May Day Pleasures

May Day weekend. A traditional – 1000's of years – celebration of Spring and the flowering of nature. And since 1978 in the UK a celebration of International Labour Day.

Always willing to indulge, I attended four events spanning the long weekend, which proved, to my satisfaction, that there's always lots to enjoy in Lowestoft.

Eastern Angles are a theatre group who have been writing and performing across East Anglia for nearly forty years, providing a ridiculous number of productions investigating and relishing every aspect of our lives and history.

'Booming Voices' was on at The Seagull Theatre on Friday. What a pleasure it was. They describe it as “"a collage of memories, present dilemmas and scientific study...create a celebration, a statement and a plea for this vulnerable waterworld". Couldn't say it better myself. Four actors play twenty seven different characters, weaving an intellectually satisfying, textured, and humorous theatrical essay that made me warm with love. And scared shitless for the future of the Broads, and by extension, much of our global future, too.

Wandering north to The Triangle Tavern in uplifted mood I found Harpoon about to begin their second set. This turned out not to be – as I'd always misheard it - Cheesy Topped Fries, but Steven Still's tribute to the low-flying USAF pilots in the Vietnam war, Tree Top Fliers. This is a great song, well executed by the band, a three-piece boasting a rock-solid rhythm section. And during Tree Top Flyer, Neil Challis – singer and guitarist – knocked out a simply stunning extended solo which lifted me even higher. The band went on playing excellent rock, and my night continued well-beyond my bedtime.

Sunday I roused myself again – recovery can be slow these days – and headed back to the Triangle, for one of their famed BBQ backlot gigs. A pleasant way to spend an afternoon, drinking Green Jack beers, and listening to a two-piece band who played for hours, and even allowed Nelson to jam – successfully indeed – during one driving RnB song. Eventually I retired to my favoured Front Bar to gently chat with friends and strangers.

Monday – May Day. Use It All had a stall at the Waveney May Day People's Festival held at the United Reform Church, London Road North. Though the demographic was heavily skewed in favour of us older ones, there were young ones too, and the afternoon was strangely comforting. There were formal debates and poets, music and face-painting (I head my head done). Everyone there had the same idea – we've got to make our world better for everyone. And Use It All even collected several bags of Tetrapaks!