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• Rochdale Health and Safety rule bans bands.

  June 20th saw Cigna, Marshall and I turn up at ridiculous o’clock (for musicians anyway), at the Exchange Centre in Rochdale.

  Nigel Pickering had organized a whole rake of musicians to turn up and play in support of our local hospice. The day was to run from 12.00 through to the evening. The first band went on and bemused shoppers got a free gig. Then yours truly… followed by Cigna with Marshall on backing guitar. They played a storm...
  
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Events

Have spent the last few months travelling all over the north (OK mostly Lancashire and a bit in the Lakes), visiting the various clubs which host “open mike” nights. Paul Marshall and Rick Chigna come along and we share the driving. All praise to Paul for his steadfast determination to get me out there again and for finding some of the more remote corners where music is often flourishing, and to Rick who can play guitar with his hand in a sling..

These clubs are a revelation at times. Some are crowded every week and have great regulars and an open mind as well as an open mike. The organizers are unfailingly welcoming and some of them have even given me gigs.

Others tend to be a wee bit “closed”, (in the nicest sense of the word). Mostly people who have known each other for ages and just get together for the craic once a week. I think most of these wee gatherings are shocked that we turn up full of energy and enthusiasm, bashing out a few songs and disturbing their otherwise ‘quiet night in’ at the local. But they too are always welcoming in varying degrees.