Sometimes at the weekend I’ll forego the usual silent battle Mrs Backpack and I embark on to see who breaks first and will leave her to sleep, heading downstairs where I’ll feed the animals, pour myself a fresh coffee and pop on some album or other. By this time, William will usually be installed in the lounge watching some TV show or other so I get to have the kitchen to myself. After he’s eaten, Oswald will head upstairs to curl up outside our bedroom door and Chester will invariably settle himself on his bed while I select the music.

Music is such a cathartic release and often reflects our moods so on these especially chilled mornings I typically select some soft female vocals like The Cardigans, Carol King or Nina Simone or if I want something a bit more bluesey then I may opt for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Chris Cornell or possibly Kurt Cobain’s haunting vocals from Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged album. As the day goes through the tempo may pick up and I’ll end up somewhere heavier such as Black Sabbath, Jack White, Idles or The Clash. I’ll sit on the floor by my stacks of CDs and spend ages flicking through the discs, looking at them through my phone or iPad or squinting at each cover. I know I can simply open the Music app on my tablet but find it difficult to get the same emotional connection with a digital screen that you get from these little plastic jewel cases or the big stack of records in my office.

I try to go to a handful of gigs every year which has its challenges being Severely Sight Impaired although it does help that I come with my own 2-for-1 offer so long as the person accompanying me doesn’t mind making sure I don’t walk into the ladies loo by accident. Booking this assistant ticket (they like to call it a carer ticket which I strongly object to) is often an adventure in its own right because each venue has its own process. For instance, The Roundhouse requires you to buy your ticket directly and not through a reseller like Ticketmaster or See Tickets to be eligible for a companion whereas other places like the O2 requires your ticket to be purchased through their preferred partner. It can be so difficult to know what process to follow that some sort of database is needed for disabled gig goers. I have to say my preferred option is always the ones who just need an email to their accessibility team along with proof of disability (in my case an Access Card, Certificate of Visual Impairment or proof of PIP award) and then they pop my Plus One onto the guest list. Thankfully this is the process followed by one of my favourite venues – Camden Town’s Electric Ballroom.

Over the past few years I’ve seen quite a lot of acts here ranging from Amyl and the Sniffers and The Dead Kennedys to last night’s epic Goldie Lookin’ Chain. I always have the option of priority seating but I’ve only done that once and must admit it felt extremely strange to be sat on a raised dais to the left of the stage, away from all the fun going on below us so we soon rejoined the collective and found a spot near the back. Being part of the crowd, dancing and singing along with the band is what makes a gig so special so now I politely decline the offer and we take our spot in the main arena, just to the left of the desk (slightly forward of it so as not to be distracted by the technician manipulating the sliders and dials) and wait for the band to start.

The Electric Ballroom is now a familiar place and I can navigate around pretty much independently. For instance, I know if I take a left from our viewing spot until I reach the wall then turn left again heading back to the bar where I will traverse the crowd until my cane bumps into a small step indicating the merch stand is off to my right. If I walk along this slightly raised area until I reach the wall and then turn left again until I find the small step back down I’ll have the other bar to my left and the disabled toilet on my right in the corner. It can be a little hairy on the way back if I overshoot my marker of the corner of the fire escape before crossing back into the throng but typically whomever I am with has a watchful eye out for me.

I’ve only ever had one unpleasant moment at a gig and that was during The Black Crowes at Brixton Academy. This is another one of my favourite venues and this particular evening, we were stood at our usual spot along the left-hand side about a third of the way down the slope with the balcony behind us and, as always, I had my cane in my hand with the ball resting against my foot. As we stood listening to the band working their way through their first studio album, Shake your Money Maker, a guy who had obviously had a fair amount to drink suddenly stopped in front of me, looking from my cane to me and getting uncomfortably close to my face that I could smell the beer on his breath. Thankfully that was the extent of the incident as, within seconds, my brother who was stood beside me gave him a shove and he staggered off back to his mates. I’d like to think there was nothing to this guy’s actions other than the novelty of seeing a blind bloke out of the house after dark but who knows.

I’ve been to all manner of gigs from hip hop to metal and aside from this one incident, most people’s reaction is to keep out of the way of my sweeping cane and sometimes ask if I need anything. I like to think that being at a gig is representative of the population as a whole where the majority of people are generally good natured and are simply going about their lives, trying to make the best of things and have a bit of fun in the process which is why I encourage anyone worried about going to see a band to take a breath and give it a go. As I say, there are always priority areas for those who may struggle to be in the crowds so what have you got to lose?