With the holiday season fast approaching, my long awaited week in the Isle of Wight is nearly here. I’ll be on the ferry tomorrow, with Rosie, us both looking out of the ferry windows at the rain chucking it down. – Of course not -rain indeed -it doesn’t rain in the Isle of Wight ! Suffice it to say, I won’t be at jam night next week, so Gavin is hastily arranging a guest performer for your enjoyment !

Last night’s jam night threw up one or two highlights, not least of which, the unique drum/percussion solo at the end of ‘You Really Got Me’. With me doing the vocals, Ted on Bass and Baz and Lenny on guitars, Jerome’s percussion found itself at the mercy of Jerome, Drew and Steve all at the same time, with Janif behind them, adding to the ‘funky’ rhythms on drums. ‘Banging on the bongos like chimpanzees ! (That keeps cropping up all over the place on this website !)  What a sound though ! Even Gavin thought it was “marvellous”.

It was good to see Alan taking time out from running the Woodman to play some bass, sing a couple of classics and of course play his trademark mandolin. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love the sound – nice colour too !

Talking of colours, the eagle eyed among you, like Lenny, would have noticed me playing my ‘brick red’ strat.  A rarity that, as I don’t take it out much. Having said that, now that I’ve had it set up again fairly recently, you might see it making a few more appearances in the future. It’s a bit of a rare animal in it’s own right, with it’s heavy duty Floyd Rose style trem, HH pick-up configuration and edge mounted jack socket. Can’t say I’ve seen too many guitars finished in this particular shade either – the odd Datsun Sunny here or there or the occasional Nissan Micra perhaps but not a Fender Stratocaster !

Anyway, enough of all this – I’m off to pack for my holiday !  Enjoy Jam Night without me and don’t forget … every Thursday at the Middlesex Arms, South Ruislip … and, yes, you guessed … it’s ‘marvellous !’

BFN,                     Rob.