Juliana Hatfield 3

Juliana Hatfield is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Boston, former member of the indie rock bands Blake Babies and The Lemonheads. She also fronted her own band, The Juliana Hatfield Three. 

I've been a Juliana Hatfield fan since I was at university in the early 90s, wowed by the seminal Juliana Hatfield Three album "Become What You Are", with the singles "My Sister" and "Spin the Bottle". I had three pictures of Juliana pinned to my wall, which was two more than I had of my then girlfriend.

When I moved to Brighton in 2002 I was delighted to see a poster advertising a Julianne Hatfield gig in the city. What a way to start my new life. I looked at the poster more closely. I had missed the gig by one day. 

Eighteen years later Juliana finally toured the UK again, starting with the Prince Albert in Brighton. I'd long since moved from the city by this point but arranged a weekend at the seaside and booked tickets for the gig. I was finally going to see her.

"It's great to be back," were Julianna's first words. "Was anyone here last time I played? That was such a good show." She went on to mention the previous gig no less than four more times, always referring to how amazing the gig was. It's as if she was taunting me. 

It was however, wonderful to see her in person. She did Spin the Bottle, My Sister, all the classics. I felt young again. 

Afterwards, at the merchandise stand, the woman selling T shirts suggested I should get a medium. I was confused, did she think I needed to talk to dead people for some reason? Surely she didn't mean T-shirt size, I haven't fitted a medium since I was a teenager. Eventually I realised that the T shirts were in American sizes. Everything you need to know about America is contained in that fact a T shirt in my size is called a Medium. 

It had taken me nearly a lifetime but I've finally seen Julianna Hatfield live. It was worth the wait. I've been there, done that, got the T shirt (in a Medium).