System of a Drunk

During my weekly Facebook nostalgia parade (which tends to take the form of posting youtube videos of songs about Scotland, by Scotsmen, or being sung in Scotland) I was going through some stuff from the Barrowlands and started to remember all sorts of stuff that's great about that place.  It shouldn't be good, it's a dump, it is located in a shitehole, the gigs take place on the second floor, which bounces, and sweat rains on you from the ceiling throughout the gig (but it isn't in Edinburgh so you can't get AIDS). However, the view and the sound is great from anywhere, and it's easy to get to and from the bar to restock on watered down pish (Tennents).

I'm sure the first gig I saw there was when I saw System of a Down with my brother in March 2002. The setlist here suggests they played a pretty long set, with favorites such as 'Sugar', 'Aerials', and 'Chop Suey!', but all I can remember from the gig is that we allegedly had a great time, and the singer was wearing a Japanese looking shirt. We had a few drinks of Absinthe before leaving the house, and had plenty more between Falkirk and Glasgow.  I also get everything that happened that night mixed up with the following weekend where we went out with some ex-colleagues (can you call them colleagues when we didn't really work?), and got silly drunk. We also drank absinthe then, and tequilla, and finally some Aftershock...by tongue...straight from the table on the train, despite having a handfull of shot glasses we stole.

I remember the exchange - We're sitting on the last train from glasgow, which is full of drunk folk and sick, and some guy walks by with a bottle of blue aftershock he allegedly stole from a pub. We were amazed, because we had aftershock glasses we stole from a pub. This was meant to be, so the drink was shared. Some was spilled, and I saw no need to waste it.

This was the week before I went to see Cassie for the first time, and I mind falling asleep on the phone to her, and also being told to that it was OK to hang up due to my drunkenness. Considering that she found my by browsing drunk photos of me, I guess the events of that week were expected, but she showed great understanding nonetheless. I haven't licked alcohol from a table since, in tribute to my wife.

Since then we've (99% of the gigs I have attended have been with my brother) seen Stone Sour, Saliva, Disturbed, John Squire, Ocean Colour Scene, Feeder, Electric 6, Embrace, Black Stone Cherry, Sevendust, Stone Gods, Airbourne and a few more that I've forgot, at the barras, and every gig was amazing. We've been to a shitload of gigs elesewhere but the atmosphere at the barrowlands is unbeatable. The main reason for this is that the crowd is usually pished, and will sing along to anything.

Anyway, I'm sure I was writing this post for a reason, but have completely forgot it. I guess it means that drinking is good and should be encouraged.