Hello boys and girls

It’s time for another story.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…*

It was Friday night, and time for a keenly anticipated jaunt down to the quaint ickle village of Ashcott in deepest Zummerzet, to play for a long time and much-loved band fam member Cara, who is now running the Ring O’ Bells down there.

Ben and I arrived first, were delighted to see our heroine again, and rather pleased to find a large function room with plenty of room to jump about and fall over if necessary.

We set up, me hoping that my midweek amplifier surgery has been successful and that it won’t be suffering that vexing “going quiet” thing again (it didn’t – hooray for me!), and soon enough it’s time to start playing.

It’s a substantial and very appreciative bunch of punters (possibly Cara has pre-warned / threatened them), and we stomp our way through a very jolly first set.

Half time and I am introduced to Ben’s prospective parents-in-law, who live nearby – they’ve not seen us before.

I immediately warm to mum-in-law (she does have a name, it’s just that I don’t recall it. If it’s any comfort, I struggle to remember the names of my offspring sometimes) – who, as I sit down and am introduced, smiles broadly and says,

“Fabulous guitar player…”

I am even more delighted when she continues,

“…that’s what you guys need, a fabulous guitar player….”

Soon it’s time for the second set. We have a secret weapon – in the shape of our special guest vocalist, the delightful Paige, who rather enjoys singing rock tunes, and joins us for a couple – giving us a rare opportunity to have a belt through one of my favourites, the Darkness’s “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” (which Abby has thus far refused to sing because it’s “too silly” – but negotiations are ongoing).

As expected, Paige plays a blinder and is duly rewarded with a thundering ovation. I’m pretty sure that sooner or later she’ll be out on the gigging circuit – we’ll let you know.

Finally, we hammer through the last few tunes and a couple of encores, and then it’s time to tidy up the toys and head back out into the night whence we came.

Coming up this week – a week off, but the following Thursday we’ll be back in the Oak in Sodding Chipbury.

We’ll probably manage to post a reminder, but you can’t be too sure…

Square on
A

*Am I the only bugger left alive who’s old enough to remember “Listen With Mother” on Radio 4 from the sixties?