So I hinted in my last blog that something good had happened so I will fill you in. I rushed home from work having been in touch with a few friends and agreed that we were going to check out The Piano Bar in The Old Bath Arms in Frome to see how their Thursday night music night worked. As is often the case with busy lives my pals one by one were not able to come for various reasons and so by the time it came to put on my coat it was just me who would be heading out. 


Set a dozen footsteps off the main road was the entrance the The Old Bath Arms. I had only been at the bar for a second when the guy who was running the show came to the bar to tell the landlord that one the acts hadn't showed up. I blurted out that I could fill in and they looked at each and then me in a kind of scared "who is this nutter" kind of way. We had a little chat and I left it up to them. After listening to the first act Rich Maya, John the sound guy came down to ask if I'd like to give it a go. I played 3 songs; Wildfire, Hidden Depths and Make Me Feel I Belong and got a good reception from the cosy audience. Staying to listen to covers band Chill I ended the night with a good feeling that I had another gig under my belt. I left my details and hopefully will be making a more organised appearance in the next few weeks.

Something great happened last night but I am going to have to make you wait because I haven't updated my blog with my last musical adventures.


I have started going out and about to find venues that will let me play my songs. A week and a half ago this meant picking up a few mates and heading to The Two Pigs in Corsham on 18th Jan where Innes Sibun was playing. Another old pal lives near the pub so it was going to see him, have a pint and checkout what sort of act would be on. It was fair to say that I already knew it was a heavy blues/rock venue so it was unlikely that a singer/songwriter act would be right for it but I was happy to be getting out there and seeing the place anyway.


The place was packed and featured the most eclectic mix of clientele I have ever seen together in one pub. At one end of the spectrum were country gents in tweed with enormous handlebar moustaches and deerstalkers. Just below this social tranche were the beat poets in goatees and berets. In the middle were the largest subsection; fleece and jean wearing hoy polloy. On the darker side of the pint of real ale were the goths. Youngsters steeped in stuff of ritual and the macabre who in reality had been dropped off at the pub by their horse-riding range rover driving Mum. Finally were the punks and psychobillys. Pierced and fierce in mohawk and collar while quoffing the modern equivalent of Um Bongo. Of course a notable addition were me and my mates who transcend such social and tribal sub categorisations unless miserable old git is now recognised as a significant minority. Despite such disparaging and blatant prejudice of all these good people my point is that everyone was getting on and mixed freely with each other without batting an eyelid. It was like they all accepted each other and it was a pleasure to see and a credit to the house.


Innes Sibun is a blues guitarist who has clearly paid his dues playing all over the world for years with good reviews. He went down a storm at the Two Pigs; they absolutely loved him. This sort of blues is not my bag and I see a lot of that sort of rapid fret bothering as just indulgent noodling. Nevertheless he is a class act at what he does and the audience showed their appreciation in spades.

I have had a long break with 6 weeks off before and after the festive season and today it ends with a show at Woodstock. I'll enjoy getting back into the pre-gig routine. A glass of wine is a good start and then a sound check to get those levels right. I'll write out my setlist (I use a A4 diary to do this so I can go back and see what I played at each gig) and then warm up with a couple of tunes before hand. I'll get to the venue 20 or 30 minutes before start time and hear whoever is on before and then settle down to having fun. Hopefully a decent audience of 20 or 30 and away we go.....


See you there 2pm slt (10pm gmt) at Woodstock http://slurl.com/secondlife/Woodstock/23/153/22