Ladies and gentlemen,
Privileged and honored could be used to describe the way I feel. Yet those two simple and powerful words are not descriptive enough. Magnificent, humbling, beautiful. Still it doesn’t come close.
Last night I played the Whitby goth festival. The fifth stop on the Punishment Tour…. What a show it was. The crowd was incredible, the venue was spectacular, the performances were unforgettable. I had so much fun last night. What a way to kick off this adventure.
When I was a young boy my brother, (who is twelve years my senior), and I used to watch an old British comedy about 4 wackos living in a dilapidated flat. It was called the Young Ones. Totally outrageous and for a 6 year old American kid, absolutely inappropriate. Occasionally they would have bands do a performance at the end of an episode. I was introduced to Madness, Motörhead and of course The Damned.
I didn’t dive heavily into punk rock until a few years later in my early adolescence. One day, when I was maybe 12, I was cruising the “English punk” section of my local record store and found a used copy of Machine Gun Etiquette. I’ve been a fan ever since. For more than 20 years I’ve loved and cherished this band.
Last night as I was grabbing dinner before the show at my hotel, there stood a Mr Dave Vanian. I’ve been told over the years in Aiden and William Control that I bare a resemblance to a younger version of him, and rightly so. I’ve borrowed heavily from his aesthetic as sort of an homage to the original goth-father himself. I tried to keep my cool, told him how much I appreciated his band and then, as a proper fan does, I asked for a photo. Inside I was fucking screaming like a 12 year old girl at a One Direction concert. Fuck it. I feel no shame at all.
What a gentleman. I’m sure he gets hassled a lot but it was really amazing of him to take a moment and oblige me.
Watching them play their set was an inspiration. I truly hope that when I reach that age, A… I still look that good. And B…. I am standing on a stage in some city singing my heart out.
Tonight was the last show in Southampton, and it was so much fun. Tomorrow we cross back over the Atlantic, sleep for a few days and begin the Punishment Tour US with Requiem and Justin Symbol. Thanks AshestoAngels for setting this run up and always having our back. Thanks to Heath and Magna Tours for driving us to hell and back and Chris for cable patching madness.
All my love
William Fucking Control
