It’s quite a while since I wrote anything here. It can’t have been all the partying I’ve been doing, although I did enjoy Christmas with my family. Nor has anything ultra-extraordinary happened in my life. On the contrary, it’s been pretty much déjà vu. Regular pub visits but not much in the way of music, at least not my kind of music. However, all is not lost.
A couple of months ago Jim Mercer asked me to join him in a gig at the Alley Cat in Denmark street, just off the north end of Charing Cross Road. It’s the sort of club I would consider running myself, not too big but spacious enough and near a tube station (Tottenham Court Road) and served by plenty of buses. We do a duo every other Tuesday, with Jim on guitar rather than his usual bass and we play during the happy hour, between six and eight. We had a break over Christmas and will be back on Tuesday 22nd January. Chris Youlden says he will make it that evening. In theory it keeps me out of trouble.
I’ve also agreed to do a gig at the White Lion in Streatham for a children’s charity which helps children in Nepal. For further details about the promotion go to the following website: events @music4children.org which gives some details about the White Lion and the way it ahs been changed into a community bar from what seems previously to have been a pretty run-down pub. Not that I have too much against run down pubs as long as they are still open. There is always hope of some improvement instead of the place becoming yet another Tesco local store, with or without beef burgers. The gig will be me, Dino Coccia on drums, Alan Vincent on guitar and possibly Jim Mercer on bass, but as he’s still in the Caribbean, I can’t confirm that yet. Chris is unable to do that particular gig but may do further ones should they arise.
I met Chris the other day to pass on some information and show him a video of Betty Lavette covering one of his songs. We met once more at the J.D. Wetherspoon’s on Charing Cross Road. Chris is doing okay with a few health niggles, but his wife is having quite a few problems, so I hope things pick up for her soon. I don’t think I’ve completely convinced him to get an I-pad but he seemed impressed at being able to watch the You-tube of Betty’s performance and then write and send a reply without having to leave the pub. I met Dino the next evening in the Princess Louise in Holborn. As I wrote previously; déjà vu. A belated Happy New Year to everyone.
