SOMETIMES!

[Albannach - Davey]

                           MEMOIRS OF AN AIRDRIEONION IDIOT
                           April 1st.
Morning guys!
  Sometimes and today is one of those days I feel sad at how brutalised I,ve become down the years! Yesterday my daughter comes in and breathlessly told me of a fight between two women that she and her mother and little brother witnessed from the safety " thankfully " of the family van " VAN MORRISON " as it,s now known ! I shrugged and callously I suppose said " so " For all that so many of my tales deal with violence I hate it! I wont watch a fight if I can help it! oxymoronically I love boxing! It,s brutal! But it,s a sport with highly trained athletes who know the risks, And a referee. There is none of the atmosphere that surrounds a street fight! The anger,terror, perverted enjoyment and indifference of onlookers, Someone eventually helpless being stomped at the mercy of onlookers who will sometimes even join in! Last fight I witnessed was probably 1998 after a Cuddies gig in the Livery bar Bathgate! This was a once a month sunday night residency for the band! And we packed it out every time! Nose to nose with the audience! Really brilliant gigs! I remember one night looking down at my fender bass guitar and seeing sweat running off it! if I wasnt starting work dayshift the next day I might wait behind for an after hours LOCK IN! This night Macgonnagal and I hung back! the mandolin player had his works van and is tee total! the session fizzled out and we stepped into the frosty december night and as we,re buttoning up coats I become aware of a dull but rythmic THUMP THUMP sound! The wee man is a streetfighting legend, and I,ve been around enough violence to recognize the sound, Someone way beyond defending themselve,s being booted in the head and face! the mandolin player puts his mandolin down and looks at me and says " this isnt right Davy! And we walk towards the source of the sound! I,m frightened! But I,m also with a man who rescued me from a mob beating and the very next day went round the ringleaders doors and challenged them all to SQUARE GO,ES! They all declined! So I,m in it up to the pointy end! Macgonnagal says to me ! " I know this isnt something you like, but follow my lead and you,ll be alright ! I force a laugh and shoot back ! " it,s the others I,m scared for! we reach the scene and there are five biggish guys jumping on an unconscious mans head and body! taking turns at  the guy! I,ll never forget the next few seconds, and this is what seperates the Macgonnagals from the Davy Ramones of this world, who will really only fight if their backs are against the walls! The 5 foot 8 muscician walks up hands in pockets and politely says! " I think the boys had enough! The biggest snarls " this isnae any of your f##king business! " well " Macgonnagal says " I,m making it my business!  you  GUB ! he says pointing at the one doing the talking. " your first, I,m  not kidding" . I take a deep breath as I,ve picked who I,ll have to set about! A few more tense seconds pass! The ringleader backs away, then the other four and then they all start running shouting over their shoulders " your dead wee man next time we see you! My pal is at this point helping the guy to his feet talling him not to worry as he was safe! Scary stuff.
  The true mark of a tough guy, In all the years I,ve known Macgonnagal I never heard him tell one of his fighting stories! There must be hundreds! my favourite concerns the time he came upon three guys who along with a terrier were digging a petrified badger from it,s lair to eventually put in a badger baiting pit! An obscenely cruel highly illegal pass time! He quietly hung his coat and hat on a tree branch, sauntered over to the scene and punched the living daylights out of the " Sportsmen " There were broken jaws, noses and kneecaps by the time he walked back to the tree for his deerstalker hat and DONKEY JACKET.There is an old expression my father taught me, It,s not the size of the man in the fight thats important! It,s the size of the fight in the man! Check out the clip of The Whiskey Devils on my Art and music sight and you,ll see the legendary Macgonnagal at my side in his element! playing away on his mandolin, not bothering anybody! as long as nobody bothers his pals or anybody who cant fight back! a great friend..
Davy Ramone.....

MACGONNAGAL, Not his real name, But a talented writer himself, I think he got this name after an 18th century poet of the same surname. he was called this by the time we met, And I never thought to ask why ?

LOCK IN = FAVOURITE DRINKERS ENJOYING AFTER HOURS DRINKS.

SQUARE GO = A FIGHT.................................. ....

GUB = MOUTH.................................. .....................

DONKEY JACKET = Tartan lined black working mans jacket....

FOR MY ART AND SCULPTURE JOURNAL VISIT GLADSHEIM  @  MYSPACE.COM/VALHALLASFEA.... This will give any of you who have artwork commisioned updates.
Davy................................... ...................................