SARAH BLACKWOOD

Aaaah Sunday at central station. The after effects of all a Saturday night on the Toon has to offer. Hens, veils, tinsel edged tartan cowboy hats and pink balloons tied to suitcases. Stags furtively eating fast greasy protein before the journey home and the hangover kicks in...

Was so good to be back in Newcastle. The sun was shining as the train pulled into central station taking me back too many years and so many memories to when I first set foot on North Eastern soil to start my interior design course; my first time living away from home, fending for myself and wearing whatever I bloomin well wanted!

Some things don't change and that was the freezing wind and biting to the bone cold as I walked over the Tyne to my home for the weekend. Quick change, eyelashes on, praying they couldn't blow off in the Tyneside gale and off to the first of our old haunts, The Forth to meet the lads then off to The Riverside... not the old Riverside, where we used to go after the Barley Mow (burnt down 3 weeks ago!!!!!) to guzzle endless bottles of Dog and pints of dubious larger, staggering around whilst our feet stuck firmly to the floor, watching almost every band that passed through town and wishing beyond anything I were on that stage... but...

... The new Riverside, complete with sparkly chandeliers (!!!) is now located on a sadly quiet quayside, in an old steakhouse (where I was once wined and dined on St Valentines... I had chips and too much wine I seem to remember...)

The 3 of us stood at the back in a place so dear to us in the 90s we namechecked it in a song, reflecting on Dubstar and watching The Charlatans (who ironically gazumped our one and only NME front cover) play a most excellent acoustic set. It felt just like the old days... but not quite...

Friday and back in the studio. Final guitar parts to go on... (Well not final if Chris has his way) and I decide to be poorly. Emergency trip to Boots and the nearest health food shop and I conk out on the couch cocooned in a sleeping bag and my coat (chills and shivers) and dribble all over a helpfully provided pillow and sleep until its time to do some harmonies. No rest for the ill. Oh I'm so brave...  Poor Gavin, who owns the studio. I haven't seen him for 15 years since he last played drums for The Joans (pre-me Dubstar) quick hug and I'm off to the loo. He makes a fabulous cup of hot water though! Early night beckons.

Saturday we hire a car and listen through to the album. Songs are in various stages of completeness and some we have to imagine the vocals but its nice to finally have a first cohesive feel for the album. Why does music always sound so good in a car? Music was made for driving... or rail journeys... particularly through beautiful Northumberland.
Back to the Toon and just had to pay a visit the Blackie Boy where I used to work. It was so weird walking in and not knowing any of the bar staff and neither "Gipsys, Tramps and Thieves" or "Maggie May"blasting out of the jukebox, so it was a great comfort to discover dick and fanny are still so beautifully engraved on the toilet doors, albeit a different typeface, but that's just splitting hairs... I remember bringing Andy Ross the boss of Food Records for a meeting there and we sat in the same seats to watch the Saturday night parade. Its fascinating. I forgot how much of an effort girls up North put into a Saturday night out. They look immaculate and amazing. At 8pm anyway; perfect hair, high heels and slinky dresses. I could girl watch all night but feel an absolute spanner in black jumper, jeans, arctic parker and uggs and a massive handbag full of tissues, spare knitwear, cough mixture, various herbal preparations and a couple of hard drives, nursing a cup of hot water and lemon whilst the boys indulge in Jagerbombs, reverse Jagerbombs and goodness knows what other delights lurking on the cocktail menu. Ben you have a lot to answer for young man!! Early bed beckons and a peaceful ibuprofen induced slumber to the Pet Shop Boys ballet album.

Sat on the train back to London with a head full of memories. Its nice to go back and see how the city has moved on and nice to see some things are just the same. The Dog and Parrot is still there, my 'audition' that kicked the whole thing off in the alley just round the back... that actually isn't how it sounds... I was/am a little obsessed with Edie Sedgwick and had a fake fur leopard print hat I was wearing (my student grant interpretation of a leopard skin pill box hat) I downed a double rum for my voice ( and my nerves) and went out into the alley and serenaded the then music editor of The Crack with a rendition of "Mercedes Benz" ... we recorded a demo which was passed to Steve and the rest is history...