Galway

Is pretty much due east as far as you can go and we’re up and off and have missed breakfast naturally. It’s long old drive. We stop off half way to allow Mike some spontaneous shopping time for a mirror no less. Always the mirror…and it’s still Christmas in Ireland; seasons greetings signs remain on several houses. No rush then; exactly. We arrive in good time and Galway looks pretty and sleepy and covered in mist n drizzle. My kind of place. We locate the hotel and head off to the sound check. Roisin Dubh is a neat little venue tucked away behind a pub with a homely pine table ambience, American Music Club play here in a weeks time which is good enough for me, I love that band, well I used to, when I was lost in Americana, then I came back to where I belong; still they are pretty cool none the less. I have the very same conversation with the promoter who greets us with a huge pot of tea and some flap jack [and you can’t really go wrong with flap jack now can you]. The smoking ban in Ireland means a regular trip out doors to indulge. This is good for me as it takes that little extra effort to engage still I succumb to the odd temptation and loiter by the canal which runs behind the venue. It’s a cool way to meet people. There’s an American guy who looks all ZZ Topish with scary beard and Bush bashing verbals. Mike and I are simultaneously captivated and petrified. Then Ben gets talking to him but all fizzes out as neither can make out each others accent. After the sound check we get some pizza and eat it when Windings is on. Windings is the stage name, just one man vocal and guitar with a lot of delay, clever layered stuff, mellow songs which reminded me of John Martyn. Then we’re on and up for it in a bigger way than last night, a more energised set ensues and we’re happy with the performance; the reaction also is good. I get to sell CDs as Andy and Mike do the celebrity shuffle. Then we are entertained by the greatest rock covers band I have ever seen [and I've seen a few believe me]. They are called Salad Circus and have the whole Jimmy Page John-Paul Jones thing off to a tee. Great players [as the musos say].We all really enjoy them and thank them afterwards for the loan of the gear [thanks guys]. Then we’re back in the four to a room hotel room with the Rourke ipod and more beer. We even wake up in time for breakfast, VPx