Notes from the Boneyard: Reattachment blues – part 2

After leaving the warmth of the bar, I walked for some time before realising that the night was still in its infancy.

I wasn’t quite ready to hit it on the head just yet.

I walked back towards the award ceremony and saw that it was still going on.

The Ulster Hall.

Historic joint.

This is the venue where Zeppelin first played ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

I re-entered the building, and quickly found Eddie at our seats on the balcony.

I’d made it just in time to catch Horslips play their set which closed the night’s proceedings.

Before the last song finished, I ran down to beat the crowd, and bagged a cab outside.

I waited for a few troops to join me, and we took off into the city.

Everyone was heading to the afterparty, so that’s the place we avoided.

Of course we rolled to the Harrison.

Where else.

It had become a safe haven for me in recent years.

A joint where only magic happens.

The owner, Mel, is the magic maker.

The weaver of spells.

Each time I get there, I can’t tell if I’m in the past or the future.

Earth or Mars.

There’s a painting of a fox on the wall.

That fox watches everything that goes on in there; its eyes follow you around the room.

A few weeks prior, I had an all-nighter there with Hawley and the gang when I kidnapped them after their show.

And tonight was headed in the exact same direction.

Horslips arrived; proudly clutching their very well-deserved Legend Award that they received at the ceremony.

A few others straggled in and out throughout the night, but it was a perfectly small gathering of sublime crew.

Our own spaceship.

It seemed that everyone I spoke to was either a film maker or a musician.

I talked myself into some work of which I will have to talk myself out of in a few weeks. I was at ease.

Relaxed. With friends.

Or maybe that was the beer kicking in.

Mel floated through the room like a phantom, keeping everyone tip-topped.

Only good music was playing.

Good people.

Good vibes.

I looked at the man-made clock.

It was 4 in the morning…

And the night had just begun.