A Day in the Life.

Garry Sullivan writes about a day in his life on the run-up to his big gig at Gullivers on the 16th of March.

8 days to go. I awake early at 8:00am but toss, doze and turn until ‘alarm0002’ at 8:30. I descend down the stairs into the kitchen/ diner and break-fast on overnight oats, fermented by my mother, Marjorie. She is long gone now, on an early commuter train, but it is acts of kindness like this that make us feel connected. It is another contributor to why I have chosen not to join other less pragmatic members of the generation, referred to as Z, in overpriced and potentially flammable city centre accommodation. My decision to remain living at my Mother’s home is one I have taken and NOT one forced upon me by fate or anything like that. 

As I consume my oats with a chopped banana and a little squirt of runny honey, I ponder upon and plan my day. It is little more than one week (8 days) until my big gig at Manchester’s Gullivers on 16/03/25. Although the pressure is undeniable, I opt to remain calm, able as I am to distinguish between ‘a little bit of stress’ and ‘a genuine mental health issue’. 

My first task of the day: a 2.37 mile journey (approx) to Chelford Farm Supplies. 

I am a keen grower of strawberries, loganberries and other native British berries. Mid March is the perfect time to plant new plants, allowing them to develop a sustainable root system and begin to expand in the foliage department, making use of the longer daylight hours and reduced risk of frost. With any luck, my banana, honey and oats will be joined by a schomgus board of ripe fresh berries by (at the latest) May 23rd 2025. I tell people the fruits are of the ‘Garry Sullivariety’, which I know makes it sound like I have genetically bred them, but they are planted by me, fertilised by me and tended by me, so I think it is fair to name the berries in my honour. 

My main responsibility as a musician and musical innovator is to stay on the very cutting edge of challenging modern music. In this spirit, I use the journey into Chelford, I listen to ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove’, the new single from Coldplay. I also wrap my ears (anthropomorphism) around the musical stylings of Chappell Rowen’s ‘Hot to Go’, Electronic’s ‘Getting Away With It’ and Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things’. 

Back from the farm supplies centre, with my berries soaking in a Spanish bucket of water and miracle grow, I have time to watch telly and browse the ‘light’ web. I watch Dermot and Allison, Politics Today and read the Wikipedia page for The Salford Lowry in its entirety. By now it is mid noon (3:00) and my mind turns to music. I jot down some new lyrics about being glum and then to the motorway! 

I make the 50 minute journey to Blue Planet Aquarian in Ellesmere Port to pick up Dylan from work. Essentially just a keyboard player, composer/ Manager, and secondary (discretionary) influencer of the Garry Sullivan sound, Dylan’s company and ‘yes man’ vibe is my main reason for agreeing to this near 2 hour round trip. It is nice for me to feel he is in my debt. However, due to what he referred to as an “immersive work day”, Dylan said he had an overwhelming sense of drowning and spent the whole journey with his lips glued to the car’s passenger side air con vent as he quietly hyperventilated. Conversation was non-existent so I elected to stream ‘The Scott Mills Breakfast Show’ on BBC Sounds via Apple CarPlay. And what a great mix of music, chat and mindless celebrity-fawning it is. 

Arriving at our Alderley Edge rehearsal room/ Village hall, we find the band has arrived. Leroy (lead guitar) makes a Cupper Soup as Richard (drums) combs his lovely long hair. Double D, 60, (Bass) is on the pay phone attempting to talk his ‘90s dealer out of a K hole. The hole navigated, soup drunk and hair styled with the right degree of “bounce”, the rehearsal can begin in earnest. 

It is a thrill to hear my vision coming together and makes me very excited for my gig at Gulliver’s on 16/03/25. I have a begrudging respect for my band and have a feeling of a little love and affection whenever they are around. They are worth every penny of their £240 rehearsal rate and £290 show fee. 

Quick Math:

Talent (me) + Money (also me) X 2 rehearsals per week/ for 6 weeks = great band (Garry Sullivan and the bohemians).

Spent from the vigour required to convincingly portray the emotional depth of my Lizzo Medley, I get Dylan to drive me home. I invite him in for coffee, but he mumbles something about ‘missing the first of his two trains and a bus back to Wigan’. as my old dad would say “He should work harder and buy a car”. There really is no telling Dylan somtimes! It would have been nice to have some company to end the day, but there is no telling him sometimes. I make do with Mother and a double bill of ‘Storage Hunters’, staring the disgraceful Conway-based-flat-cap-stand, Drew Pritchard, and his simple, former friend, Tee. 

As bed draws closer I ponder on a hard day well spend. I think also of my big gig on 16/03/25 at Gullivers. I think, if Dylan brushes up on his keys, DD doesn’t promote his blog and Leeroy remembers his place in the implicit band hierarchy, I will ace it. It is amazing to be a musician. It is amazing to be Garry Sullivan. I now sleep. 

Good night