Lemon Funky

Level of conviction in own genius: 7
Amount of creative activity achieved in last 24 hours: 1
Watching: 'Spooks' on bbc iplayer and mourning the loss of Rupert Penry-Jones
Hair Day: Ready for the chop, as they say

Phew, is turning in to a busy autumn packed full of gigs and educational work. juice's trip to Huddersfield to do community concerts for Live Music Now/Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival was eye-opening, charming when being hugged and kissed by enthusiastic adults with Down's, for example, and tearily challenging when singing to a roomful of adults with almost no control over their bodies and minds. But all rewarding of course. It was punctuated with excellent curries and studenty bars, an encounter with an eccentric taxi driver who introduced himself to us as 'Captain Zero', made up songs for us in Urdu and English about driving us to Slaithewaite and found it hilarious to swerve all over the road in 'amusing' fashion, and the royal treatment from our B'n'B, who called us their 'theatricals' and added our photo to the gallery in reception alongside such luminairies as Russ Abbott and the cast of the Last of the Summer Wine. juice hopefully have an agent now so are expecting similarly popular fame and fortune to be heaped upon us at any second...

Last week I was inspired by seeing Camille and her merry troupe of vocalising, body-slapping musicians at the Roundhouse (this time she got Jamie Cullum, who happened to be in the VIP crowd, to hop onstage and improvise with her), which helped no end in my first proper solo gig in the rather more intimate surroundings of the Lemon Monkey deli/cafe in Stoke Newington. It was the debut for me and my spanking new big Boss loop station, with Andy fattening up the sound in a few numbers on guitar. It was a small but perfectly-formed gig, cheered on by my mates as they drank organic beer, and I tried out some trad. English folk arrangements and some original stuff with the addition of a spot of melodica and glock. Nice! Has given me the confidence to try and get a few more wee gigs going too...

The only other highlight of last week was going to a Turkish restaurant in Dalston for a pre-Bardens Boudoir meal and spotting Gilbert and George in the corner, who apparently (them not having a kitchen and all) eat there every single night. We tee-heed to ourselves over our posh kebabs as we attempted to remember which was which. The Bardens gig was as usual rather disappointing, though the headliners, Their Hearts Were Full of Spring, redeemed themselves by bedecking their mic stands with a multitude of fake flowers. However, I could only scoff at their attempt at the Beach Boys' version of the band's name, which they could only sing on 2.5 parts. Ha! I transcribed all 4 parts in about an hour once. Hhm, think I am too much of a muso to enjoy almost any gig. Unless there's piece in 5/4 in there, that is.