Monday, 27 July 2009

Left a good job in the city/Working for The Man every night and day

Friday 24 July - I had a little diversion on the way home from work when I stopped off at my publisher to drop off a sheaf of sticky labels with addresses on. This is for the distribution of those copies of my book that are to be posted out. David, in charge of YPS, kindly gave me a tour of the printing area where I was able to see the innards of my book all printed out and stacked on a couple of wooden pallets. Apparently, they are just waiting for the covers to be laminated and then they can start binding. He expects everything to be ready by the end of next week. I have to say that I'm extremely impressed with the service they've provided so far. It's really getting quite exciting!


Anyway, as per usual, I was out in the evening, meeting 'A' in The Roman Bath for some southern-fried covers courtesy of Travelin' Band. I get very confused about who is in this band, tonight there were six of them, probably: Steve (Crazy Horse) McLeod, Tony (Oscar) Smith, John (The Russian) Mitchell, Paul (Big foot) ???, Steve Kendra, and Mick "Broke-back" Weaver. The band's moniker is a reference to a track by Creedance Clearwater Revival from their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory.


Oscar's singing is a bit flat (like I can sing!) but they play recognisable songs and I think your ears tend to compensate for the odd duff vocal. The guitars were mixed properly this time so I could appreciate the twiddly bits as well as the bass, and the drummer (Big foot) was excellent. I think Oscar is a Stealer fan as he was wearing one of their t-shirts.


With three pints of John Smith's down my neck, I suspect my memory is a tad rusty, but I do remember them playing the following: Bad moon rising, Travelin' Band, Up Around The Bend (Creedance Clearwater Revival), Rocking All Over The World, Proud Mary (John Fogerty), Rocking in the Free World (Neil Young), Gimme three steps, Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry), Old Time Rock and Roll, Hollywood Nights (Bob Seger), Copperhead Road (Steve Earle), Crossroads (Robert Johnson), Battleship Chains (The Georgia Satellites), Call Me the Breeze (JJ Cale), and I Fought The Law (Sonny Curtis).


I rounded the evening off by shouting at four young thugs who were throwing stones at people's windows at 00:30 just around the corner from where I live. Luckily the beer I had consumed provided me with an invisible cloak of invulnerability so I was able to give them a jolly good ticking off and sent them back to the mothers, all without coming to any personal harm. Little blighters!

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