Hope you're all good! Ross

the police kept their line too and had moved from both ends of the street so we were now stuck between the two shield lines. we were informed that they had declared a "section 14", which still sounds like a resident evil quarentine and i still need someone to explain this to me, which basically turned out to mean they would keep us detained there for 4 hours, without being let out for water, without being let out to use the loo and more importantly without being let out to play a gig! i even promiced i would come back afterwards, but nothing!


if i hadnt needed to get to the gig this would have been brillient since staying in the street was what everyone else had been intending to do anyway. but i had to inform the band i might be late for the gig tonight because i had accidentally got attacked by riot police and was being held without question in a climate camp. (not the most believeable excuse iv ever come up with)
however they were quite sypathetic to my cause (cheers guys) and leant what help they could. i got a text from Ross who told me I'd be fine, he had spoken to a policeman in covent garden who had said they arnt holding anyone and he'll be free to go. but suprisingly this didnt go down too well with the burley offices behind the shields. the exchange went like this.


"hello officer"
"...."
" my guitarist has spoken to one of your collegues in covent garden and im told he said i could just go is that alright?" 
"no"



thanks or trying though ross. Dylans sympathy stretched to the following txt...


"robin if you weren't such a commie you'd be in burger king now!"
 

so the hours went by and it looked like i definatly wasnt going to make the gig. during our 4 hour street quarentine we passed the time by playing a game of I Spy with my little eye. where or the first time ever in one game we spied O for oppression, S for solidarity, U for unity, and U for uncertanty in the eyes of the police. my freind kept explaining how the bike ribbon fence had been how we gained the advantage in the push as it threw them and they didnt know what to do. (for the 15 seconds it took to tear it down) I managed to borrow a camera phone from a nice random lady and took the only photo (above) i could so sorry its rubbish. you can make out the line of police in the background. 


by the time we were eventually let out the gig was over. i really appologise for not making it, i tried my best. on the up side im told it was an ace gig, so good work if you were there.



afterwards we helped carry the camp kitchins back to the climate camp convergance where it got more scary as police were taking photos of everyone who came in and out of the building . it was an awesome place with good people who were serving food to protestors and offering beds for the night. and had i stayed the night which was generously offered to me i would have been wrongly arrested with everyone else in there as i saw the police raid it the next morning on the news. i dont understand why they can or would do this as that was one of the most peaceful and welcoming places i have ever been.



so there's my excuse. although im annoyed i missed the gig im glad i was there to lend my support to the cause of climate change awearness. and to help stand (or sit) against violence. i met some good people. and some good friends. and it was good to get in trouble with my childhood freind again. it had been a while.
see you all at a gig where i am not detained by force, tomorrow maybe.


much love Robin xx

p.s. found a timeline of events from indie media which gives a better account of things than i did. i was at the south end of the climate camp from about 17:30. looks like it got pretty out of hand later on.

http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/943

Just wanted to say a massive thanks too everyone who came down last night to the fighting cocks. We had wicked fun and thanks to you crazy kids we had a great turn out for the first of our self organized events. If you were lucky enough to make it down to our new night at the cocks you will have seen some awesome acts including Liam Cotrell, Mayfly Trio and Green Rock River Band who all rocked the house so thanks guys!
You will have also recieved the first of our FREE CDs! We hope you enjoy it. We want to get our music to you all so make sure you chip down to the next Cats night and get your hands on our next free addition - WITH BRAND SPANKIN' NEW TRACKS!
We've got a few gigs coming up including a wednesday day time gig at Penrhyn Road for Kingston Uni Music Weeks on 13th and we're back at the Cocks on the 28th so we hope to see some more lovely faces soon.

Thanks again all and stay posted... More great bands, free drinks and free music coming your way soon.
Peace out
C & C x