16th September 2006
The night exceeded my expectations by far. I really wasn’t expecting so many people to turn up and show their support. The night went exactly to plan and thankfully nothing went wrong.
Those who have been around me the last few weeks know I have been stressing about it and I want to say thanks for putting up with me. Turns out there was nothing for me to be worried about.
I know that I said it enough during my set but again I want to say thank-you to you all for coming down and showing your support and love. I play a lot of gigs, but this was the best and most moving night I have ever experienced.
I decided to organise the evening after sitting with Jenny at the cemetery and remembering back to when we had our place together last year. We were so happy – we were trying for a baby and all we would talk about is our future together.
I remember thinking one day while Jenny was at work, it would be nice to give her a surprise party for her birthday with live bands playing and myself doing a set. So I thought why not now? Even though Jenny had died I could still give her an amazing birthday present. I know that she would have been so overwhelmed with the gig, and that is all I wanted.
Since Jenny died I have struggled to keep it together, I just went into self -destruction. But there is ONE thing that keeps me going, and that is knowing that everyone still remembers. Everyone still remembers what an amazing person Jenny was, all the love she gave to every person she ever met. Her life was taken away so cruelly by whoever makes the choice on our lives, but we can stick our fingers up and choose to remember a truly amazing girl.
Again, thank-you to everybody. Ciaran, Jessica, Lora, Ging and Lee for playing some great music; Nikolai for doing the sound; Havana for letting us use their place; Fi and Claire for sitting on the door all night and taking the money; the Soft-Use crowd that are INSANE (in a very good way); Ciaran’s family (all the way from Brighton); my lovely sister and her boyfriend and all their friends that made the trip down from Guildford; my family for coming down from Kent; all of Jenny’s family for coming down.
Also, my promoter Doug; my other promoter Calvin/Dan; the photographers – Mikey T, Little Kat, Martin, Calvin, Dan; Terry, Kitty, Caz, Jennie, Sophie, Matt, Jason, Jemma, Olly, Flash, Chino, Dan, Lee………………….. I could go on and on naming everyone, thank-you to everybody. And thank-you to the people I didn’t know for coming down and showing their support.
There will definitely be another gig. I said to people that if the night was a success I will hold several a year. The night was beyond a success so I will be organising another for Christmas time. I will keep everybody posted on the venue/date/lineup etc.
Again, THANK-YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR SHOWING THEIR LOVE FOR AN AMAZING GIRL
Jennifer Emily Finney
25th September 1986 – 14th May 2005
Daughter, Sister, Girlfriend
I think we collected £860 on the door, and a further £500 will be sent to CRY from the company B&Q – one of my friends works there and they said they will put £500 into CRY.
The next evening for CRY is being held on December 16th. I have managed to get a band from London called ‘Without Grace’ who are a signed group that have agreed to perform for free.
Chris Bath – http://www.myspace.com/chrisbath24