The next morning, I struggled awake at eight AM, all thoughts of a second round banished, the sun was already beating down out of a cloudless sky, but I had a crippling hangover and would frankly have been happier with clouds, or darkness. I stole Matt's Ray Bans and pulled a long T shirt on to go and queue for a shower, which helped return me to a semblance of humanity. A large black coffee with three sugars and a bacon roll meant I felt I'd probably survive.
Manjit and Gautham made it over by nine, just in time for me to wave them goodbye as I disappeared off to join the band for our first rehearsal. Dean drove us off to a village hall a couple of miles away that was set up with drums, guitars and a keyboard where for the next two hours we rehearsed the forthcoming sets in between mugs of tea and instant coffee.
Dean and Colin were happy enough with the result, Perry made a couple of suggestions about positioning and lighting that everyone accepted enthusiastically. Once we'd completed the musical rehearsal as far as we could Dean took me aside and introduced Natalie's sister, Christine, who was helping out on costume, hair and makeup. She showed me a selection of outfits and I chose two, one slightly more demure for the Square Window stage and one that showed more than it covered for the main stage.
We arrived back at the festival site with an hour to spare before our first set, there was a light lunch of cheese and crackers and fruit back at Colin's Winnebago, during which everyone in the band came and told me I'd be fine and if it started going wrong just to shout out something like "Alright NOD FEST" and they'd cover for me.
The word had gone round backstage about my 'plucked from obscurity' fairy story and I had a couple of people from other bands come and wish me luck, including a couple of household names. Some of them told me they'd come and watch my set as moral support, which made me more nervous.
Ten minutes to go and I was pacing backstage, counting off the running order, telling myself I could do it and to relax.
Five minutes and I was ready to burst when the rest of the band arrived.
Two minutes and I was looking for Natalie's bucket.
One minute. Dean walked out on stage.
Shit, the crowd sounded huge.
Dean started the introduction.
"Alright NOD fest, welcome to the Square Window Stage." [More cheers]
"Are you ready?" [Cheers]
"I said ARE YOU READY?" [Massive cheer]
"Well ALRIGHT. WELCOME TO THE STAGE, NUT LOAF."
The crowd went absolutely mad, Colin, sorry, Nut led them out and took over the microphone duties.
"Some of you may have heard that our Natalie's been a bit off colour. We're delighted to say she's well but needs to take a rest, so we've got our new friend, Alice, to take her place. Alice? Where are you Alice Cinderella?"
The crowd joined him in a chant of "Alice, Alice, Alice"
We let it roll for a minute or so then Perry and Jack started the opening chords of "Holding out for a hero" and I ran on stage in a leather bustier top, leather trousers and spike heeled boots, demanding to know where all the good men had gone and where were all the Gods. When I got to the bit about needing to be strong and fresh for the fight I spotted Matt in the crowd and pointed straight at him. All nerves were gone, I was back to being Alice Cinderella, Rock Goddess.
The track finished with a crash and a deafening roar of cheers, we rolled straight into Nut leading for the next three tracks and me being in the background as a backup singer before I stepped up for two Blondie tracks, and yes my hair was beautiful, followed by Walk like an Egyptian and Cherry Bomb.
We finished the set with the same two tracks we'd duetted the previous day. The band stayed on for the live Karaoke session while Dean took me to the backstage area for a de-brief with Colin. The condensed version was I was fantastic, which of course I was, and that I should look to Perry for the lead in more, but generally well done.
I was on a massive rush and showed my Rock Diva credentials by sending the smaller of the two Rhinos from the previous evening, who I discovered was known as 'Buller,' to find Matt.
He was there in minutes, on almost as much of a high as I was. "Ali, you were great. God you looked hot. It was like you were born to be up there babe, you were amazing." He was falling over himself in his efforts to speak coherently, so I relieved him of the need by sticking my tongue in his mouth.
I hadn't got anything on under the bustier which zipped up, so it was almost inevitable that it got unzipped and he had my tits in his hands and his mouth locked onto mine when I heard "What did I bloody tell you. She's a Camper Van fetishist. Show her a Formica table and her clothes come off."
I squealed in shock and tried to cover myself up, but Manjit dismissed my embarrassment nonchalantly, "Oh come on girly, we were all in the hot tub last night. Just stop actually shagging for two minutes and we'll leave you to it."
Gautham was just behind her, "Yeah, don't worry about us Ali." Which got him a slap from Manjit and a suggestion that perhaps I should cover up. The Comedy Indian Accent came back "Because my bloody husband turned into a randy dog."
I zipped up, much to Gautham and Matt's disappointment, then retired to the Tiki bar where the other three piled into subsidised cocktails and I ordered herbal tea, partly because Colin and Dean were chatting in there and partly because I didn't want to start drinking whilst I still had a set to get through later in the evening.
I had a few hours before the next set and the moment of lust had passed with Matt so I changed into shorts and a tatty T Shirt and went back to the performing arts section with Manjit where we watched some more Jane Austen related hilarity, 'North by Nortwesthanger Abbey,' in which our heroine is invited to Bath but pursued by mysterious agents in search of a micro painting, followed by Emma-nuelle in which our heroine arranges the marriage and trysts for Mister Twice-Knightley whilst avoiding a wickerwork chair.