NICE QUIET NIGHT TONIGHT............MAYBE NOT!!

Hello friends,

We're out and about again tonight, but not going far; it's Matt's lady Kelly's birthday party so we are going to play a little bit for her, have a sip of a few soft drinks, and then probably be tucked up in bed by 10 o'clock - I think not! If Matt has anything to do with it, the birds will probably be singing by the time we get home! Anyway, I'm sure it will be a good night, and no doubt there will be reports and maybe even photos next time round!

Last Friday saw us at The Old Ship for the first leg of their Big Gig Weekend, and I have to say that, even though we have played there many times before, it was still a great night! Even though Friday night is traditionally a quieter night in The Ship, the place was rammed, and everone was really up for it - we even tried 4 new numbers on them and, with the exception of In The Shadows (one of my favourite tracks, and I know others like it too), which was put in the wrong part of the set (stopped all the dancers dead in their tracks!), they all worked and seemed to go down well (especially Rock & Roll and Spitting Games).

There were people there that had travelled from Hampshire and London just to see us, and even Pete Munro turned up - he said he really felt he ought to make the effort as he had promised to come many times before - shame he left 5 minutes before we started playing! Any more tricks like that and he will acquire the same status in our eyes as the landlord of The Millstone!

I didn't get a chance to see The Injectors on the Saturday night (because I was watching Calendar Girls at The Lowry with my Mummy!) but I believe Pete, Mike and Bobby Rocket went down well, and that the whole weekend was regarded as a stonking success!

Rest of the week has been a real mixture of emotions for your correspondent - including blind panic and worry when No.1 daughter was in a car crash (thankfully, she's OK, if a little battered and bruised) and wild jubilation this afternoon when City thrashed Chelsea!

After tonight, we are gigless until the end of April, but at least it will give us a chance to practice some new numbers, and for Dave to have a holiday! No doubt we will be raring to go again, by then, and I'll just have to remember to keep updating this blog thing, so you don't think we've all died.

A BIG GIG WEEKEND AT THE SHIP!

Hello again everyone - I'm sure you have wondered why there has been so much silence on here, over the last couple of weeks; well, 2 reasons:

1. Nothing to report
2. Too damned busy!!

Anyway, neither of those are any excuse, so let me bring you up to date with developments on the D&C front. We have actually managed to have 2 rehearsals over the last fortnight and, although Matt could not make the first one, we have gone a long way to boxing off 4 new numbers! Obviously, it's not sensible to reveal too much in advance of the great unveiling but, with a following wind (never a problem for our band!) and a good practice this week, we could be doing at least 3 of them on Friday 19 February at The Ship, as part of the first instalment of the Big Gig Weekend!! So, how much should we tell you..........?

We toyed with a couple of Michael Buble numbers, and Andy suggested the Macarena as one to get everyone up and dancing; Hugh threw Black Betty into the mix, as one of his favourite tunes, and Matt & Chrissie really wanted to do something by The Proclaimers to show our diverse tastes (which were amply demonstrated by the jokes told on Thursday night!! ;-)) But, in the end, it's looking like The Pretenders, an obscure band from Finland, Led Zeppelin and a tune from Stikipedia will be the first additions to our portfolio in 2010! Come along on Friday, to find out what they are, and help us through them (unless you're one of those that has gone on holiday for half-term!) Check out our Facebook link for the event.

The other thing you need to remember about The Ship (apart from the 2 roaring fires!) is that they have some wonderful porcelain in the men's loos - check out these photos!:

Ladies - don't be afraid to see for yourselves (but make sure you are accompanied)!

The other thing you need to know is that gigs are starting to pile in - at least for the latter part of the year! Check out the gig list on the right for details, but worthy of mention are 2 BIG events:

1. The Macclesfield Beer Festival on Friday and Saturday eveings (7&8 May)where we will be appearing for a record FIFTH year in a row! Not sure who is with us this year but, as ever, it will be a great weekend.

2. The East Cheshire Hospice Big Weekend over 10-13 June - this is the first time that Hospice has attempted anything on this scale, and they need everyone's help. On the Saturday night (June 12) they will be screening the England v USA World Cup opening game followed by a fantastic evening of music featuring ourselves and our old friends, The Screaming Beavers. There will be lots of other things happening between the Thursday and the Sunday so keep you eyes peeled, and support the Hospice as much as you can - it costs about £5000 per day just to keep the place open, and they rely almost entirely on voluntary contributions - we probably all know someone who has benefited from their care, so PLEASE help us to give something back!!

TIME TO GIVE THE WINDMILL ANOTHER WHIRL!!

It's a year and a week since the dirty white Dazed & Confused tour bus first pitched up at The Windmill for a gig that still lives in the memory, so we thought "why not do it again?!" So, tonight sees us return for another bash at their Local Ale Sale 2010, and we're really looking forward to it. Rehearsals have been out of the question for the last couple of weeks, since the weather has conspired to turn the Brewery into a fridge, and we couldn't even huddle round the fire to keep warm because a new bar is being fitted - don't want to give too much away, but you'll be on your knees if you happen to see it! It does mean we have managed to avoid freezing, but also means that we REALLY enjoy it when we can play together - did it at The Ship last week (see below) and tonight should be just as good. The Windmill is a great pub - friendly staff, good food, great beer and a fine atmosphere, so why not treat yourself to some grub and a bop - just don't come too near the band if you've eaten too much! Here's a map of how to get there, if you fancy it.

Last week's gig at the Ship was a cracker; as you may well know, it's always a good laugh when we play there, and as last week was in celebration of Chris Caudwell's journey into retirement-land, it was doubly good. A great crowd (including some new faces), plenty of singing and dancing, 4 encore songs and a couple of potential band bookings - almost perfect! Probably a little too much jumping around on my part, if the stiffness on Sunday is anything to go by but, hey, you're only old once! We're actually back at The Ship on 19 February for their all-weekend bash, so we can do it all over again - reminds me of a song "If I could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You" or something similar!

Anyway, my little Confused-lings, time to go - so don't forget to drag yourselves out in the rain and wind tonight - and give The Windmill a whirl.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - THERE'S SNOW BAND LIKE OUR BAND!!

OK - so 2010 starts, and all hell breaks loose! Drive back from New Year in the Lake District, where it was very picturesque with lying snow on the hills, clear roads, plenty of food and drink - only to turn off the motorway at Knutsford on Saturday afternoon and find it looking like Lapland - since then, it's been snow, snow and more snow!! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a BIG snow fan, but when you have to drive to work sliding along the road behind people who drive like they have never seen the stuff before (I really hope they pass their driving tests, when they are allowed to take them!), AND (more seriously) it results in the City v United Cup game getting cancelled, things start to get worrying!

Anyway, the purpose of this is not to rant too much, but just to tell you that we will be warming our bodies again (and hopefully other people's) at The Old Ship Inn on Beech Lane this Saturday 9 January. It's a "retirement" party for Chris, who is one of our staunchest fans (teaching has finally got the better of her!), but i'm sure that there will be room for anyone else who wants to come and enjoy the wonderful TWO fires of The Ship (might be one of the few times they are needed!), so why don't you give it a go?!

Might even invite the landlord of The Millstone.........

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Saturday evening saw us close out our gig list for 2009 at Porter's, and a great night it was too - lots of noise and energy, which was all the more surprising because some of us had been out eating, singing and jumping around until 2 o'clock the morning before, as well! Anyway, on Saturday, the snow was falling hard, Christmas hats abounded, the pub was bursting at the seams, Andy kept playing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer - who could ask for more? It was good to see some old friends - especially Mickey Jones, who was in fine form despite his recent problems.

We played in the space usually occupied by the pool table (because our previous pitch was taken up by the Christmas tree!) and, while it gave us more space, it did make it a little difficult to see more than about 4 of the punters at any one time - apart, that is, from the start of the second set when about 25 people had strayed into the "stage" area because that was the only space for them! It made it very cosy anyway. Some photos here including one of Chrissie trying to get into her house at about 2 in the morning by climbing over the neighbour's wall, because her gate was frozen up!

So, we can all relax into the Christmas festivities now - and a chance to look back over quite an eventful year! Highspots were the new venues we played (e.g. Nag's Head, Windmill), 2 more beer festivals, helping Matt Rose reach the pinnacle of his career before it took a dive when he joined The VirginMarys, becoming radio stars, sharing laughs with old friends, and meeting new friends. Not so high spots were frequently getting rained on when setting up or breaking down the gear, getting stopped by the police for having suspicious cargo (i.e. Chrissie and Matt!) in the back of the van, playing to about 4 people in The Spinner's at Bollington, and not even getting through the door at The Millstone! We sometimes beat ourselves up about not introducing enough new stuff into the set, but I've just done a quick review, and we have added 10 new numbers this year, which is pretty good going considering we've also fitted in 24 gigs (that's about 2 a month you know)! Whatever, it's still been a hell of a lot of fun and, as always, we would like to thank every single person who has supported us through the year and, especially our families, who have borne the brunt of our "hobby" - again!

Just remains to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - except the landlord of The Millstone, of course!!

PRETTY GOOD CHILD OF MINE!

After a couiple of weeks "rest" we tipped up again at Sandhole Farm last night to help celebrate Tom & Laura's wedding celebrations; second time this year we have played there and, as previously, the organisation was superb and this time the timing was even better, as everything ran according to the schedule we had discussed - for a wedding, unbelievable!

The major difference for us was that we had no Chrissie (boo hoo)! She had either forgotten about the gig, or decided that 4 days in Germany with Pete was a much better option - although it seems utterly unbelievable, the latter was apparently the case! Also, she might have something to tell us when she gets back..........

Anyway, in Chrissie's absence, as trailed previously, we had a "stand in" female vocalist - none other than Paul's daughter, Lucy! Now Lucy has had voice training for several years, and those who have heard her talk for England will probably vouch for that but, since she went off to the debaucherous wilds of Sheffield to get an "education", she has rarely, if ever, used her singing talents! So, for the last few weeks, since the subject of "depping" for Chrissie was broached, she has alternately poo-d her pants and practised like stink for the gig! In fact, yesterday was spent almost entirely in her room going over every song on the set list! Notwithstanding all this, Lucy has only had 1 formal rehearsal with the band before last night, so her nerves were totally understandable.

As it turns out, everything went really well - although things were thin on the dance floor at times, both sets went really well, and Lucy's "piece de resistance" of "Sweet Child of Mine" was met with a rapturous reception! The really nice bit was she got a text from Chrissie this morning asking how it had gone. Needless to say, Lucy has been on Cloud 9 for the last 24 hours - although she did have a prima donna "sleep in" this morning (too much X-Factor methinks!)

We have one more gig left in 2010 - Porter's/Prince of Wales on Roe Street in Macclesfield on Saturday 19 December. This will be a great Christmas Party night - no doubt many people will be celebrating finishing work for the holiday, so why not put it in your diary now, and come down and sweat with us?! We will obviously put some more publicity out in a week or so but, forewarned is forearmed!!

Oh yes - for those who missed it - City beat Chelsea 2-1 yesterday; now it get interesting!

ALL DONE AND DUSTED!!

Well, that was the week that was!

The session at Canalside (got to be careful with the spelling on that!) last Wednesday was excellent fun! It was a little warm with 7 people squashed into a space that was approximately the size of 3 shoeboxes, but that just added to the enjoyment (fortunately, most of us had washed beforehand!). Matt managed to get back from London in good time, and Paul managed to get back from Sheffield - with about 8 minutes to spare!

We had rehearsed 6 songs that we thought might be OK to do "acoustically" - you will all know that that is not something we are too familiar with, so finding songs to do "quietly" was a challenge in itself (Andy was allowed to bring his amp, which helped)! We had no idea what the format would be, and were convinced we'd be done and in the pub by 9 o'clock, leaving little Matt Isaacs to do whatever else he felt like doing! However, we were there for the whole 2 hours, and Matt did a great job of "bigging" us up - he tried to interview us a bit (foolish man expecting us to be serious!), played some requests for us, and spread our tunes out throughout the whole programme. For the record, we did "Brick in the Wall", "The Chain", "Chasing Cars", "Pretty Vegas", "Fire" and "Say You Love Me" which (with the exception of Paul losing his "top end" during Pretty Vegas) all seemed to go down pretty well, and the people who heard it said it was really good! All we are waiting for now is a recording, which Matt has promised, and then maybe we can even post it on here or YouTube or Facebook or wherever. Some photos for you to look at to see how much we enjoyed the space (it may look like it, but nobody was sitting on anyone else's knee!)!

No sooner had we drawn breath after that, than we were down at Macc Town on Saturday for the big Brewery Band Bash - which was another event where no-one seemed too sure of what was going to happen! We turned, as requested, for a sound check around 6:30, to find that the sound men had only just been allowed in after the football match (Macc lost by the way!). The next surprise was finding that what was originally a 4 band gig had morphed into a FIVE band gig - all of whom had to play between 8 and 12pm! However, the Dunkirk spirit really kicked in and, although the sound check was still going on when the first band was supposed to be playing, it all turned out rather well!

The running order was Old Yellow followed by a combined Chinese Marbles/Bleatles set, both of which were excellent, and got the crowd up and dancing really early. We went on at 10pm (about half an hour earlier than planned!), and Fil Hill kindly allowed us to extend our set to an hour (which meant we quickly had to put things that we had taken out back in!), so we rocked the Moss for all of that time, and it was a pretty hot and sweaty set, I can tell you. The Hot Bananas closed the evening with their unique quirky thing - God knows what those guys are on, but you wouldn't want to take too much of it!

Many thanks to Garry the Hat for putting this on, and to the fairly sizeable crowd that turned up - maybe there will be the opportunity to do something similar again sometime?

A couple of weeks rest for us now; next gig is a wedding on 5 December, and then we close our 2009 gig list with the Christmas Party night at Porters/Prince of Wales on Saturday 19 December - which should be a brilliant night (more of that in a week or so). If you check out the info on the right of the page, you will see that gigs are already coming in for 2010 (even had an enquiry about doing one next November!), so it doesn't look like there will be any slowing down any time soon!