And so it was onwards to Sunday and the long journey from Northampton to Brighton for the final part of our weekend. Back in September Jamie and Anna very kindly bought me tickets to see the Kaiser Chiefs at the Brighton Centre and the date of the gig fell brilliantly on the day following the trip to Forest.
So with a Sausage sandwich to see us off, we headed south in an attempt to get to Brighton in time to catch the afternoon’s football and to grab some lunch. We decided to pick a random place for a stop off en route to see if we could explore another unknown gem to add to the collection.
Now the type of place we look for is certainly not the obvious places, the ones that everyone will think of stopping at. Oh no, we’re looking for silly place names, strange looking monuments or anything that’s just slightly out of the ordinary. Fair to say our first attempt at pulling into a mini town fell on bad ground as we ended up turning into the awfulness that is Crawley and not being able to escape! There really is nothing in Crawley apart from a few new houses and the obligatory man walking his dog. We found our escape eventually and the a few minutes later we had found it, for, at the other side of the service station was the superbly names Pease Pottage!
Pease Pottage is a small village which was just down the road from Crawley and just outside Horsham. Pease Pottage is also the former name of pease pudding, a dish that was served to convicts from London who were on their way to ports on the south coast.
It was a quiet day in Pottage land as we entered and parked up next to one of the villages’ two pubs, The Swan Inn, for a quick coke. The man with his dog was back but there was much more of a homely feel to Pease Pottage than there was at Crawley just up the road. A quick drink later and we were away, satisfied that our need for a random new place of discovery was complete.
We arrived in Brighton and went in search for a parking spot, something harder than it seems on a Sunday afternoon…anyone would think it was Christmas time with the amount of cars about. We eventually plumped for a side road about fifteen minutes walk from the Brighton Centre but walking down steep hills to get to the centre of town we realised the walk back could be tricky!
Looking for a suitable place for food and drink that was also showing the games, it was very handy that a Walkabout pub was situation just across the road from the Brighton Centre. As we took in “Grand Slam Sunday” and scoffed down a huge burger, the night drew in outside and it was time for the gig.
After a couple of support acts, the first being Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jongs, a high tempo outfit that set the mood well despite being a little grumpy, and the second the Cribs who I was a little disappointed with, the Kaiser Chiefs made their entrance.
Back in 2005, my 21st birthday produced a rather strange incident made us see a nut that was shaped like a rabbit and we began to sing “I predict a rabbit” instead of the famous Chiefs lyrics. Since then, every time it comes on, all that were involved cannot help but put two hands to our heads in a rabbit ear style. You had to be there I think.
The Chiefs didn’t disappoint. From the first notes of Everything is Average nowadays through their greatest hits and top new songs from their album Yours Truly Angry Mob. One teenage fan had his night made after his crowd-surfing antics caught the attention of Ricky Wilson and he dragged the youngster up onto the stage. He was granted access to sing along and dance with the band and will truly have an unbelievable story to tell his mates in the playground tomorrow!
For I Predict a Riot, Wilson stormed into the crowd and positioned himself up a pole and his energy throughout the gig made the evening. After dedicating one of the encore songs to the on looking Fat Boy Slim, Norman Cook himself, the band finished with an awesome finale of Oh My God.
It was a gig for all ages and the Chiefs’ wide appeal was highlighted by the family sitting next to us as the parents were getting into the gig as much, if not more than their kids! The same can’t be said for the grumpy couple sitting next to Jamie though who, despite the whole tier of seats standing up for the last few songs, remained in theirs seats looking utterly disappointed that they were there!
All in all a fantastic night to round off a weekend that will take some beating! The Cobblers got an unlikely point in a pulsating game at Forest, we found a new quote in the chip shop, a new place in Sussex and watched one of the best bands around in their prime.
Arriving back to Southampton at 1:30am, we were shattered but it was well worth it. One thing the Kaiser Chiefs are wrong about….everything certainly isn’t just average nowadays!
So with a Sausage sandwich to see us off, we headed south in an attempt to get to Brighton in time to catch the afternoon’s football and to grab some lunch. We decided to pick a random place for a stop off en route to see if we could explore another unknown gem to add to the collection.
Now the type of place we look for is certainly not the obvious places, the ones that everyone will think of stopping at. Oh no, we’re looking for silly place names, strange looking monuments or anything that’s just slightly out of the ordinary. Fair to say our first attempt at pulling into a mini town fell on bad ground as we ended up turning into the awfulness that is Crawley and not being able to escape! There really is nothing in Crawley apart from a few new houses and the obligatory man walking his dog. We found our escape eventually and the a few minutes later we had found it, for, at the other side of the service station was the superbly names Pease Pottage!
Pease Pottage is a small village which was just down the road from Crawley and just outside Horsham. Pease Pottage is also the former name of pease pudding, a dish that was served to convicts from London who were on their way to ports on the south coast.
It was a quiet day in Pottage land as we entered and parked up next to one of the villages’ two pubs, The Swan Inn, for a quick coke. The man with his dog was back but there was much more of a homely feel to Pease Pottage than there was at Crawley just up the road. A quick drink later and we were away, satisfied that our need for a random new place of discovery was complete.
We arrived in Brighton and went in search for a parking spot, something harder than it seems on a Sunday afternoon…anyone would think it was Christmas time with the amount of cars about. We eventually plumped for a side road about fifteen minutes walk from the Brighton Centre but walking down steep hills to get to the centre of town we realised the walk back could be tricky!
Looking for a suitable place for food and drink that was also showing the games, it was very handy that a Walkabout pub was situation just across the road from the Brighton Centre. As we took in “Grand Slam Sunday” and scoffed down a huge burger, the night drew in outside and it was time for the gig.
After a couple of support acts, the first being Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jongs, a high tempo outfit that set the mood well despite being a little grumpy, and the second the Cribs who I was a little disappointed with, the Kaiser Chiefs made their entrance.
Back in 2005, my 21st birthday produced a rather strange incident made us see a nut that was shaped like a rabbit and we began to sing “I predict a rabbit” instead of the famous Chiefs lyrics. Since then, every time it comes on, all that were involved cannot help but put two hands to our heads in a rabbit ear style. You had to be there I think.
The Chiefs didn’t disappoint. From the first notes of Everything is Average nowadays through their greatest hits and top new songs from their album Yours Truly Angry Mob. One teenage fan had his night made after his crowd-surfing antics caught the attention of Ricky Wilson and he dragged the youngster up onto the stage. He was granted access to sing along and dance with the band and will truly have an unbelievable story to tell his mates in the playground tomorrow!
For I Predict a Riot, Wilson stormed into the crowd and positioned himself up a pole and his energy throughout the gig made the evening. After dedicating one of the encore songs to the on looking Fat Boy Slim, Norman Cook himself, the band finished with an awesome finale of Oh My God.
It was a gig for all ages and the Chiefs’ wide appeal was highlighted by the family sitting next to us as the parents were getting into the gig as much, if not more than their kids! The same can’t be said for the grumpy couple sitting next to Jamie though who, despite the whole tier of seats standing up for the last few songs, remained in theirs seats looking utterly disappointed that they were there!
All in all a fantastic night to round off a weekend that will take some beating! The Cobblers got an unlikely point in a pulsating game at Forest, we found a new quote in the chip shop, a new place in Sussex and watched one of the best bands around in their prime.
Arriving back to Southampton at 1:30am, we were shattered but it was well worth it. One thing the Kaiser Chiefs are wrong about….everything certainly isn’t just average nowadays!
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