The Rock Concert That Never Was

En route from the alps to the Atlantic coast I have stopped for the night at Montlucon. A charming little town with a seriously pretty medieval core of cobbled streets and timber framed buildings. 

Walking round in the late afternoon I strolled in to the castle square up on a hill. A band was setting up on a big stage doing their sound check. There were rows of seats and it seemed to be a free concert this evening. 

Later I dropped in to a likely looking restaurant in the old town for dinner. I went for a traditional Auvergne dish which comprised potatoes, melted cheese and charcuterie ham. In fact a variant on the racelette I had the previous evening in the mountains. 

As darkness was falling I made my way once again up to the castle for the rock show. There were by now crowds of expectant locals indulging in beer from a van and slush from this stall- see extra. Slush seems to be ubiquitous. I've never had one. Have you?

The band were still setting up several hours on. The big clock chimed 9.15, then 9.30. We all waited patiently as the roadies dithered around enjoying their electronic authority. Then 9.45. Then, just before 10.00 as still nothing was happening I gave up and returned to my hotel. I will never know if the band actually played. 

This kind of shambolic organisation is something I have come across many times before in France. Don't we just love it though?

As I descended through a square with the castle as a backdrop there was an impressive light show with local kids playing football . Perhaps they knew that it would have been pointless climbing the steps up to the no-show.