It was always going to be a tough gig...

We had one week's notice that they had a cancellation and could we step in. Normally that would be fine, but Simon was in the US all that week and didn't get back until the morning of the gig; so, no rehearsal, no chance to agree the set list.

Adding to our woes, half the channels on our main mixing desk decided that day was a good day to fail, nicely coinciding with the purchase of a 7 piece drum mic set that were begging to be run through those channels.

We were running late, Simon was too jet lagged to drive, it was bloody hot.

We kicked off at 9, to a light crowd after Dave managed technically wizardry to get the kit all mic'd up and mixed. Simon, already on his second Red Bull (other, frankly more interesting stimulants are available), hovered between spontaneous somnia and seeing spiders (nice alliteration - have to use that in a song) having had 90 minutes sleep in the previous 38 hours; Dave wasn't much better off but appeared to be coping. It wasn't the tightest set ever; people clapped politely.

By 10.30 the Red Bull had done it's work and we were ready for a second stab at it - opening with a big guitar American National Anthem, Brown Sugar and a string of harder hitting numbers; we survived a few near misses on less rehearsed stuff and had the, by now, reasonable crowd on the verge of wildness. Cold Night went down well, and Falling Down, a new and barely rehearsed number, was never-the-less well received (it's hard to sing, that one - pivots around the wierdest damn chord) There was much confusion at the end when we realised we didn't have an encore number prepared, so we Brown Sugared again and called it a wrap. Hmmm... not so fast. The late comers wanted more, having missed the first set, the landlord did the only thing he could and bribed us with beer. So at 11 we started again, playing through most of the first set and, by now, really hitting our stride. The wonderful Kate took pictures, the inimitable Carl mixed sound and the bar staff did the most important job there is...

All in all, a competent if ragged (at times) show, but with a few moments of brilliance (Dave's second Hotel California solo was awesome, and Jane's vocal's were as wonderful as ever) and some daring stuff (Falling Down, Mercedes Benz, Heart in my Hand).

Maybe see you there again on Christmas eve.