Fflaps, 4Q @ Albion, Bangor

Neil Crud – 4Q
(taken from This Patch of Land)

A month to the day after our live debut 4Q headed to Bangor to play with Fflaps, ‘We’re headlining tonight as you’re on our patch now!’ announced Ann as we stumbled into the venue for tonight’s show. The Albion Vaults is not renowned for its musical entertainment was also not designed for it. The bands had to move the pool table against a wall, set their back line up on it and squeeze the drums into the corner. All this in a room the size of a lounge!

There was a buzz around Bangor and a lot of people tried to get in to see the show, which meant because of the size of the place, there was going to be disappointed punters. Those who managed to see the bands were given what was becoming a typical bout of 4Q entertainment; loads of noise but not much music coupled with loads of abuse but all good humoured. One of Edi’s old schoolmates introduced us, ‘Ladies and gentlemen… Johnny Rawhide and the Cowhorns.’

It was Edi’s finest hour, the majority of the crowd had seen us now for the third time and knew the script; whatever they threw at Edi they’d get it back ten fold with humour and abuse. He didn’t let them down, and even invited Jez from the Paraletics to scream during the chorus of Video Party.
4Q finished with a cover of The Scraps‘ song Alcoloos, which Dave Macher later explained, ‘The fab four experimented with instrumentalism with this live classic, after failing miserably with their version of the Fleetwood Mac smash Albatross, Alcoloos made an appearance and became the sing-a-long hook of the year. This was Chelsea Dagger before it’s time. This was the one the Kaiser Chiefs could have recorded but didn’t. This was Alcoloos.’

Fflaps’ set was their best so far, it looked like they’d had a row before hand as they were very abrupt, tense, and giving each other dirty looks and it was reflected in the angry mis-chords that screamed from the amplifiers, to top it all Johnny Flaps kicked his drum kit at Alan and Ann and stormed off to wind up a cool evening

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