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Green Badger

from Green Badger by Daryl James

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about

Green badger is a song I’ve had in the pipeline for almost 2 years now. I started recording it about a year ago, and have been playing it at my gigs for about the same amount of time.

It’s a real special song to me, about a great adventure I had with some friends many moons ago. Sadly a couple of my close friends who were on this trip are no longer with us, so it holds extra sentimentality for me as one of my most cherished memories with them.

It all began as my friend’s hardcore punk band scored a gig at Rebellion festival, which is the biggest punk festival in the UK. It is held in Blackpool, which is a quintessential British seaside town complete with Blackpool Tower, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and famous for Blackpool Rock (A insanely hard stick of candy with the word “Blackpool’ printed through the middle, like a phallic gobstopper). For one weekend a year it turns into a huge sea of mohawks and studded jackets, hosting one of the biggest gatherings of punks in Europe.

We were living in Brighton at the time, which is the other end of the UK which is roughly a 6 hour drive over 300 miles away (which for you Aussies, is a long drive for us over in the UK!). WE had the bright idea of attempting to resurrect our mate Owen’s old work removals van which had been sitting on his drive for the last year. It wasn’t in the best of shape but we managed to get it running. The idea was to fill the back with as many of our mates as possible and hit the road up to the festival.

The time came and out motley crew all climbed in

The party proceeded form the moment we left in the back of the big Luton van, I was first up front to drive..

We made it about 30 miles, not even as far north as London when disaster struck, and the van came to a dramatic halt on the M23 with plumes of smoke coming out from the engine. Turns out it was terminal, but fortunately Owen’s Dad wisely made sure we had breakdown cover. Owen managed to sweet talk the AA (Breakdown recovery) to tow us the whole rest of the way to the festival. Of course it’s illegal to have people in the back of a van, so we had to pretend it was just furniture in the back.

This was all very amusing for the people in the back at first, but they had to be quiet so we could make the trip. It was such a distance that it took 2 tow vans, once tow van taking over at the edge of the last tow vans maximum tow distance.. They still had a great time in the back, but I remember looking in the mirror up from in the tow truck, and seeing piss coming out of the back of the removal van.. I think it was also getting a bit dire in there by the 4/5th hour!!

Finally we made it and the tow truck dropped us in the car park of the festival, and that was our home for the weekend. I’ll never forget the sight of opening up the van once we had been dropped off, and it was pure chaos! A whole plethora of the extremities of humanity all came rolling out in plumes of cigarette smoke, empty cans and bottles, bleary eyes and delirious, however all laughing and smiling.

I have to say as fun as it looked, I was pretty happy id ridden up front! The name of Owen and Phil’s old removal company was ‘Green Badger’, which was printed in huge green text across the van. So the song is homage to that van which will always hold a place in my heart as such a great base for us that weekend, and for the times spent with dear friends. I will never forget that weekend

lyrics

Zero fucks given as we hit the motorway
Twenty miles up the M23
Rebellion bound, didn’t even make the 25
All the punks in the back hide, as we sweet talk the tow truck

We’ve broken down but well carry on, the green badger is now our home x 2
For the weekend
These weekdays tease; they’re just foreplay to the weekend
The weekend, weekend

300 hundred miles later
Roll up the doors, squinting eyes and polo noses
Dump the van in the car park all pile out green hair and studded jackets
Here we are and here we go, here we go..

credits

from Green Badger, released September 21, 2020

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Daryl James Brisbane, Australia

Multi-instrumentalist and award-nominated (QMA 2022) singer/songwriter, Daryl James fuses heavy blues with the raw Celtic roots of his North Wales homeland. Wielding a wild array of stringed instruments and custom foot percussion, many-a-tall-tale is sparked to life through his captivating live performances. ... more

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