The quiet before the storm!

poster by Mae Voogd

Apologies for the lack of contact; a full 4 weeks since our last update! After the two film premiere's we were completely exhausted and needed a break from each other. Although we did squeeze in The Big Stomp Off, which pitted us against fellow Bristol stompers Poor Old Dogs and which in all fairness ended in a hard fought draw. We've taken to analysing ourselves in football terms of late; drawing up our set-lists as team sheets, picking our eleven most trusted songs and laying them out as defenders, midfielders and attackers depending on their attributes. The Big Stomp Off was a tricky game, we somewhat foolishly picked 11 attackers which mean't we were unbalanced and lopsided and there was little room to breathe. It was a fast and furious set, not helped by the humid conditions, Up Up and Away (our instrumental showpiece) was sliding all over the place with fingers slipping off stings and drumsticks jumping up like banana's from their skins. We slid off stage and haven't seen each other since! Having said that as much as we do need a break from one another, the absence is more likely caused by the haphazard nature of gig bookings; April is empty, May is full with 9 gigs, including 5 on one weekend! 

But right now let's enjoy the welcome weather; lazy days spent on the beach with teasing temperatures. It's a month for firsts; barbecue, swim, picnic, and the first month for a long time that the piano player hasn't called up asking for a favour of one nature or another! He seems settled in Bristol, revelling in his new found fame and fortune; after only six months he has shot to the top of the paintball-seller list; full of smiles, enjoying going to work and has been known to grumble if we need him on a saturday and he can't go out selling! He gets itchy after a couple of days off, eager for a sale, trying his luck in supermarkets as he buy groceries or - and here's a new one - trying to sell to fans while up on stage! "Thanks very much, we've been The Odd Folk and if your interested in paintballing come and see me after the show!"

While we're here, I'll fill you in on the rest of us. You may remember the guitar player was on the verge of buying his first house, well he's still on the verge, even closer to the verge, on the verge of the verge! Never one to be flustered, one of the calmest people I know, he turned to me and with a look I've never seen before, a look of mild frustration and said quite coolly "I've finally found something that makes me angry, buying houses!". 

The drummer has been doing the opposite, selling houses. He and his ex girlfriend have washed their hands of a property they owned in Mid-Wales. He seems happy and has been integrating himself further into the band by helping lighten the load of the administration. He's booked his first gig for us, and our first ever gig in Wales, which kicks off our 9 may dates!

The bass player, who has become so important to us on so many levels, and has become the first point of call whenever there is a problem, has been back in the capital, and though he may be the furthest away, it feels like he's the closest. Most problems go through him now, he's overtaken the guitar player as being Mr. Pragmatic. He's even started singing and has organised a big overhaul of our set! He's taking over the band! In a good way ;-)

And lastly me; crumbs what have I been up to? Zipping around as per, half way between here and there, doing a spot of gardening in Bristol, auditioning in London and babysitting in Cornwall all seemingly at the same time! Oh, and phoning the bass player a lot!

Outside it's blue skies and another day on the beach. Easter Saturday (if that's a day?) and it's the quiet before the storm. One more week of freedom before the band wakes up and yawns and stretches his rusty limbs, taking a little stroll before breaking into a headlong sprint towards June! Let's enjoy this last week of freedom before the mayhem begins which takes us from Wales to Brighton to London to Gloucester to Cornwall and ending, quite controversially, in Devon.

Anyhow, time for a game of water-goalie and a splash in the shallows. I'm off to the beach with the piano player now, I'll be doing the above while he trawls 

up and down the sand trying to sell paintballs to the Easter holiday-makers! 

Ta Ta for now! Do come and see us in May!

www.theoddfolk.com