The great quest

I walked for many miles, with aching bones, creaking below my now lesser mass. Eventually my destination peaked over the horizon and gave me hope. The journey was shorter than it seemed, but it weighed heavy on my weary soul. As I grew closer my legs gave way. I crawled through the entrance and collapsed upon the canvas floor.

For a moment in time, I didn’t stir. The eve before,  slumber seemed but just a blink, sleep had merely kissed these pallid cheeks but woke me with the brush of her sweet lips.

And now, the evening after, near the end of my great quest, she embraced me, but no! I couldn’t sleep now. My mission wasn’t over, only midway. I clutched the treasure to my bosom, then placed it within my satchel. At last the child would receive the sacred cloth and be at peace.

I battled many demons on my way back. I had to step over some bodies who didn’t make it. A time later, at the end of my long  journey, I reached the queen.  And the child. The queen, who could not partake in the massive journey, for she was with child once again, eagerly sought the treasure with her eyes. It was only then that I realised, with a dawning horror that the sacred cloth was missing it’s counterpart, and would not pacify the child.

“BALLSACKS! I forgot the FUCKING wipes! Jesus! Yes I got the nappy! but I left the fucking wipes in the tent. FUCK!”

And so it was, we started the epic journey of aching legs, from the far end of Electric picnic to the campsite. I changed the nappy, got kids ready for bed. Got ready for bed myself.

And she says to me “What d’you think you’re doing!?”

“Climbing into that sleeping bag, before I collapse from sleep deprivation, and way too much walking for an unfit fucker like me!”

“What about Madness? You really wanted to see Madness!”

“There’s no way I’m going back out there! I told you, that was an epic journey for me!”

But  I was eventually convinced to put my wellies and my coat back on and traipse back out there.

I trundled on like a zombie, with aching limbs. “Gotta go to Madnesss, gotta go to Madness. gotta go to Madness”.

And THAT is how I managed to miss what by all accounts sounded like, a brilliant extravaganza of musical fun; Chic.

But I had a one track mind. Gotta go to Madness. Gotta go to Madness.

This is the song I walked by at the time.

Yes you read correctly. I could see and hear that but still kept walking, repeating the Madness mantra, and made it to the main stage. And that was that!

Madness were good fun too. But I had to endure 40 minutes of unknown new stuff while waiting for the hits, when I could have been freaking out to Chic!

Incidentally, the highlight of my weekend was the having-the-craic type Galway band The Timber Tramps, and singing along to great covers like Personal Jesus. Maybe I’ll justgo to Galway next year.

6 Comments
  • Reply dave anderson

    September 11, 2009, 11:16 am

    Apologies! I should have started the latest with a “Don’t read John” warning. Really must pull myself together, it’s getting a bit unhealthy at this stage!

  • Reply PRyin

    September 11, 2009, 11:20 am

    White folks – especially older white folk are funny how they clap the one, two, three and the four – all minus discernible rhythm.

    I didn’t go. Tales similar to yours are why. My mum wanted to go – for Chic. She’d have clapped all four beats.

    • Reply John

      May 28, 2010, 9:38 am

      That’s funny, I just replaced the dead link video with a different one…same song different crowd… but still embarrassing white folk clapping on every beat.

  • Reply David Walsh

    September 11, 2009, 1:57 pm

    Whats the crack John sorry to hear ya missed chic i hear they stole they show alright i wasnt there myself went to glastonbury this year kasabian where the bolloxs.Have you been over there in the last few years?Give me a shout on my email i have a very good wii related proposition for ya.

  • Reply John

    September 11, 2009, 4:30 pm

    Hey Dave. Yeah I went to Glastonbury a few years ago. Some festival innit!?

    Wil send you a mail, intriguing!

  • Reply David Walsh

    September 11, 2009, 5:24 pm

    Yeah glastonbury is deadly iv been the last 4 years im addicted the brits are pretty easy going.All in all iv been to a few festivals around europe and my conclusion is ireland has the messiest festivals in the world and by messy i mean people rollin around in there own vomit(especially oxegen)

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