I feel so ill.....but no wonder. Think i've drank the recommended weekly alcohol intake daily for the last 4 days straight. So, on Ewan's grand entrance to Stornoway after over a decade since his last visit here we were off to work on the St Kilda project. In short, a play broadcast live on the web across the world. Ewan and I given the glorious title 'Cable Bashers' or in my case 'crowd control' as I had a guy hold the cable for me - luxury. Also, with news of Ewan recieving a second class honors in his BA in Digital Arts and Animation - bring out the Champagne!
We were keeping the surrounding area of the two camera's mounted on peds clear on the main floor with the ability(aye right) to move around anywhere in the studio. That is of course before you add 250 people and then start moving almost every section of the stage throughout the 1.5 hour long play. Madness, but long story short it was rather impressive considering how fed up we were after 2 nights of such fun. 3 for me as I filmed the rehearsal Wednesday night for the director to script the show the next day.
Thursday night we started at MacNeils for open mic night but we got there late so it was so crowded (as always) we decided to go to the Lewis. Met with some of the large group of SMO now home. Been a long day though so dont stay out too long. Go back to flat where we have a crate of Miller waiting. Manage to get them out of the fridge but wake up next day with the bottle still sitting there on the table unopened. Ewan then tells of how he went sleepwalking into flatmate Joanne's room in the middle of the night. We cross paths later on in the day and no eye contact or any words are exchanged - think we might have made a bit too much noise last night,
Friday morning I wake up with a call from Ishbel - she gives news of me not getting the Internship...but that Chris was impressed and is offering a placement with Youngfilms. Once again, bring out the Champagne! During the day still wasted after night before we celebrate and go for lunch at HS1 (again, but this time they get Ewan's order right) and keep coming up with shit loads of random ideas - generally the most offensive things we could possibly say/do while amongst the crowd during the live broadcast of the play. We found this hilarious of course but don;t think our fellow HS1 diners were so impressed with our language. Swearing that is, not Gaelic.
Friday night was when all the fun really started. After Party in an Lanntair after the show. Ceilidh where we met Marina, Janice Anne, Michelle and Catriona. Noone was dancing so we finished our drinks and left to go to the Heb for a laugh but it was shut so we go to the Lewis. We don't stay long though before moving on. Plus worst move ever a girl seated nearby asks what we do and I say BBC and we end up having some EMO guy who loves himself saying he wants to be famous - FUCK OFF
We end up in the Clachan but on the way I spot Sarah Rankin who I recognise pretty much from Bebo so I drunkenly tell her this and she sees it as an offer to join us for a drink. Close up im instantly not impressed that I said a word to her so we buy her and her mate shots and lose them. We watch Marina......dance.
End up getting chucked out...cant remember why but bouncer let the girls back in but not us so after a moment of rage I just walk Ewan back to the Royal where he is yet to stay in the room his dad paid for. I go back and find Janice Anne Marina and Catriona and we stumble back to the flat with the food order(not theirs) they grabbed from the takeaway. The girls are so drunk they just start falling asleep so I recommend a taxi and off they go.
Saturday is of course the big one. BBC now gone its the big show finale without camera's - we dont attend. 3 days of it in a row is enough so thanks but no thanks. We go out for Dinner at Eleven with the SMO girls. Cajun Chicken is so spicy I almost cried. One of the girls serving is friend that was with Sarah Rankin. We claim she owes us a drink but will probably never see her again. Infact thats a lie, ill probably see her out this weekend. Stornoway isnt that big....
The girls go to the big show without us. Ewan and I go back to the flat, finish the beers down half of our litre of Vodka far too quickly while listening to Massive Attack and talking away about random nonsense. We venture back out to join the girls after the show. Do the usual pub circuit with average banter until we reach the Sea Angling....not my choice but everyone was there. Can't remember everything from here but we met Marina Stuart and Rob in there and played terrible at Pool upstairs. Also met Iain who's up here on placement at the hospital but since I know him through friend of friend of friend of friend conversation is limited and he's generally freaked out and doesnt understand Ewan's humour. A fight breaks out on the dancefloor so we do our usual and investigate almost end up in the middle of it. I give Janice Anne her phone back (she forgot it in flat night before) and we hear of St Kilda Afterparty and drunkenly leave to go find it.
10 phone calls later and we're there. Uninvited along with almost all of the big names in the Gaelic world. Kathleen Macinnes, Cathy Ann Macphee, Calum MacAulay, Carina Macleod, Catriona Lexy Campbell, Donald John Macleod, Kenny Iain Macrae, Ruairidh Maciver, Simon Mackenzie, Alasdair White, James Graham, Jenna Cumming, Mairi Louise Napier to name a few. Could there be a better chance to piss that many people off at the same party? We get started by helping ourself to some wine - at first straight out of the box but then start recieving an absurd amount of abuse, mainly directed at Ewan from some random woman. I ask the guy next to me who this nut is and he tells me she's his mother.
We feel the need to find more people so go into the next room and start chatting away to Kathleen MacInnes - it's a little vague what I say here but clearly from lack of sleep and too much drink I struggle with any meaningful Gaelic. I recieve a gold star for efford though. Plus think she just loved myself and EOH's charm.....or maybe not. Ewan recieving career advice from Cathy Anne MacPhee has to top them all though! Next up Jenna Cummings. I fail to explain to her about how we met before at a Gaelic debate thing in school.....so yeh that fails, we head upstairs. In a room is Catriona Lexi and a band playing their music. They are crap so we feel the need to sit in laugh to ourselves by how bad they are but are too drunk to say anything out loud and seem to stay in this room where they're all doing pot for at least an hour.
We decide to go back downstairs and everyone is gone. Except Mairi Louise Napier and Simon MacKenzie outside. Think Ewan required a cigarette was our originally reason for joining them outside in the cold but it's around 5am by now and light outside. End up chatting away to Simon about the future of Gaelic - how its came too late. He tries to take the piss out of Ewan in Gaelic forgetting I speak it fluently so we tear him apart....so much he cant handle us and ends up leaving. Mairi Louise just smiled the whole time and mumbled stuff randomly throughout the debate or whatever was going on - aye whatever mate.
Late night...morning rather. Wake up on the couch in the flat freezing cold and realise Ewan's got the bed - dick. Realise we're running out of time and go to HS1 - again for a drunkenly lunch before Ewan's flight at 5. Waiter is shocked that we are drinking - again and so early. It's party time though and we just slowly recall all the madness from the night before. Including so many things we could have said that will have to be kept for next time - from the classic do you know who I am? approach to claiming to be the Brad Pitt of Gaelic TV (just not yet as channel is still to start). Plane leaves, bye EOH. Few tears on the walk back to the lat. I go back to bed. It's now Tuesday morning and im still recovering.
Lessons Learned:
Don't tell anyone you work for the BBC
Never speak Gaelic after 5 pints. You think you sound great but your talking a loada shite
Wear dark clothes if you expect people not to complain when pushed out of the way for the camera
Always attend after-parties Uninvited
Don't order a double burger from HS1
R :)
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