Tuesday 6 March 2018

Gigging, ligging and leek pie - Part 2


I said I would explain about the leek pie.

Leek pie has become synonymous with my memories of travelling around the country to gigs with my boyfriend’s anarcho punk band in the early ‘80s.  Leek pie!

It really wasn’t very rock’n’roll, was it?  Where were the tour rider requests with their bizarre demands to remove all the brown M&Ms (except of course we called them Treets back then) from the sweet bowl?  I mean, what sweet bowl? 

After travelling for hours to anonymous towns, taking wrong turns and arriving just in time to use the loo and for the band to soundcheck and prepare before the doors opened to the black-clad masses, there was rarely time to check out the local Chinese or chippy.  So it became the norm to take your own food – crisps perhaps, you might think, or Mars Bars - the sort of thing you could stuff into a jacket pocket and get a quick sugar and salt fix from. 

But with anarcho punk being all about doing it yourself, rejecting capitalist values and, in particular, strong views on vegetarianism, maybe there was resistance to this level of conformity from some quarters?   So one of the girlfriends began - very sweetly, really - to bring her home cooking to gigs in a Tupperware dish. 

I remember it well, arriving at Birmingham Digbeth Civic Hall, with its grandiose interior, all decorative ceilings and high windows, and as the band finished unloading their gear, a voice rang out: 

“Would anyone like some leek pie?”

I mean, I do like leeks, and it would have been great at any other time, but they are notorious for repeating on you and, I don’t know, what with it being served cold and the insides being a bit gooey and the pastry being rather flaky, it just wasn’t obvious pre-gig food.   And, this is going to sound really mean, but the whole hippie-commune-knit-your-own-yoghurt aspect of it just… well, forgive me, but... it can just seem a little too earnest.   There’s a fine line between earnest and sanctimonious and the home-made leek pie was in danger of crossing it.

That gig went very well in all respects apart from some shitty little dickheads at the front who decided to gob at the band by way of showing their appreciation.  Some of this landed on my boyfriend’s guitar and shirt.  Ironically, I have to say it looked not unlike the contents of a leek pie.   If only it had been - it would have saved all that worry about Hepatitis B.

There’s more irony to come.  Many years later the band played a reunion gig at quite a large, well-known venue and, things being so different this time around, there was a proper dressing room (with comfy armchairs and a clean loo and everything!) and… guess what?.... a gig rider!

Some food and drink was laid out by the venue staff on a little table, plenty for everyone, band and entourage.  Several cans of lager, Mars Bars and lots of packets of crisps.  I had to laugh when I saw most of them were Smokey Bacon flavour.

16 comments:

  1. Mars bars, smokey bacon flavour crisps.... what are you doing to me, C? ;)

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    1. I was hoping the reference to the vile habits of a some reprobate members of the audience would put you off for a while!

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    2. I've glossed over those...

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  2. 'Knit-your-own yoghurt'. Ha. Brilliant.

    Leek pie and anarcho punk- natural bedfellows perhaps but like you not what I'd want as a pre-gig feed.

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    1. Knit-your-own-yoghurt or even knit-your-own-yurt - you know what I'm saying...
      Yes, a great pie to eat at home but just not right for the moment somehow. All well-intentioned but it's funny how someone's show of virtue can misfire.

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  3. Never mind the vile habits here's the pie : apple , sausage meat , blue cheese and onion .

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    1. I'd definitely go for that, thanks - just without the sausage meat (not because of anarcho punk, just that I haven't eaten meat since I was little!) Apple, blue cheese and onion though sounds a great combo...

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  4. Ha ha - Leek pie indeed. And cold at that. Really doesn't sound like very appetising pre-gig food at all and I know exactly what you mean about the "being a little too earnest" label - As an ex-Geography student who had to spend 4 years with people who were always dressed in sensible sweaters, boots, gators and jackets, they just made me want to dress even more outrageously in my punkish charity shop finds. When asked (on a field trip) if I wanted to join them in buying a bottle of cider, I quickly replied, "No, it's ok, I've got a bottle of gin"! (What is it that just drives you to want to cause shock/upset?)

    Anyway I'm high-jacking your comments boxes but thanks for sharing your memories of those days. Important to have them recorded somewhere I think as such a long time ago now. As for Treets, Marathons and Opal Fruits - Yes, sadly missed. Who knows though, after Brexit, all those who wanted things to go back to how they used to be (?!) may get their wish, and these sweet treats might be re-packaged to their former glory.

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    1. So glad you understand the "too earnest" thing. It can be so subtle but just the slightest whiff of self-righteousness and it makes me want to do the complete opposite, even if I actually totally agree with the underlying principles! Funny that, very psychological - so yes, completely get what you're saying about those sensible Geography cohorts!

      I don't know why all those sweet names changed, never understood the point. I'm sure they tasted better too. And they were definitely bigger! I'm sounding really old now....

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  5. We all seem to have our favorite lines, and I'm with Alyson. "There’s a fine line between earnest and sanctimonious and the home-made leek pie was in danger of crossing it." A very big smile today, C.

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    1. Ah thanks Brian! Who knew a leek pie could cause such a stir?

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  6. Leek Pie would be a pretty good name for a band, I reckon.

    Another excellent installment, C. I felt like I was there (getting gobbed on from the front row). More, please.

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    1. Look out for them playing in a town near you. Leek Pie supported by Short Crust Pastry. Hmmmm......

      Glad you enjoyed it Rol. Sorry about the gobbing but I can't promise there won't be some other unsavoury references in future installments.

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  7. I've never really thought about how gooey a leek pie might be. I do like leek and potato soup but that's another thing. Leeks are a popular veg in these parts. Anarchy and Tupperware? Now, there's a novel pairing.

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    1. I like a leek and potato soup too. I guess that would've been even more inappropriate pre-gig food... Ha, anarchy and Tupperware, a novel pairing indeed!

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