Full Practice: at The Ilsleys

Present
Ad, Eg, Fea, Gi, Tom

Squeezed in before the gig the following day. Gi looking refreshed from his Spanish Holiday. We met at 10am. We set up in Fea's classroom. And enjoyed the space. We cracked on through Eg's initial set list and, worryingly, it all went rather well.

We had a halfway break in the staff room. With no milk. Ad and Eg continue to display some sort of thought harmony by both appearing with those travel mugs for the day. Topics of conversation included Academic Qualifications and what they really mean. Fea tried to interest everyone in his school's achievements. Eg vowed never to send his children there.

Slimmed Down Practice V: Gig Approaching

Present
Ad, Eg, Tom

Ad arrived four hours early. Talk about one extreme to the other. Ben's looking a bit tired thanks to his slightly overweight baby boy. It also appears that someone has pinched the sound desk from the room we've been using. Eg hands over some Big Red from Chattanooga for Tom whose car is overheating. We find out that Fea's guitar, with which he's been lovingly playing for years under the impression it was a Fender, is actually a Squire. Fea's mortified. Ad is back from South Africa.

This evening was spent going through the songs we were planning on playing for the following Sunday's Festival in Wootton Bassett.

Post Practice Pint Topics of Conversation
Tom's concerns over people's false sense of Self during Karaoke - thanks to the clamouring of wives and girlfriends [although not his]. Public performance liability insurance. The Loopy Facebook group. Eg's changing rooms. Podcast possibilities. Leaving copies of Evel Knievel in places around South Africa and the US. Someone asking us to stop sending them our mailing list emails. Webstats telling us we have a Chinese audience out there. In China.

Slimmed Down Practice IV

Present
Ad, Eg, Tom

With Felix on paternity and Giles unavailable the only record we're spinning tonight is the number of consecutive 'Slimmed Down' practices. Which is very 'exciting' seeing as we're rapidly approaching another gig. August 5th. Wootton Bassett. Festival. Which probably means it's a village fête or something.

Tonight we were in the back room again. And in view of the recent spate of Pub Last Order Failures, Eg brought some tinned Tanglefoot. Genius.

Songs of note: 'I Can See Clearly Now' cover.

Oh. And Studio Rehearsal fees have gone up.

We did indeed make it in time for a pint at The Willow Tree.

Post Practice Pint Topics of Conversation: Ad finds out he's lost money on shares in MICE. Fraud Squad involved an' all. Eg's off to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tom's weekend street gig. How to do a management buy out. Grooming young boys to sing our songs.

Slimmed Down Practice III

Present
Ad, Fea, Tom

Another three out of five evening.

Started off with Ben filling us in on his new born and how big he has already grown [Arlo, not Ben] in just eight days. We set up in the back room, the old 'control room'. There's still that massive duvet in there. Or is it a futon?

Muscle memory is a wonderful thing - we churned out some oldies tonight. Emma Wray, Naked, OX4[failed] and 'Someone' into 'Startin' Out' again. 'April 30' and 'Change' soon followed.

Tom added some subtle and strategic piano to 'Sparkle'.

We nearly missed last orders at the Willow Tree, our new favourite post-practice pint pub, and enjoyed it in the suprisingly spacious garden at the back. Round tables and parasols, a warm evening, great company and as Fea pointed out, it felt like we were on holiday.

Topics of conversation included: GoogleGroups. Tom misses the way the Alsatian used to greet him at the other pub. How Good We Really Are. Squeaky cigarette butts. Tom's Bex going to see George Michael at Wembley for free because she's a nurse. Gi helping Tom learn to ride a motorbike. Ad being sure that everyone was there when he, sitting on Eg's front door step in 1996[?], had to phone Viv, our lovely ex-backing singer, that she was no longer required and was in fact, from then on, an ex-backing singer.

Oh the memories.

Another Slimmed Down Practice

Present:
Ad, Eg, Fea

Well, what's going on? This week it was Tom's turn to join Gi on the list of absentees. This time we were in the old recording studio. Ben had his son, Arlo, last week and is currently enjoying that glazed look that new fathers seem to get soon after child arrival.

Fea discovered he had lost some metal thing that goes under his strings off his guitar. The very moment he noticed it, Ben said that he had found it last week. A successful impromptu attempt at covering 'I Can See Clearly Now' [after Eg had picked up the words and music off the floor from another band's rehearsal] went rather well. Easier to learn than the newly attempted loopy classic-to-be 'Gallery of You'. Progress made on 'Sparkle' and another great 'Someone' into 'Startin' Out'. More accurate remembering of '24 Hours' too.

Panic ensued as our attempt to find that End of Night Pint was thwarted by the early closing of the three nearest pubs. What's going on? So we ended up sitting by the river, on a bench enjoying the Emergency Beer Supply that Ad keeps in the boot of his car. The teenagers skateboarding over on the other bank looked awfully envious.

Topics of Conversation: The gig that will clear our debt to the North Moreton auction that Eg committed us to. How many GCSEs is a degree worth? Religious schools advertising for teachers with their specific faith: is it legal? Having a beer with your daughter. The naivety of new cooing new fathers and the smugness of the listening older fathers.