One lazy Sunday afternoon as I was strolling down the passage out of Roy’s of Wroxham I spied a poster of the band ‘Hard Rain’.
After sending out this year’s Christmas and New Year greetings, an excellent local bassist ‘Heather Enid Wells’ asked me if I’d like to play a short-set at ‘The Maltsters’ on the 7.1.2012
I’ve been sorting out the frets and strings for my Epiphone and was itching too play, so I jumped at the opportunity. It was awesome to be night driving again and I arrived just before ‘Hard Rain’ began their first set.
Sitting in the adjoining room with pool table and dartboard, I had a bird’s eye view of the band and after fidgeting around for awhile I got out a pen and did a rough sketch of the band in action.
They took me on a beautiful journey to the roots of my own performing adventure, playing a full spread of country-blues-rock-pop-folk and after about an hour I whipped out my guitar and harp and prepared to head down to the stage to play a quick set.
Launching into Neil Young’s ‘Out On The Weekend’ followed by a medley of Bob Dylan tunes ‘Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance / Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright / Corina, Corina‘ and then two new songs of my own ‘Living Truth’ and ‘Pebblestone Highway’ closing out with Neil Young’s hit classic ‘Heart of Gold’; all the time being carried along on a sea of lively and enthusiastic applause from the crowded barroom. It was simply fantastic!!!!
I retired to the adjoining room to consume my drink and then headed out in the cool night air to dizzzzzzzzzzzily drive home through the narrow country lanes with Hard Rain’s version of ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ sending me.
