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Somehow... I pulled it off this week! I have no idea how that happened but despite losing my voice, developing a sniffle and not getting enough sleep I managed to deliver two diverse sets with minimal wobbles. Let's start with the first:

Culm Valley Music & Performance Club - I love you. What an understanding bunch you are and so kind! I'd had to alter my set a bit as I couldn't get those high notes mid week and still I had people complimenting my voice afterwards. I was like, "really??" squeak squeak. A lovely lovely bunch that put up with me bringing three instruments to a support slot set... sorry! When will I learn?

Gig 2 was the album launch of Time but before that I managed to cram in another band practice pre-launch on Thursday which was also my birthday so *sucks in air* I feel the need to share the random of that day first. Day after Culm Valley and I was shattered so I lurched into work *cue the screaming kids* and groaned my way through the morning til we were lead down the hill to strawberry lane to collect frog spawn with the class - how cute is that? The sun was shining, the kids weren't screaming any more, it was bliss. Fast forward and after school I picked up my Ben and he took me shopping. I love shopping and finding unusual things and we shuffled through the charity shops and found Simon & Garfunkel The Sound of Silence for £1 - a friggin steal! Then we remembered I had a parcel to pick up from the post office, opened it to find a handmade sewing kit from Rad *made me cry.* Then it was dinner at the chinese and a candle in my fritter :D As 'happy birthday' blared out over the tannoy and the waitress sang to me I felt guilty (like I'd wrecked the serenity of the restaurant for the couple behind and to the right of me) but also I was loving it. I'm such a child, having a restaurant make a fuss of me on my birthday was one of my big wishes in life haha sad right? Then it was band practice in the evening where we established some of those songs had to go as I couldn't hit them and Trudes had a brain wave and offered up her keyboard. " It's missing the sustain pedal" "that's alright I'd only milk it to death" as Max knows all too well....

So Friday buzzed through and we got to the venue all dressed in black - no idea how we managed that as a team without communicating dress code - and it was a success! I have some things to thank for this, namely southern comfort. Now I'm not encouraging performers to drink by any means but I have to admit that without it that set would've been inaudible. Whiskey just has a knack for numbing wounds and is like the WD40 of vocal chords for me so yes I had a tiny little taster-size bottle polished off before the 1st set arrived and a baileys to follow for the second... apologies. 

Hopefully I didn't glaze over too much! I should also thank the team of musicians who helped me put it together and supported me throughout. Trudi you little firecracker you, Ian you bodhran beast, Barbara you fluttered on the flute and Mike, where do I even begin? It was a pleasure to play with you again and I honestly didn't want 'Eighteen Years' to end, which when you think about it is kinda ironic haha Ben took some lovely videos of our rehearsals which we will now make live so you can sneak a peak at what went on in preparation and it proves that I did have a voice once!

Thank you to everyone who came, thank you to the trio of The Retro Rhythm Rascals - if you liked what you heard please check 'em out on facebook by typing that in the search bar - thank you to Niks for the sound, Shannon for the lights, Alan for pictures and anyone who bought a CD.

We did it!

 

Rose x