54 years old, 5 grandchildren and only now I've found out what I'm here for ..... To Rock and Roll !
So, it goes like this.........
Last August, we got offered a one hour spot Saturday afternoon on the centre stage at the Rock and Blues Weekend at Skeggy. So having looked forward to it for six months, the weekend arrived. Turned up backstage while Steve Rogers (son of my hero and inspiration Paul ) was doing his set. A dozen sound techs fawned all over us - would Sir prefer a radio mike or a lead ? How much bass would you like in your monitors ? We even had a dressing room with our name on the door and light bulbs round the mirrors, Came the hour - big intro from the MC, curtain up, shed load of smoke, 28 billion gigawatts of lights and we're away. 2500 people all desperate to boogie, and if I say so myself, I don't think we disappointed. Not if the response was anything to go by... jeez, what a rush. The fastest hour of my life.
Some kind soul has stuck our first number on youtube
?hd=1
Hung around for the rest of the weekend and caught Argent, and Wishbone Ash's sets ( both were exceptional ) amonst others.On Sunday I was stopped a hundred and fifty times - all right then, about fifteen or so times by people saying how they enjoyed our set .Ye gods, what an ego boost, good job my wife was there to stop me becoming even more of an obnoxious knob. " what did they want " - " to tell me how good we were " - " take no notice, they're pissed , get me a brandy and coke, and don't talk to any more strange people "
So Monday morning, there I was at the back of the tour bus with a scantily clad female draped across me en-route to the next show, when I came to and found myself on the A59 heading for work. Hey ho, it didn't last long, but bloody hell, what an experience.
Next gig is The Plough in Chorley a week on Friday, back to humping the p.a.in and out, dragging in the lights etc, but it can't come soon enough.
I hope this doesn't come across as me showing off or being a fug smucker.
I remind myself of the old tale of the eighty two year old jewish fella who went into the confessional and regailed the priest with the tale of him picking up two 20 year old, very nubile swedish hitch hikers who, to thank him for the lift, took him to a motel, plied him with viagra and screwed his brains out for the next six hours. The priest says "but if you're jewish, and have no belief in catholisism, why are you here telling me all this?" Jewish chap says " I'm bloody well telling EVERYBODY !!! " Thats how I feel, but I've bored the shit out of everybody I've met for the last 48 hours and people are starting to avoid me - which is why you've had to put up with it all.