So this is (nearly) Christmas

-and what have I done? Well...

It's been very busy in the shop. Very busy. Almost beyond busy. Tensions rose to new heights on Wednesday morning when, whilst cruelly tormented by the aftereffects of the previous evening's heavy drinking with East and Esso, your humble narrator was VERY RUDE INDEED to a customer. (I won't tell you what the first word was, but the second one was 'off'...) Well- he was a jumped up middle class git who not only asked me if I had any phone numbers for other music shops in the area but then proceeded to phone one ('Hooters' in Watford I think) and walk around our shop comparing our prices with theirs. On reflection I shouldn't have said what I said, and told him so- incredibly he ended up buying an amplifier from us!- but I was amazed and even a little worried about how angry I got with him. I think I may need a holiday... Paul the guv'nor (just back from working Bruce Springsteen's monitors in Paris) found the whole episode highly amusing ('that's nothing to what he would have got from me!') which at least means that I still have a job.

Incidentally Broooce didn't really phone me up- it was Paul holding his mobile phone in the air during 'Born To Run'. I had a few of you worried there though didn't I?!?

Things brightened up considerably in the afternoon with a visit from John Kerrison, wheelchair-bound ex-Episode Six drummer and all round good bloke. He wasn't the only ex-Episode Six-er to visit us this week, as we shall see...

Thursday is theatre day, this time without Stuart the guitar repair man who's off visiting his family for Christmas. Almost before I'd got through the door I was asked 'Where's Stu- is he alright?' by Steve the stage doorman; one person even asked me if he was still alive. I managed to get through it all without too much trouble and heroically resisted the temptations of 'Sister Ray' in Berwick Street, though might have to go back for a slightly-less-than-legal Jam DVD next time I'm in the area.

Friday was theoretically a day off, though at this time of year I'm not sure that such a thing really exists. I stumbled around Uxbridge amid what felt like thousands of nutters re-enacting a scene from 'Zulu' in an attempt at getting a few Christmassy things with limited success, though at least I managed that much- there were a lot of empty shelves and fraying tempers...

Saturday in the shop was the busiest day yet; I bought a cheese roll on my way there at approximately 9 a.m. and finally got time to eat it just after 7 p.m. which sums the day up in more ways than one. An undoubted high point was a visit from Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover who goes straight in at number one in our 'most famous customer' chart- a position previously held by Chas and Dave's drummer, the mighty Mick Burt. He was on the hunt for a metronome (I don't think it was for him, he seems to be quite good at timekeeping!) which I'm pleased to say he found; it seemed unlikely that his credit card would be declined but he gave us cash anyway. Also in the shop at the time was Roger Brewer (Lee Ryder's drummer from a couple of post's back) who has known Glover for years and indeed roadied for Deep Purple for a while; after they'd said their hello's he introduced me to his old mate- I think I said something like 'I've seen you play a few times, it's great to meet you at last', all the while thinking 'OH GAWD IT'S THE BLOKE FROM DEEP PURPLE THAT'S HIM ON 'MADE IN JAPAN' AND EVERYTHING'. I nearly mentioned that John Kerrison had been in earlier in the week (Glover was in Episode Six before he joined Deep Purple) but in the end didn't get the chance. The 2 Roger's talked of meeting for a drink over the Christmas break and, unless my ears deceived me, invited me along. Excellent!

Tonight, back in the real world, I'm gigging with Austin in his duo Liquid Lunch, somewhere in darkest Essex. I've got about 30 songs to revise, and some to learn from scratch by such wild rock'n'roller's as David Gray and The Eagles so I'd better get on with it. This will be the night that the 2 Roger's invite me out for a drink...

http://www.deep-purple.net/