A drummer turns up

Present: Ad, Dom, Eg, Fea, Tom

Venue: Uprising Studios, Newbury
A drummer turned up, improving the output of our four lovable regulars 100 fold. The spring had certainly returned to the collective Loopy step thanks to Dom. Loopy have played with Dom on a number of occasions, and always with great results.

Not surprising, considering Dom is the only person that Loopy know who still receives the odd PRS cheque thanks to his late 80s / early 90s stewardship of the skins with The Chesterfields.

The evening progressed with eleven candidates for the new album. Much work was done.

Post Practice Pint Prattle
Eg's new Android phone; Sziget or not Sziget; Tom performing Postman Pat and the Pink Panther at his Grandmother's Jewish funeral while he and the rest of his family (led by Mr Vamos Senior) wear yarmulke's made from rolled up Speedo swimming caps - it seems Mr Vamos Junior's past cartoon farcicals are indebted to the genes he's inherited from Dad;

Spring plans are springing

Present: Ad, Eg, Tom

Venue: Valley Studios, Winchester

Rehearsing in anticipation of the recording session to be scheduled after a rehearsal with our guest drummer Dom. Some handheld recordings of the new songs were taken for preparation.

Thoughts turn to a photo shoot of the boys wearing simple white open neck shirts. Yet to happen.

The Loopy boys are also preparing material for the festival season with a potential headlining slot at the world famous 'Stockfest'. Also once known as 'Jazz on the Glebe'.

March recording session for backing tracks of new album "Chubby Little Losers" on the cards.

Post-Practice Prattle over a Pint in the Pub

Eg's new job. That Eg would fire self-confessed 'unmanageable' Tom. Probably due to his poor musical timing.

The 2010 Loopy Christmas Do

Present: Ad, Eg, Fea, Tom

Venue: Strada, Newbury

Tom late, Eg early. Ad and Fea on time. A beer while awaiting Tom. Christmas Crackers supplied by Santa (Minty) with a very exciting Bingo theme.

Twas the practice before Christmas...

Present: Ad, Eg, Fea, Tom

Venue: Head Teacher's Office, Winchcombe Primary School, Newbury

More run throughs of the latest collection of songs with an emphasis on structure.

The new acoustic bass has arrived, a semi-acoustic - which was a nice surprise - Fea tries to nick the supplied battery for his tuner. Ad tucks in to it while Tom gets out his rather nice looking new keyboard. He places it on the rather low coffee table and spends the rest of the evening bent over it, experimenting with the buttons.

Yes, Tom was fiddling with his organ in the grounds of a primary school again.

Post-practice Pint Pub Prattle:

A cheap round this evening; the price of flights for a family travelling to New Zealand; the race to find the phone number of Newbury's Strada restaurant; would you stay in China for a year and not take the kids?: how much are family members actually worth in the pay-to-visit stakes - Eg fares poorly; and 'unfair' cleavages - is it ok to glance?

Is it really though?

Re-entering Broken Boiler Territory

Present: Ad, Eg, Fea

Venue: Winchcombe School Headmaster's Office

Tom's absence is due to his boiler breaking down. At which news, Fea's eyes light up as Eg and Ad glance at each in near panic.

Post practice pint prattle at the pub is now a terrifying prospect.

Another well marshalled practice taking the three attendees through the latest offering ensues. The staff room iss locked but Fea manages to cobble together some hot drinks via the coffee machine on his desk.

Photocopying facilities are used to copy all the song lyrics for each person. Paper clips were used. Ad shows Fea that his desire to use a shared Google Calendar for his staff is possible from his school desktop computer but is probably going to be thwarted by proxy server restrictions. Fea's mind wanders to Broken Boilers.

Fea locked up the school - apparently it was his first time carrying out this rather important task so he seemed quite nervous about it.

Post-Practice Pint Prattle At the Pub
Phoebe's singing; what it might be like to go to a Talent School in London at the age of 16; sewing machines; Christmas presents; doing a voiceover artist's website; the difficulty of being considered Posh with short vowels, impossible.