Time for another Acts Less Ordinary gig at The Load of Hay- Sunday night's featured Colour Me Wednesday and Joe Card and, while it couldn't be described as a bad evening, was perhaps a little anti-climatic after last month's epic event. Joe arrived at the venue with the words 'I've got a bit of a croaky throat' but got through his set without too many mishaps whilst CMW played a somewhat shambolic collection of spiky pop songs to the delight of their travelling followers and to the rather more critical observations of the casual observers back at the bar, one of whom described them as 'Duller Me Wednesday'. You can't win 'em all, as they say... next month's gig should be a killer 'though, as I've managed to secure the services of the mighty Kris Dollimore- words like 'unmissable' don't describe it!
Monday saw your humble narrator back behind the counter of Pro Music in Ickenham where things are hotting up- we're about to admit defeat and join the rather murky world (to me anyway) of e-commerce. By the end of next month American Tom should have got our new website up and running which will allow people to buy directly from us over the internet, a move which means I'm currently trying to drag myself into the late 20th Century (there's no need to go completely mad and be right up to date now is there?!?) and learn more about such things. It looks as though it's going to be a long hot summer, as The Tom Robinson Band once sang.
Talking of websites Andy C. has put one together for The Flying Squad- click here to see some pictures from last week's gig, and to hear our version of 'That's it, I quit' recorded in Andy's garage earlier this year. We're playing at The Red Lion in Egham next Saturday 2nd May- having spent ages rehearsing with no gigs we've now got to rush to get enough songs together to play this show. Ah- it's like goldy and silvery but it's made out of iron...
Meanwhile last night saw the latest theatre show from The Chicago Blues Brothers, at The Gordon Craig in Stevenage. The theatre is part of the Arts and Leisure Centre- we arrived to find the stage in almost total darkness as the crew were refocusing the lights so after loading in myself and the long-suffering Shirley went for a look around. There was an exhibition of photographs in the foyer by the rather grandly-named Frederick James Gormer and very fine they were too. The man himself was there with his mum, who went straight up to Shirley with the words 'that's the photographer over there'- exactly the sort of thing that my mum would have done to me, and he looked as embarrassed as I would have!
Soundcheck time and there's a conspiracy in the air; Marc's back on behind the kit and is proudly displaying his new Mapex Black Panther snare drum, oblivious to the fact that Pete's discovered that it's his birthday... we jam some rock and roll and attempt 'Living for The City' with Pete on vocals before retiring to the green room to discuss tactics for the rest of the year and to surprise Marc with a card and a song.
7.45 and it's showtime- there's a good crowd in and the first set builds up well 'though my left hand reminds me that it's not quite as it should be on more than one occasion, particularly during my solo in 'She Caught The Katy' which is fine until the end where I bend a string and it suddenly feels like I've plugged my guitar (and indeed my hand) straight into the mains. Not good, frankly... no time to worry about that now though as I'm meeting Price bassist Huggy in the bar in the interval, he's not seen the show before and comes backstage to meet the troops and to re-acquaint himself with Pete after a gap of many years. (Pete promoted gigs in our area back in the mid-to-late '80's.) The second set carries on where the first left off, with Marc getting a birthday moment during 'Sweet Home Chicago' and Huggy pronouncing himself to be 'gobsmacked' by our performance after the show. Excellent!
Today's a day off, or as near as I ever get to having one anyway. There's loads to do as usual so, ever one for getting on with the most important things in life, I've just watched the Liverpool vs. Arsenal game which I recorded last night. We've just got LFCTV and I'd managed to avoid the result before seeing it- it ended up 4-4! I need a day off after that!
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