Whoa-oh, we're (almost) halfway there!

That weekend might be tricky timing (as I’m hoping to attend a conference on “hyper-local” blogging in Stoke-On-Trent on the Saturday, oh yes indeed), but I’ll do what I can to make it down for one event or t’other.

We had to shift it cos the upstairs at the Horse was already booked out the week before. Bah!

Can I just say, briefly, thanks and congratulations for a brilliant night on Friday? As someone said, what goes in Poptimism stays in Poptimism, but where else in London (or indeed the world) could you get segues like Winifred Atwell into Bob the Builder, or “Bonkers” into “Telstar”? Good to meet so many fellow contributors and others. Couldn’t make Sunday, how did that go?

Really enjoyed Friday and very nice to meet Erithian amongst many others. Too bad Mike T-D couldn’t make it, but hopefully another time? Yep, “Bonkers” into “Telstar” wouldn’t and couldn’t happen anywhere else – cherish it while it’s still here.

L & I were a wee bit perplexed yesterday, however. We turned up at the Lexington round about two-ish and looked around for this Hangover Lounge thing. There was a chap with two CD decks as we went in and the heart was already sinking in a “is this IT?” sense. We went upstairs but upstairs was shut and there was no downstairs.

Eventually we asked Mr DJ who told us that this indeed was it; we’d had the notion that, as with Club P, it would be in its own area but nope, here it was, and there didn’t seem to be much space to move (in the unlikely event that we would have felt like dancing) and L & I felt a bit uncomfortable – in the sense that if we just stood around listening to the music and not eating or drinking anything we’d be kicked out. Also we knew zero other people there – not that there were many – and even though we saw Tom come in as we were debating whether or not to go back in, we eventually decided it wasn’t worth it and found something more congenial to do with the rest of the day.

A great pity and no doubt approx. five seconds after we left the place filled up with excitable and familiar faces but when you don’t feel comfortable in a space there’s no point staying there. Maybe we would have been OK hanging around there all afternoon but that wasn’t the vibe we got from the place.

I think our main problem was doubt as to whether the place would let us simply sit around and listen to the music rather than buy huge quantities of drinks and/or Sunday roasts; it was by no means obvious that they would. That and the thing about coming in and not knowing anyone. Maybe the answer is to come in a bit later to get the convivial thing going so maybe we’ll pay another visit if we know for sure that People We Know are also going.

The Popular section didn’t start til 4, but there were plenty of familiar faces there by 3. Sorry I didn’t get to meet you, DJP. You missed We Don’t Talk Anymore being played twice in 15 minutes – yes, it’s that good.