Thursday 5th July, OD’s: As ever, Nick the Geetar and Andy the Keys accompanied my ropey vocals over a few well established numbers that always seem to get the evening going quite well. There was a good number of musos there – all of whom (I think) had appeared before. Skinny Hips was in good form and the evening progressed to a really high octane finish that had people shouting for more (ALWAYS leave them shouting for more… if possible!)
Tuesday 10th July, The Plough: The opening night of this new event. Setting up worries proved unfounded as both new and old performers turned up, supplying bass, drums and sax, as well as a variety of guitars and voices – again a high octane (if a little shaky) finish that had people shouting for more. The arrival of Colonel Aureliano Buendia at the last moment was the inspiration that tipped the balance from 'good' to 'excellent'.
Thursday 12th July, OD’s: I knew that the talented Diva Sandy would be along – a young girl who shows enormous potential on both piano and, particularly as a vocalist – and thus would bring her dad, who is a great frontman for a big finish, so I was quite excited about the evening. Plenty of musos were there to begin with, but not much in the way of punters
A couple of new guys showed up: Jack the Laid Back and a duo, Cool Luke and Canny Cameron. The former looked cool, with his nose piercing and tats and a feathered Madchester haircut and a teenager’s stubble. He didn’t quite get the audience going, however and then made the grave mistake of saying: “This next one is one I wrote…” Death to the Open Mic Night! Sure, slip your own songs in, but not on a first performance and don’t tell people about it, let them ask what it was.
Cool and Canny, however, looked anything but cool. They were oddly shaped and seemed to have just had their hair cut by matron at a local public school. Canny took up Cookie's drum sticks and Cool asked for an overdrive pedal for his acoustic! Oh dear, I thought. And they seem such nice lads!
Actually, they were pretty good. They played a few songs that the youngsters knew and had a good sound – in the main because of the presence of drums.
By now, a good contingent of punters had arrived and the atmosphere was finally building.
Then, two of Cookie’s friends asked to do a couple. To be honest, he looked as though he had just retired from a lifelong career as an accountant, she looked like a plain housewife and I was again dreading the worst. How looks can deceive in a cruel way! He was great! And even better when harmonising with her lead vocals. Again, cheers all round.
The amazing Sandy did her stuff to much acclaim and then The Incredible Bailey Boys and Diva Dad came up in turn and the evening ended as they always tend to… But the whole flavour of the evening was somehow different. Everything seemed like hard work. One gobby punter criticised the sound – quite rightly – and there was an uneasiness and aggression in the air.
By the time we had finished, all was forgotten and everyone was pleased and we all thought it was a job well done – but there was no denying the fact that it took a long time to get there. A week previously, we were in the zone from the off. This week, it was a fight the whole way.
Tuesday 17th July, The Plough: Knowing that a good portion of ‘The Band’ would not be along this week (for ‘good portion’ read ‘none’) and Skinny Hips Tomkins would be at the Open Mic at Stubby Ash, but I also knew that The Incredible Bailey Boys and Big Bailey’s best gal, Sassy Ann, would be along. The Colonel had said he would be there and a couple of the new guys the previous week said they would be back.
I arrived a bit late (due to traffic) set up and felt relatively comfortable compared to the previous week. My wife, Sassy Lozza, was coming and so I knew there would be enough talent to keep us going.
Eight o’clock came and no-one else did. Oh dear. I had a fag and got started on my own. Lozza arrived, smiling and picked up a tamborine, but I told her to hold fire until some people arrived. ‘No point in wasting your thunder,’ I said.
45 minutes later, I asked Lozza to come and join me as I was running seriously dry, although by then The Incredible Bailey Boys. Sassy Ann and Andrew Williams had arrived and so I was able to – finally – escape and sort out some sort of running order.
As it turned out, I got a wee telling off from Lozza as she explained that she was there to support me and do backing and percussion , as well as sing some songs herself… Damn! I’m not sure how I misread that one, but it would have been an easier 45 minutes with her, that is for certain.
No-one apart from Andrew Williams was back from the first week, but Tony the Tonsils and Sean the Bass showed up for the first time as did Diva Emma. Mixing them all up and giving a couple a second turn and then finishing off with The (late-coming, of course) Colonel, Sean, Tony, Lozza and Psycho Dean (who arrived late from a meeting with a famous psychiatrist) and me, we blasted out a hi octane climax that had them shouting for more…
It always seems to work out okay – but why does it have to be so unpredictable and sometimes so damned hard to get there? I can’t remember feeling so disillusioned and tired after that first hour last Tuesday, but by the end I was thinking that this is a great way to earn a living.
Right, time to load the car for tonight’s regular slot at OD’s… See you there…
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