First off, huge thanks to Ma Damagement, or whatever they call themselves this week: I've run similar events in the past, and I know it's not easy. Take a bow, guys. Likewise, many thanks to Jim Nugent for the lift up and back!
Memorable moments:
- a very pleasant and laid back Friday evening spent nattering with Rev Tim, Paul C, Ian M, mdw and Vinny while the rest of the world went out for a ruby
- the number of comments I got on the weight loss (anyone wanna sponsor me for the remaining four stone?)
- Jon Boyes' rendition of Private Investigations. Just.. awesome.
- The worrying silence from my new JCM800 head(traced to a speaker impedance switch with, bizarrely, an OFF position). Thanks to Trev for spotting it, for the education on how to keep valves alive, and the loan of his DSL100 for the rig demo. (Still prefer the sound of mine...
and apologies that the demo was woefully disjointed - my mind wasn't really on it, unsurprisingly... )
- Getting to play said JCM800 on 'f***ing loud' for a few minutes, and Mark McGuigan's expression when he got to do the same. Many thanks, too, to the good Dr. Booth for collecting and transporting said JCM800.
- Andy Dempster's JEM DBK. *Sweet*.
- Pete Spaldin's LC15. Ditto.
- chatting in the carpark on Saturday, listening to the jam in the main room and then hearing a bent, held, high E drifting over from the annex that seemed to last forever before becoming the opening to 'Parisienne Walkways' - Vinny testing the rack of DOOM. What a rig! All it lacks is Canford Audio's 12U rackmount beer fridge.
- Trev and Vinny's Lizzy duet. How cool was that?
- Steve Cobham's tour through 'Hideaway' on Sunday - an education.
- Wide Open - three *scary* guitarists, one rock-solid bassist, stonkingly good lead vocals and harmonies, and a drummer who I *refuse* to believe has only been playing a year. Someone tell that man he kicks arse! Oh... and that synth patch for the riff to Jump, James? - perfection!
- Clive. An object lesson in how to stay cool under the pressure of a strange guitar rig and a skipping CD player - superb set, superb music.
All in all, I had a blast - got to put faces to a bunch of names, had a really great time. Roll on next year.
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