...

0:57:280:57:31

No, I feel salubricated.

0:57:310:57:33

I feel supercilious, superseded...

0:57:330:57:35

I feel wonderful.

0:57:350:57:37

It was an experience and I will take that experience away.

0:57:370:57:39

A really positive thing. Meeting all the other bands, too.

0:57:390:57:43

The best two won, man. Fucking awesome.

0:57:440:57:47

This lot were fucking outrageous.

0:57:470:57:49

A little disappointed,

0:57:500:57:52

but we just love the fact that a real band like ours,

0:57:520:57:55

with real stories and real music

0:57:550:57:57

is getting a chance to do what we do best.

0:57:570:57:59

Next time...

0:58:010:58:02

Starting early. We got the police behind us.

0:58:020:58:04

You brought the heat on us.

0:58:040:58:06

Never had so many men in my bedroom.

0:58:060:58:09

Even though they are a part-time band...

0:58:090:58:11

..all of them have got full-time passion.

0:58:130:58:15

# Hey! You! What do you see? #

0:58:150:58:17

How long did it take you to think of that?

0:58:170:58:20

About an hour and a half.

0:58:200:58:21

Let's do it.

0:58:210:58:23

-Ooh...!

-Maybe not.

-I'm not in a band.

0:58:230:58:26

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