Don't mess with Larkin and Yeats

[woolymonkey]

Well that'll teach me to make flippant posts about vengeful dead poets.

My tutorial and hasty dash across town were successful in that I got to West Road concert hall before the interval. But what I didn't know was that Spidermonkey had been quietly succumbing to winter vomiting virus all day.

He lasted long enough to play violin on stage with the orchestra while the audience took their seats, but left discreetly before the first tune of the concert proper. Then he threw up backstage.  I was still at Hills Rd of course, but musique_monkey  was called out of the audience and sat in the lobby with Spider, who still hoped to go on stage with Rauchestra. All the boys had been shut in a disgracefully crowded and stuffy room since 8.45 that morning, so it was possible he just needed some fresh air and space. This must've been around 7.10.

When I arrived at 8.15, nothing much had changed (except for Spider being sick again). We were told Rauchestra would go on at 9 to start the second half, so Spider decided to wait until then. At 9, the first half was still in full swing, but Spider was no better, so a kindly janitor let us into a side room so Spider could have peace and quiet away from interval crowds   We decided to take him home after the interval when things would be quieter, which would also give us the chance to watch Squirrelmonkey and the Rauchestra survivors.

They done great! Squirrel got to do a double improv solo (his slot plus Spider's), and he was fantastic. Because of the overrun, they had to cut down from three tunes to one. (But this is quite good because it means Spider has a chance to perform those two at the summer arts event.) After that, Musique drove Spider home while I cycled, then I stayed home with him while poor Musique drove back to West Rd for Squirrel and the mountains of kit (4 instruments, two massive amps, and then some). Squirrel had a good concert, in spite of lots of stuff getting cut.  They were home around 11.

Today, Spider is at home, Top-Gear-on-Dave-ill rather than groaning-in-bed- ill. He's being really brave and not moaning about unfairness at all, although this is the second time in a row he's missed a guitar performance through illness. (Remember July?)  It's such a pity because the guitar ones are few and far between and he really cares about them.  

Squirrel slept in but has gone to school in time for his music lesson.  I'm not sure the music teacher will do as well. She was feeling ill yesterday and having an incredibly stressy time. I hope she doesn't get into trouble over all the things that went wrong because it's really the school's fault .  They could have had a couple of low-key events in the two school halls, but went for this huge, ambitious plan without giving her the staff or support to carry it through.

But I also hope they've learned a few lessons about planning, timing, and treating the kids better during rehearsal. I don't know how many Health and Safety rules they broke by locking (yes, literally) almost 100 boys in a classroom-sized room for nearly 12 hours straight, but it was a lot. Many of them were ill. Musique and I felt ill just from going in there to collect some stuff.

So thank God that's over. Well done to Squirrel, and thank you to Spider for bravery, Musique for nursing and roadie-ing beyond the call of duty, and the janitor at West Road for kindness.

Now to see who else catches it, and when...

PS
I will use that poetry tutorial again, but perhaps not on concert nights.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Poor Spider. If it's the same thing that hit me, then he has all my sympathy (and a free pass to borrow as many unsuitable Chinese films as he wants).

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The trouble with unsuitable Chinese films is that they're much more fun with you there to share them. For now, he has car and guitar viewing, but we may well call on you if this carries on or more of us succumb.

It probably is the same thing. There's a lot of it around. So much so that NHS direct have a recorded message about it. It'll certainly spread round Parkside musicians after yesterday.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I hope it doesn't hit the rest of you too. I probably found it at the gym, sadly, which makes me worry that it's an unhealthy place to go... The marquis thinks this is overworrying.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

The marquis is right. You will pick it up everywhere or not at all at the moment.

I had exactly the same thoughts when I was going to the gym, which is additional evidence that it's overworrying. The gym probably is a perfect place for disease transmission, but avoidance of all microbes is not an option, and we should fight them off better if we're fit.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Currently I'm wondering about taking wipes with me... That way madness lies. (I am phobic about this stuff, sadly.)

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

I'm anxious rather than phobic. Which may be why I think it would be sensible to take wipes or hand gel. I wouldn't try to clean the equipment, but I can see strong arguments for making sure your hands don't touch your face while you're exercising, then using wipes or gel to clean them as soon as you finish. I never did this because I'm lazy, and tend to believe I'll pick up whatever is in general circulation anyway. But I do always wash hands after a trip to the GP, on the basis that the germs there have been selected for more than average nastiness. But many would call me neurotic.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I already do the wipe before leaving thing. But I can feel the wipe-equipment madness sneaking up on me... Bah. I need not to let this get too big a worry, as I like the gym, it's good for me.
And here am I wittering on while Spider suffers. Which is bad.
The behaviour of the school is quite appalling, and definitely needs to be commented on. If enough parents complain, it should ensure it doesn't happen again, but even so... Not acceptable.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

He's not suffering much--mostly from boredom now, since he even managed a little lunch. Which strongly suggests that at least half the problem yesterday was down to being shut in that bloody room.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That kind of hothouse atmosphere can't have helped. I hope he continues to feel better.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Poor Spider. Having to pull out of gigs is miserable. He definitely deserves unsuitable Chinese films.

But, why the locking-in thing? Were the boys all going to run away else?

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure why they lock them in. Paranoia about keeping them on site, possibly, or about protecting the girls (who have two much larger rooms for the same number of people, and are allowed to come and go freely to the toilets).

When they do Holiday Orchestra at the same venue with similar numbers, everyone is trusted to wander around, and they have a great time. Perhaps the legal situation is different for a school activity, but I think they've just sent themselves into a blind panic over the whole thing of having taken what's basically your bog-standard end-of-term concert and turned it into a 'prestige' 'event' at a prestigious venue. Like much of modern life, it's all about image management and avoiding getting sued.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hmmph. I would sue them for false imprisonment, just to make the point. Or encourage the boys to piss against the door. (What do they do, march them to the toilet in groups like three-year-olds?) I am actually quite shocked. And would be quite surprised if this were legal.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

I am tempted to threaten to sue if they don't promise never to do it again.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

Poor Spider! And eek, if there's a lot of it around ... hopefully it'll be over and done with by this time next week.

Do take care of yourself and attempt to avoid lurgy.

Am absolutely appalled that they are locked in like that. If they were animals, the RSPCA would probably be up in arms.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

He seems to be cheering up a bit.

The overcrowding and, yes, ill-treatment were shocking. At least I managed to grab a passing deputy head, who appeared genuinely shocked--if only at how easily the school could get into legal problems.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I groaned "not again" when I saw the subject line, but then I saw the boy gets to stay home with Top Gear, so he's doing better than me, LOL. (I have the "Massive Machines" series saved up for such occasions myself.) Get well, kid!

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he's doing OK. But it does seem he's had way more than his share of this stuff. Dave run the same eps of Top Gear round and round and round. He must be feeling ill because he's on his third viewing of the same one and doesn't seem to mind.

[lj_stowaway]

Oh, poor Spider! How unfair! Hope he feels better quickly and that none of the rest of the family gets the bug.

And I join the horrified chorus decrying the lockup! That's appalling.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Both boys will appreciate the sympathy.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, much sympathy to Spider and all of you, really, it sounds as though the experience was far less than optimal for everyone.

*hugs*

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Yes, definitely sub-optimal all round, though Squirrel got a lot of good out of it.
Your icon makes me want a 'Worst concert I've ever heard' joke, but I can't quite get it to work.