Gig at the Headingley (Leeds) Bookshop
“As long as you know that we’re here and we’ll do what we can.” Such was the touchingly genuine support of AloneMe for all things Oxjam.
I’ve managed to grab them for a coffee after their latest Oxfam shop mini-gig. Headed up by David Booth who speaks warmly of his previous Oxfam experiences as Deputy Manager of a Bookshop in Chelmsford, the band were keen to make instore appearances as part of their UK tour. “Oxjam happening in April was a happy coincidence,” says Sarah Springett, one half of AloneMe’s charismatic vocals. “We were out on tour anyway and had this free time in the daytimes. It seemed silly not to use the time to support Oxjam.”
Arriving in the shop this afternoon I was greeted by a beaming Gill Andrews at the till, a regular volunteer at the shop. She pointed me in the direction of a tiny back room where the four band members – drummer Simon Edgoose, vocalist Sarah Springett, piano player Liz Townsend and singer-guitarist David Booth – were huddled, enjoying boxes of noodles from the takeaway next door before their set. They jumped up to greet me and offer me a seat (or, more accurately, box), and Viktor, the shop’s very charming manager, appeared offering teas and coffees. I had to wonder why, after so many experiences, I’m still surprised how many lovely people you encounter through Oxjam!
After taking 5 minutes to browse the bookshelves, the band grabbed a guitar and a tambourine and the shop’s library-like quiet burst into foot-tapping, smile-inducing song. Unforewarned, you couldn’t help but giggle at the ultra-British reaction of a man browsing a shelf that had, he suddenly noticed, now become ‘on-stage’ territory. He put commendable effort into pretending not to notice for an appropriate amount of time, before retreating to less interesting shelves at the back of the shop. It was a slightly surreal experience, tapping my boots to the rhythms of AloneMe’s melodic acoustic set against a backdrop of books, but it was a top afternoon!
Liz pours me a cup of tea, after my attempts result in a pool of tea on the table, and the band tell me about their gig in the Coventry shop.
“There was a great feel. All the volunteers were really up for it and there was a real ‘yeah let’s do it!’ vibe.”
They also explain a little bit about their motivations. “It’s about doing something different,” says David of including the shops on their tour, “we wanted to raise awareness.”
“It can be a really good publicity opportunity for bands as well,” Sarah explains. “Before we knew noone in Coventry. Now we know if we play a gig there there’ll be people there.”
It’s been a great day out in Leeds! And with any luck I’ll be back for more Oxjam gigs soon…
