I was recently asked by my friend Chris Budd to stand in as drummer for the covers band he plays in Mangetout at a party they are playing at in one of Bristol’s new music venues The Tunnels.  It’s for a private birthday party and we’ll be playing around an hour’s set.  The music comprises a fair range of styles from Otis Reading and James Brown to The Clash, Pink and Amy Winehouse – good solid party fair.

I decided years ago not to do a lot of (if any) live playing after too many years gigging as a teenager and in my 20’s lugging kits around from venue to venue.  It became apparent to me that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as the others I was playing with, though I loved playing in studios in a controlled recording environment.  I guess my future vocation was already taking hold.

However very occasionally Chris asks me to step up to the plate if Nick, Mangetout’s drummer can’t make a gig for any reason and so I get the opportunity to dust off my sticks and beat the c**p out of some drums on stage.

Getting ready for a practice yesterday I sat at my studio V-Drums and set about trying the set list with iTunes pumping out the songs into my headphones.  After less than half an hour I began to feel blisters appearing on my fingers.  What a WIMP !

What’s happened to my seasoned John Bonham hands ?  The thing I used to do day in and day out, my body parts are rejecting.  Well I’m not giving in – whether it takes gaffa tape or a nice bright pair of Marigolds I’ll grin and bear it to have my hour of live thrash therapy for the year.