Leatherhead!!

Imagine coming from Leatherhead. Everytime someone asks you where you live you risk getting in a fight-

'Where are you from then?'
'Leatherhead'
'I only asked! What's your problem?' etc etc

Well I'd never been there before but the bits I saw of it looked ok. We were at the wittily named Leatherhead Theatre hoping- in my case at least- to erase the memories of the last few rather peculiar shows. After a few parking problems we're all present and correct and in the dressing room with Pete handing out cheques and revealing everything from recording plans to a name change for the show- as of January 1st we will be- fanfare!- The Chicago Blues Brothers. The general consensus of opinion is that 'Sweet Home Chicago' is a good name but doesn't really say what we do whereas the 'new' name makes it pretty clear... and there's already shows booked in that name for next year so we're off to a good start. There's also plans for t-shirts, CD's, hats & glasses- start saving now kids!!
Soundcheck time and I've got a new set-up to try- it's a Peavey 'Classic 30' combo with an Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 (it's short for 'Linear Power Booster'- you have to buy a pedal called that now don't you?). I always find it a bit strange playing through a new amp or pedal so changing both at the same could be a bit risky to say the least. But everyone thinks it sounds good (phew!!) though it's different enough from my old Laney combo to put me on edge a bit; add to that the fact that Karn, the manager of Pro Music (the shop I work at in Ickenham), is coming to the show and I'm finding myself to be unusually nervous.
Time to go to the pub then. The pub round the corner's called The Penny Black and is 'rough on a Friday night' according to the guy in the theatre box office. Michael and myself had no problems although it was only early... we rant and rave over the future of pop music (like we're experts!) for a half hour or so then head back to the theatre. Karn's arrived (gulp!) and everybody's ready to rock- which we do with no little success, a fine show all round with my amp sounding as good as I hoped it would and the LPB-1 turning it into a veritable fireball of sound for the solos. And Karn loved it too which was a relief- he's an excellent guitarist himself so his opinion meant a lot to me.

Mind you, if he'd hated it I wouldn't have even told you he'd been at the show.