'Keep on rockin' in the free world...'

Now the dust has settled on the Fordham and Blackpool gigs I've managed to get a bit of perspective on things. I still think the shows should have been cancelled, but we played well despite a chronic lack of rehearsal, and the audience reaction on both nights reflect the high regard and affection the band and their music are still held in. And on a personal level I'm glad that I did them- I wouldn't have played them if Paul hadn't ok'd things but it feels like I did the 'right' thing under the circumstances, and I think that I played well enough to justify me (rather than someone else) being there. I've since seen some camcorder footage of the Blackpool show, a good raucous performance with Mark really rising to the occasion and showing what a great frontman he is. And I've also got around 80 minutes of the Ruffy/Segs/Rollins session on dvd courtesy of Mark Wyeth- I watched it all this morning with amazed amusement, or amused amazement, or something. I really did it! It was really me!

So- now what? Well I've just got back from a highly enjoyable Barflies rehearsal at Ruff Rockers in Uxbridge and can hardly wait for next Sunday's session already. We've been offered a gig at The Woodman in Northwood next month which we might be ready for, but I for one would rather wait until we're really ready rather than cobble something together for the first available date and then not play as well as we otherwise might. Maybe I'm aware of how relatively unprepared we were for the Beck Theatre show, or maybe it's because the Ruts gigs were so ad hoc- either way I for one would like to get it right this time, not least because we're playing some great, varied material which deserves to be played well.
In the meantime I've got a gig in Leighton Buzzard with The Pistols next Saturday which I'm really looking forward to, then The Blues Brothers band are off to Zurich the following Friday. It's all good stuff- but it doesn't feel like it's enough. Maybe I'm being greedy but I just feel like I want to play as much as I can at the moment. I think I'm playing well, and I'm really enjoying it. Why shouldn't I want to feel like that more often?!?

Here's another Blackpool gig clip:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUdwBRQ6PZ8

-not as good as the other one but still good fun?!?