Lights, cameras, actions

Yes we saw it all at the annual HarrowBarrowNarrowSparrow charidee gig last week. Pete asked if anyone could think of another place which rhymed with itself. LON-DON came the reply from the floor. Rather worryingly, Pete was impressed with this (but we always knew he had a problem with rhythm).

The lights were on, in a kind of "imagine if these lights were really working" way and it only took about 6 trips to the car to set them up. Boy those lights are GREAT aren't they? From the gloom on stage I spotted several photographers; either we are really exciting or not much of note ever happens in Harrowbarrow village hall - you decide.

As for actions, we rocked around like tigers on vaseline - actually I have decided that I can't rock back and forth (Rick Parfitt-like) and play at the same time without looking like a candidate for sectioning under the mental health act. In fact, now I come to think about it, I can't even stand still and play without looking like a dribbling idiot. But with the huge (admittedly mostly dark) stage area on offer, we took our craft to a new high this week - it took a Herculean effort of self control to stop myself from diving into the mosh pit.

Through the now familiar distorted scream of the PA, I think the fans could pick out a musical moment or two - but we must not sit back on our laurels, or our hardys. Rock is a hard place to be and tonality is at the heart of rock, which in itself is deep within the soil (although it's also true that sometimes it's lying on the soil, or only just underneath it).

So take a spade and dig now for your rock. Or alternatively, try this handy little web test and if you score less than 80% - dig deeper.

http://jakemandell.com/tonedeaf/