Day 1173

Monday July 1

I received a message from George a few days ago giving me the heads up that the Spice of Life jam was on tonight so I head on down there. However, between his message reaching me and me arriving here, some refurb work in the downstairs area, where the jam is held, has run over schedule and they’re still not ready to open, so the jam has been cancelled. Damn. I didn’t get that memo. Thanks George. Oh well, Aint Nothin But is always there on a Monday so that’s my backup plan. But on walking towards is, I realise my route will take me somewhere near the Marquis and I know that have some kind of live music event going on tonight so I decide to swing by. What they have is a band called Heavyball who are some respectable way up the musical foodchain and about to head off on a tour of Germany. This show tonight is a warm up for them as they haven’t played live for a while and they also want to roadtest some new material. There are loads of people there I know, including the boss Tommy, and the show and atmosphere are so great that I decide this is where I’m pitching my tent for the night. Then, when it’s all over, a bunch of us take the walk through Covent Garden to go to Kristoff’s bar The White Hart on Drury Lane. There it all continues and I get talking to one the guys who DJs in here. He plays a whole load of instruments and has a recording project on at the moment. However, as much as he can play it, he says he can’t get the bass to sound quite right. Would I be up for doing a session or two with him? Absolutely I will. But I tell him he’ll have to pay me. I probably shouldn’t have to explain, but I do anyway. I tell him about my friend Cris who’s an all round handyman, the kind of guy who could build a house if he had to. I can ask him anytime I want to come round my house and do a job and I need doing. But he’s coming in as a professional builder and all round fixer. So of course I pay him. The same way you’d pay if you had a session with your physiotherapy friend, or any other example you can think of. Yes mates rates happen, but there are still rates. I tell my friend now that this is exactly the same as asking me to go and do a professional job for him with the bass. He understands. But does he really? We’ll wait and see if that pans out. But whatever happens here, this is another great example of the question, ‘How does one get music work?’ One of the biggest ways is networking and simply putting yourself out there. Here I am doing just that and I’m finding myself being asked to do a session.

Day 1176

Thursday July 4

I’ve had a few emails back and forth from the Northern Soul bar down the road on the way to Archway. This is the bar that hosts the regular Tuesday night jams that I get to sometimes after finishing in the bar. The emails haven’t been massively productive and have instead been a little frustrating with gig offers coming in for days I’m not available. So I’ve decided the way to break this is to go and actually sit down with the guy, compare our diaries, and fix a date that works. This is how to do it. After all the to and froing email business, in a two minute meeting we have a pretty well paying date for a show with me and Fred. July 19.

Hundred hour jams apart, I’ve really not had a lot going on in June. That didn’t help with the silly injuries I had, or with the recovery period from the jam itself. And as for our agency, they’ve been going through a few transitions themselves so there’s been very little happening there either. I decide to give them a bump today and remind them that me and Fred are here. I get a reply right back offering us an audition for July 12. I don’t have a bar rota yet, but with that being in eight days time, it’s too far within the period when I could confidently book a date and be sure I’m off for it. I message the boss of the bar and I don’t get a reply. I wait and wait and wait. Eventually, I decide this is too big of a deal to possibly miss out on so, damn the consequences. So I send a message saying that I’ve taken the date so I’m simply not available for that day. That does not go down well at all and a few fraught messages ensue. When all that’s done, yes I’m free for the date, but the price has been the opening up of an underlying tension. Another consequence is that I’m left so angry and bewildered at the exchanges with someone who I generally have such a good working relationship with that I cancel my plans to go out to the new jam that’s just started in Battersea. A real shame because that was going to be the first time I would have seen Luis and a few other guys since the epic jam.

Day 1177

Friday July 5

Still energised and carrying on the momentum from his own epic expoits at that jam, Per is on the lookout for a band, having decided that the options opened up on the night aren’t really for him. He’s looking for something more classic rock, not blues. In this he messages me today to enlist my help and to ask if I can keep my eyes open. He closes it with, ‘I really appreciate your machete work in the London jungle.’ Love it.

Day 1178

Saturday July 6

I wasn’t in the bar yesterday and I truly don’t know if the tension from the messages on Thursday between me and the boss is still in the air when I go in today, but there is definitely something definitely in the air. Through this whole thing I haven’t really written much about the soap opera toings and doings of bar world, but believe me it’s there, although generally things are good. It was exactly the same with The Oxford, in that I didn’t cover much of the day to day things there either, dramatic though some of them were – but yes, I think you did get a little touch of it every now and then. What I have to say now is that yes, there have been tensions in the bar between staff and management in recent times. I have to say that for you to be able to m sense of what’s about to happen because, for you, this will be coming totally out of the blue.

It isn’t quite for me, or other people, because there have been rumblings of discontent for a while. I’ve been able to rise above a lot of it, simply because, as I said, I generally have a very good relationship with the boss. Afterall, she’s felt she could go on holiday and leave me in charge of the whole place a few times so there has to be something there. But no, I still haven’t been immune. I said I don’t know if there’s something in the air, but an hour in and there can be no doubt that there is. Feathers are being ruffled all over the place and my camel with its thousand straws is about to have its back broken in pieces.

I’ve let so many things slide, not least cos you don’t want to go round getting into arguments with your boss all the time, and also because I think there is some kind of benign acknowledgement when it’s been recognised that lines have been crossed. I’ve taken those and we’ve just been able to get on with things. But right now, the line is being skirted in an extremely dangerous manner and I don’t think anyone’s aware of it. I am. And, for the first time, it hits me that I just do not want to be here. I’ve had enough. I’m angry and I very rarely do angry. Not in here. Not beyond the pantomime, irritated at that thing in front of you in the moment version anyway. No. What I have now is seething. I should probably take myself out of the frontline and go and stand outside for a minute and cool off but that doesn’t occur to me. Not at all. Instead, what I do, right at the very peak of this anger, is go and put myself right in the direct firing line of the boss. She takes the shot.

Without warning, in the very next split second, everything splits and falls apart. I’ve had it. My camel’s back is broken, the straws that have been piling up on there for months all over the place. I erupt. Totally and fully and without mercy or thought. At that exact moment, my hands happen to be holding the sides of the big tray that puts the glasses into the glasswasher. It’s full. I pick it up and hurl it to the back of the interior of the machine. I have no idea how many glasses that breaks – quite possibly all of them – but the crash is enormous. Probably all of them. This dramatic out of nowhere noise is made even bigger by the simultaneous sounds I’m making as I hurl curses and swears. In the middle of them, I shout the immortal words every beleaguered worker dreams of saying. ‘I quit.’ Before I know it I’m out on the street and on my way home as the bar bustles along behind me. They’re going to have to just deal with it man down now. As for going back, that ain’t happening. Not after what I’ve just done and said. On my way home, my over-riding thought isn’t, ‘Oh balls I’ve just quit my job.’ Instead, it’s one of sadness that I won’t be able to use the bar socially anymore.

I arrive home in a state of shock and all my housemates are in the garden enjoying the sun, incidentally, sitting on deckchairs and under parasols I was allowed to take from the bar. They’re surprised to see me back so early but realise very quickly that something is very wrong. I don’t know if it’s my body language, something in my eyes, or just group intuition, but a look of concern suddenly comes over all of them. So of course I have to tell them what’s just happened. ‘What are you going to do now?’ one of them asks once they’ve taken it in and sat in silence for slightly longer than what would be comfortable. Of course it’s too early to even think about that, but the pure truth is, I truly, truly, have no idea.

I’m told later that I’m very hyper in this period and over the next few days. I don’t remember that at all so I guess that tells its own story. For now, I just join the guys, try and relax, and just take in what’s happened.

Two hours later, I get a text from the boss, asking if I’m OK and asking if we can talk in the next few days once the dust has settled. It’s a lovely text to get and it takes me a good while to think of exactly how to reply, but I do reply in the positive and thank her for the message.

I’m also preparing to go out because, in the excitement and surreality of what happened earlier, one of the people I was working with saw me leave and came out to the street to stop me to talk. She wanted to see if I was OK and to ask if I’d like to go for a drink when she finished to maybe go through things. What a lovely, amazing thought. And right when the place was really busy too. I ask what time she’s finishing and she replies, ‘Six, but I’m not sure now.’ in that maddest of mad moments, that actually makes me laugh. A little ruefully, but a laugh all the same.

She does indeed call at six, asking if I’d like to go for a drink. ‘I’d love to,’ is my weary reply, still tinged with shock. and we arrange to meet right away and head out to Camden for a few drinks. It’s truly great to have this, massively, massively appreciated, and yes, I really need it, especially the chance to talk to someone who knows the full environment of the place and who was there at the time. Although, please believe me when I say, despite what’s just happened, the overall environment of the place has generally been very good and it’s mostly been a joy to go in. I think that possibly even fuelled my anger when I had the sudden realisation I didn’t want to be there anymore. When we meet up in the street, down the road from the bar, the first thing she does is assure me that I still have a job there if I want it. I’ll have to think about that one, but I really don’t see how a working relationship can continue after what’s just been said and done. Bottom line, next time a tension arises, or an out of turn comment is made, do I react to it, however benignly, or do I do I just go along with it like I’ve had my balls cut off? I really don’t see where the middle ground is in that. She gets my point. For now we have today. The rest of it can wait a few days or so for, as was said, the dust to settle. During that time it looks like I’ve got some thinking to do, and then a conversation to have.

Yes, today was a shock and a hell of a dramatic and game changing event, but after I got over that, there was a lot of laughing going on. By a certain point in the day, I definitely felt a lot more relaxed than I could ever have thought possible in the immediate aftermath.

Day 1179

Sunday July 7

And I’ve just realised that I totally neglected to talk about the feeling of returning to the Blues Kitchen for the first time after the epic jam. It was surreal. And also weird to not see the timeclock above the stage. And all the songs ended. And people played two songs per set. In some ways, it all just felt wrong. Because when you’ve done something different, literally 24/7 for five days, how can it not feel strange when you go back to how things were? And with all the bonding stuff having gone on all over the place, there’s also a new closeness and familiarity with the staff. Yes, I had a good relationship with a lot of them before and we often chatted and stuff and we knew each others’ names, but that’s gone up a whole new level. And I think it would be false modesty to claim that my own status in the place, and on the blues and music scene in general, hasn’t been enhanced by what went on there. People certainly know who I am a lot more than they did before. And Jenn kind of let it slip in a throw-away manner, mid conversation that I was starting to get famous now. I wouldn’t go that far at all myself but it’s very telling that the ever cautious Jenn has gone and used the F word. And not that one.

As for tonight, it’s just huge. Everybody is there. And I mean everybody. I have no idea where to turn. For a start, all the guys from the bar are in – not the boss obviously, that would be weird – and we have a big table right in the centre of the place again. How we keep getting that I really don’t know. But not just the guys from the bar. Mike, the previous manager who became a great friend of mine has come along, as has a wonderful girl called Sophia who worked with us for about six months and has been on something of a mini world trip for the past few months and just arrived in London this morning I believe. That’s two great surprise catchups right there. All my housemates are in too, and a whole bunch of girls who are friends of a friend who are in London on a working holiday and are so psyched to be in the Blues Kitchen. And I’m kind of semi charged with looking after them. It also seems that just about every regular is in tonight. As I said, to be social and to keep things rolling, I find it hard to know where to turn as I spread myself all over the place on a night that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And for my on stage part of it, I get the last two sets – the first with Freddie, the second with Alan. Two really great turns for my friends to see. And the whole night, the energy on stage was particularly high with the quality also turned all the way up.

And to top off all the epicness, when one of the chefs from the bar arrived, he shook me by the hand and said, ‘You’re my new hero.’

I don’t think you need me to tell you that tonight is on the all time classic list of evenings at the Blues Kitchen.

And going backwards again a little, when Mike arrived, he immediately told me he’d heard about what had happened, or at least the bare bones of it, and said that if i needed any bar shifts, he knew plenty of places he could hook me up with. Bloody hell. I’ve not even started thinking about looking for anything yet and I’ve already got an option in my pocket.

Day 1180

Monday July 8

There was clearly no job searching to be done yesterday with it being Sunday, although as you saw, something still managed to pop up. It was actually quite nice to take the day off and not have to be throwing myself round a busy lunchtime pub like I would normally be doing. As for today, I take it off just because. It’s the middle Monday of Wimbledon and I really, really want to have a tennis day out at the Scoop, the big outdoor screen area next to city hall with a backdrop of Tower Bridge and the city skyline. I’ve never seen a more spectacular setting for a big screen and with today being last 16 day at the tournament, and with me being free, I’m having it.

Day 1181

Tuesday July 9

The boss texts me to see if I’d like to meet today. I really want to go in with a few options if I can so I ask if tomorrow would be good instead. Yep.

That prompts me to get to my list of people to call and see what I can pull from the trees. First on there is Cris, the vocalist in my Italian based heavy metal band Wild Child. He’s an all round handyman and has his own company doing a lot of small to medium sized jobs around the city. I wonder if he could use someone like me as a pair of hands for a while. Lying on my sofa, I make the call.

Having asked him, I start to say, ‘The only problem is,’ he finishes my sentence, ‘You have no skills.’ Yep that would be about the size of it. ‘No problem,’ he says. ‘I have a job starting on July 22 that I need an unskilled person for. You can have that if you want.’ It will go on until Autumn, but he says he has a lot of other projects lined up so this could be an ongoing as the jobs come in kind of thing. But at least it’s something for the immediate to mid term. He also says that with him being a musician as well, he fully understands my situation and priorities and says that I can be full time when I want and part time when I want. And even if full time, I’ll still have complete flexibility to can take off any days I want. Hell, that works. It also means, despite what I expect to be mostly early mornings so maybe a bit of a culture shock, I’ll be able to take any gigs that come in, even last minute ones, without stressing about whether or not I can get my rota changed to accommodate them. As for last minute offers, most of the time I didn’t even attempt to get the rota changed if I was on and felt I just had to turn them down. No more. Hell yes I’ll take it. And I do. Job done. Literally.

Phone call ended and I go and check my finances. I’ve also got a few paying gigs in the book and I’m confident other stuff will come in in the meantime. With that, I decide to take the next two weeks off until I start on the 22^nd. And with that time, I might be able to find other trees to shake and see what falls down. I think I’m ready for that meeting with the boss now.

Day 1182

Wednesday July 10

Just as I’m arriving at the bar, I get a message from the boss to say that something unexpected has popped up and she’s had to go out. Could we make it tomorrow? Fine. As I’m just about there, I decide to carry on and at least say hi to the guys.

It turns into a really cool hangout with a few people asking when I’ll be back. All I can offer right now is a no comment. All I have is a cup of tea and when I’m ready to leave, they say want me to stick around a bit longer. But I say that until I’ve had the chat, I really don’t want to be seen in there by the boss. I think a hello with her without the chat having taken place, whatever it turns out to be, would be more than wrong. It would just be weird.

Day 1183

Thursday July 11

This is it. I get to the bar and she is indeed ready for me. We greet each other warmly and she says, ‘Shall we?’ making her way to the office. We shall, and I follow. I should say here that I’d really considered, and really wanted, to have this meeting on neutral territory. A cafe round the corner for example, which just happens to be the actual cafe used for Fleabag’s Guinea Pig Cafe. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised a fully private chat wouldn’t really be possible in that setting, so her office it is.

The actual full content and even scope of the conversation will remain private but of course we cover The Event and what could possibly have caused it to happen. It is a very intense talk and our exchanges are extremely frank but also extremely polite; you could say almost friendly. Actually, if you didn’t speak English and were in the room, you probably would think it was two friends talking about nice things. It’s that kind of chat. She asks what I’m thinking of doing and says I could just come back and carry on if I want. I thank her for that and say no, for the reasons I gave in here the other day. She takes that and says she will accept my resignation effective immediately. All good. But then she stops and has a thought. The pub has a regular quiz night. How would I feel about taking it over? I think this is doing what the guys do and using the prepared quizzes provided by the company, but she says no, I’d be doing it from scratch myself. Could I handle that. I have absolutely no idea but I say yes. With that, she says she’ll keep me on the rota and no need for my resignation. OK, I won’t be coming back but would I make myself available for cover if needed? Maybe even the odd close when no other managers are available. Yeah, sure. Then it’s onto negotiating pay for the quiz and we end up with a figure that’s in the ballpark of what I would get for a gig. So that’s essentially a regular Wednesday gig I now have, whenever it might start up. Now I’ve agreed to do it, we talk formats and what kind of shape it might take, and she says she’ll help with branding and whatever else I might need help with to get it going. Got to say, I didn’t see that coming. This very intense but every friendly meeting has lasted a little over an hour and it ends with a hug. After everything that’s happened, it could just be that we’re parting as friends.

Back in the bar she says to Duran the duty manager, ‘I’ve got to go upstairs and lie down for a while. Mark’s worn me out.’

Day 1184

Friday July 12

Gig with Ben in the Marquis tonight. He’s his usual brilliant self and I of course do my thing. During the break he gets chatting to a girl who’s recently moved to London. Name’s Rachel. I get chatting to her too and she says she was living in Madrid not so long ago. Cool, I say. Yeah, I was living with an Irish piano player who was quite prominent on the songwriting scene. I don’t even wait a beat. Padraig. I say. Her eyes widen and her voice goes up an octave. You know Padraig? Indeed I do. A great guy and an even greater piano player, all round musician and songwriter. He was completely an integral part of our crowd and I’ve posted a few things in here and generally on SBL featuring him. So what can we do? We simply have to take a selfie and send it off. International Mark and Rachel.

Day 1185

Saturday July13

My Auntie Denise, my Dad’s sister, has just turned 70. But this is not normal 70. This is climbing mountains, going for miles long runs through mud, attending boxing classes 70. She lives in Stockport so this is where me and Jenn are heading today for a huge party with Denise’s massively extended network of friends and family and her husband who’s also just turned 60. What better reason for a celebration? Bring it on.

Day 1187

Monday 15

Tomorrow me and Fred Pala have our audition with the agency. If we pull that off, that will be three acts I’ll have signed to the same agency; The Bright Sides, Fred, and Ben Joseph. Ben got himself signed to them but as I’ve said before, he’ll be calling on me for any duo gigs he gets with them. So, with our audition in mind, it’s rehearsal time for me and Fred today to nail down a barnstorming 45 minute set.

Day 1188

Tuesday July 16

What can I say? We do indeed barnstorm the audition, which is set up as an actual gig in a bar in Seven Sisters. Ross, the main guy – I’ve decided to start using his name – really seems to be getting into it, as do the other acts who are there. And the managers of the place get in on it all too. Before we start, Ross tells us not to worry if he walks out while we’re playing as he has to catch the last train. He does indeed do that but lingers at the door for quite a while as me and Fred are really hotting it up with the dual soloing. His leaving means we can’t have the customary post gig chat and review tonight but he promises he’ll call me tomorrow.

Day 1189

Wednesday July 17

Wow I’m here. And I’ve been wondering for a while what would happen on day 1000. Well, Ross calling me to sign us up is what happens. Not only that, but the first thing he says once we’ve done the hellos is, ‘That was pretty brilliant.’ Wow again. Agents just do not say stuff like that. He wants to meet at the same place next Tuesday to get it all sorted and to get us up and running on the agency app. I tell him I’ll check with Fred to make sure he’s available too. The first thing Fred says is that he’s leaving for a trip that day. Bum. I did have that in my diary. But the next thing he says is, ‘I trust you. You’re like my manager. You can deal with it.’ Brilliant. So the call goes into Ross and the meeting gets set up. Done it. All three of my main projects signed to the same agent. Game on.

Later on I get a call from my bar asking if I can help out tonight. I say yes, meaning this will be the first time I’ve been in there to work since. The Event. It is a little weird when I go in and start with going round and just collecting glasses. Surreal even. But within minutes I feel right back in it again. A good job too because this is a very, very busy night.

Day 1190

Thursday July 18

Would you believe it? I get asked into the bar again tonight. Didn’t I leave the place already? But hey, this is new work coming in so I’ll take it.

Day 1191

Friday July 19

Talking about jobs, my time off is coming to an end as I’m due to start working with Cris as a labourer this Monday. I put the call in to see what’s going on and it isn’t good. Unforeseen circumstances out of his control have meant his current project is running over schedule so he’s not able to start the next one as planned. So no, we won’t be starting that on Monday. OK. I guess I’m off for a bit longer then. But that means the budgeting thing I did which was based on when I would get paid for starting work on the 22^nd is kind of a bit blown. I wonder how long I’ll be able to hold on for. Hmm. If it starts to get tight it will kind of be my fault because, you might remember, Mike said he’d be able to get me bar shifts and I didn’t follow up on it, telling him I was sorted thanks. I might yet look into that. But it’s not all bad. Of course I’ve done those two shifts in the bar so money’s coming in from that to add to my prebudgeted figures, and with me leaving the place, although remaining on the rota, I asked if I could be paid any accrued holiday pay. I wasn’t going to do that if I’d had my resignation accepted as I kind of left without notice. Literally. I didn’t even give myself any. But seeing as we left things where we did, I felt I could cheekily ask. And yes, it was granted. So another little tickle and the projected time I could last without working got bumped up a bit more.

Freddie has asked me to join his band a few times and I’ve always said no because it’s an originals thing and original gigs don’t pay, at least not until you’re at a certain level, if you ever get there. And really, the only way to get there is by building your reputation by playing a bunch of gigs that don’t pay, and I always told him that if a paying gig came in that clashed with one of his, I’d have to take it otherwise I’d be letting down whoever it was I’d be playing with. He’s always understood that. Well now he’s saying that he’ll pay me for any gigs I do with him, starting with one in October. Am I up for it? Well, if you put it like that. He also asks if I’d be up for some recording as he’s planning a second album. We talk about that for a little and yes, he’ll be paying for that too. Cool.

And Alex gets back to me about his studio project he wants me on board with. I get the tracks today and confirmation that he’ll pay what I asked per track. Cool.

Day 1192

Saturday July 20

I’m having a quiet uneventful night in tonight, maybe with a movie or two. Or at least that’s the plan until Per calls. He feels like going out and wants to meet just because. And he’s happy to come to Ktown. Cool, let’s do it. He’s still quite far away so will be a while. We talk about meeting somewhere central, or Camden, or halfway, but he insists he’s happy to come meet me in Ktown. So The Oxford it is.

We meet there as planned an hour or two later and I go off to the bar to get a round in. As I leave the bar to return to our table, I get a huge shock, and so does someone else. There’s Rachel, the girl me and Ben met and got talking to at our gig last week. Now London isn’t quite the disappearing, anonymous metropolis one might think. As you’ve seen plenty of times, if you go to a jam of whatever genre and meet someone, there’s every chance you’ll bump into them at another jam somewhere, maybe even a jam of a different genre. But this is totally totally random. A real, of all the pubs in London you had to walk into mine moment, especially as I considered a few other places tonight before settling on The Oxford. And what’s she doing in Ktown anyway? Well, she’s just moved in with a friend in the area, right down the road from my first place. Damn.

Me and Per have our own little catchup, then she comes and joins us and we have a really fun hangout. I discover here that Rachel is a true version of movie London, or at least she’s living the kind of London life people try to imagine when they come here to see if they can make a dent in their chosen field, most often something in entertainment and/ or the arts. You might be aware of a bass player who fits that description. When I first arrived, I heard that this city swallows a lot of people whole and they just kind of disappear. Or leave. It really isn’t for everyone. There is absolutely no chance of that happening to her. She’s come to be an actress. Talking to her now, we see she’s already built up an impressive network from going out and meeting different people. And through that she’s found different places to stay. She really is a very interesting and very fun and engaging character. I think I’ve decided that out of just about anyone I’ve ever met, if she has even a modicum of talent in the thing she says she wants to do, she will make it. That whole not what you know but who you know thing? Well she’s doing a hell a lot of the who you know. Is she any good an actress? I’ve no idea but I wouldn’t be remotely surprised.

Near to bar closing time and that can mean only one thing in our current situation. Back to mine and the garden, via an off-licence of course. We get back and our housemates are all there too so we have a pretty cool thing going on. Above us in the garden are a few balconies from the houses upstairs. After an hour or so, a few guys appear on one of those balconies and strike up a conversation with us. After about ten minute of this, they invite us up. So, armed with a bottle of whiskey, that’s what we do. Rachel too of course. And yes, they’re also fully stocked up so part three of the night has begun. Didn’t I tell you she was having the full London experience? Out on her own in a strange bar in a strange new place and now at a house party with a guy she met last week in central playing a gig. As for me, tonight has ended up as far away as it’s possible to be from staying and in watching movies on a Saturday night.

And no, Per isn’t going home tonight. He’s stopping in with us. But Rachel, when the time comes, yes she knows where she’s going and heads off there. I wonder where our next encounter will take place.

Day 1195

Tuesday July 23

Balls. The job isn’t starting until next Tuesday now. This is going to take my finances to the wire. The 22^nd was pushing it as it was.

I wonder if I can shake a gig out. I call Tommy and he says he’s kind of on budget lockdown for the summer. Balls again.

I’ve finished my first provisional quiz for the bar and, as I’ve got another bit of shaking to do for a gig that happens to be nearby to it, I drop in to see if the boss is there. She is and I’m able to tell her a bit about it. She tells me she’s already told the area manager about me doing it and he’s said he wants to be in for my first one. Said he’d be bringing a team. Wow. No pressure then. She also says she’s heard great things about me and Fred and wants to know when we’re playing the same place again. Well, I’m actually on my way now to find out. She wants to know about it and will come to check us out with a view to getting us in her place. We even talk money there and then. All this has happened outside where her and some friends were having a hangout. I’ve not even made my way into the bar yet, She insists I do for a free pint so yes, I take her up on that and have a hangout with one of the regulars. Then I have to be off. Down to the venue to see if I can get that gig for me and Fred.

Yes, the guy is very interested in getting us back in and a date is set for August 3, meaning my budget will indeed get yet another little bump to stop it from flatlining. Once that’s in the diary, I have to get myself down to Seven Sisters for that meeting with my agent. We do the business with Fred then I decide to mention the quizzes. This is an idea I’ve developed over the past few days. This agency books music into well over a hundred venues. Surely some of them would be interested in quizzes. However, I still expect the idea to be shot down and, as I get ready to pitch it to Ross, I tell him as much, saying, ‘If what I’m about to say isn’t your thing, no problem and we’ll move on.’

But far from shooting me down, he says they have a sister agency and would I like a job with them presenting quizzes in their bars? Hell yes. OK, he says. He suggests I film my quiz when it happens, send it to him, he will send it to them, and we’ll take it from there. It won’t be a quick fix, but OK. He also asks if I think I could write a quiz a week. I immediately answer that, now I’ve done it and have seen what it takes, I could write one everyday. That seems to make him stop and think. Soon after this we’re joined by a French girl who’s planning to present her one woman show to London. To this end she needs a review of the show from someone who’s seen it. With the conversation somehow having got to me being a former journalist and sometime showbiz writer, she asks if I’m interested in it. She’ll pay me of course. How much?

She’ll get back to me. Cool. That done, we’re joined by one of tonight’s acts who’s playing solo. He just happens to have been Billy Elliot on the west end for a few years when he was not so much younger. The gigs get going and me and Ross are just hanging out now. I tell him I think this is a really great regular event and I really should come more often. Yes, he says, I should. With that, he invites me to an all day festival his agency is running in a few weeks’ time. Maybe there would be some people there he could introduce me to as well, he adds. I have to say to him now that the kind of activity and connections that have been made at this table tonight is exactly why I came to London.

Quiz about to start with an area manager saying he wants to be there, gig booked and another manager interested in checking us out at it, and a potential start with an agency to represent me running quizzes. It feels like I’ve achieved a whole two months worth of hustling today

Day 1196

Wednesday July 24

Ross calls and says he’s been having a think about the quiz thing. His thoughts have moved far from me possibly starting with the sister agency. How would I feel about starting a quiz company with him to offer to all of their venues? I would write all the content, front the quizzes I could, and anytime I get a gig on one of those nights, someone else will front it and I’ll pick up a percentage of that anyway. But even without that, he envisages nights where more than one quiz will happen, meaning I could front my own and pick up bits from the other one, or others, that happen that night. Bloody hell. I’ve not yet even presented my first ever quiz and I have a quiz agent. And the real underlying bonus of that is that I’ll now be working closely with the agent that has signed three of my acts. I don’t know how it works in other cities, probably the same, but generally in London, you think you’re with an agent but really you’re just one anonymous name on a huge anonymous list they have, and the second they take you on they forget about you. Now I’m due to be working on a special project directly with the main guy, I think it’s fair to say myself and my acts are firmly on the agency’s radar.

To prove to myself that I could write one everyday, as soon as we’re off the phone, I get to work on one. This isn’t just a set of general knowledge questions but also fun soundclips and a picturesheet. It takes a little over three hours. There’s still work to be done on it but I’m fundamentally there. I think this is going to be a bit of a long term project as, to push the button and get it started I’m going to have to have a lot of quizzes prepared. I decide here today that I’m going to do what I can in the next week to see how much I can present to Ross next Wednesday. And with the labouring job having been posponed till Tuesday, I’ve now got the time to do that. So, including today, for the next seven days, my job is to devise quizzes.

With it not being anything like a quick fix, I still have to hustle pennies. I call my friend Kristoff, manager of the White Hart in Covent Garden, to see if there are any upcoming shifts he might need me for. ‘Mark,’ he says, his voice going all high pitched. ‘You have fallen out of the sky. We were just wondering who we could get to cover us for two shifts next week. They’re yours if you want them.’ Wow. Of course I do. When are they? Friday and Saturday next week. Oh bum, I just booked a gig yesterday for that Saturday, but Friday, absolutely. Put me down. With that, he says that now he knows I’m available and looking, there’s another manager or two he could talk to who may also need someone temporarily. Game on.

Day 1197

Thursday July 25

Of course you know I finished my account of the 100 hour jam. That happens today and I see it’s around 25’000 words long. As I said at the time I posted it, officially a novella. So yes, a small book. Now I’m thinking of going further and turning it into an actual book. My idea is to contact as many people as possible who were involved and to get them to write their recollections. Within this I’d really like to get the full collaboration of The Blues Kitchen. I think that with their cachet, expected contacts, and the pure story of the thing, a full on book with a publisher is a very real possibility. Assuming anything like this would sell, I’m not looking for any direct financial gain from it, and I think it would be unrealistic to try to come up with a deal that would satisfy everyone involved. Afterall, we’re looking at a lot of contributions. So the best thing, I think, would be to have any proceeds go to the charities that all proceeds from the jam donated to – Help Refugess and the Camden Music Trust.

Now I’m off to the jam at The Magic Garden in Battersea. This only started a couple of weeks ago. I’ve really wanted to go the past few weeks but failed to make it. Tonight I do and it’s a real trek. Takes about an hour and a half to get there which includes a bus that crawls all the way through the heart of London. But it is well worth the trip. For a start, loads of great Blues jam regulars are there including George, Matt, Martin, Johnny Carrol and James. Not to mention Manny who’s running the thing. And then there’s Luis. The main person responsible for me staying the full 100 hours at that little thing a few weeks ago, and another person who became a really good friend during the experience. Tonight is the first time I’ve seen him since then and we have quite the little reunion, in front of everyone when I get called up to play. And yes, we also do get to play together during the night which is wonderful.

Usually with blues jams you’re playing to a blues crowd who are there for the music. This is slightly different in that the people in here, who aren’t socially connected to the jammers, are just locals in for a pint and maybe some entertainment. Well, here we are. And they all really get into it. And as entertainers, although we aren’t paid, we do get 30 per cent off all drinks. Which means a decent pint for considerably less than four quid. In London that is almost unheard of so yes, we’re all delighted with that.

The stage is quite big and raised and there’s a dedicated soundman. In front of the stage is the boss of the place and he seems really happy with the event that Manny has put on for him. And the garden is indeed magical. A huge, loosely covered place, very dramatically lit, with sofas and large private areas like open log cabins dotted about.

I decide to use tonight as the first time I mention my book idea to anyone, and to solicit my first contribution. This is in a chat to Luis who absolutely loves the idea, is fully on board, and says that yes he might be able to help with contacts regarding The Blues Kitchen higher-ups. Then he says that he’s thinking of becoming the jam master for the Blues Kitchen, Brixton. For that he needs a house band and he wants me on bass if I’m up for it. It’s all up in the air and very much to be confirmed, but damn.

The night ends with George, Matt and myself having a really fun hangout at a table near the front of the stage with the music all done. There’s normally something quite loud going on when we’re all together so it’s really nice to be able to just chat in this setting. Once we’re done there, time to brave the buses home again. But with significantly less traffic, this journey is a whole lot smoother and I find a few more convenient buses to take so hopefully the next time I come it won’t take an hour and a half. There will definitely be a next time. This is a whole new venue on my jam agenda.

Day 1198

Friday July 26

I manage to write two full quizzes today. I was gunning for three but got horrendously stuck on soundclips for one of them. It’s really hard to clips that cover all the bases of funny or engaging, short, and something you can ask a question about. But one thing I am being very disciplined about is not being distracted by Youtube while doing this. It would be all too super easy to see an interesting and/or funny video and go to it, then the next one, then the next one, taking yourself further and further down the rabbit hole of shiny things.

Leigh, my good friend of over 20 years is fully ensconced in successful corporate career and family. The very model of conventional success actually. However, that doesn’t stop him rocking out and today he sends me a new track from his band Nowherelutz. I stick it on and what follows is nothing short of a revelation. I think I should just post what I sent to him immediately having listend to it.

(Makes a swear). That is orgasmic. I listened to it in a state of frenzied ecstasy making all kinds of moves I’ve never made before. I still haven’t settled down. Made me spill my tea then be scared to pick it up again. One of the best new things I’ve ever heard. Two minutes after it ended and my eyes are still wide and I’m shaking my head in disbelief. It’s right up there with the first time I heard Korn, or the first time I heard Orion. Seriously.

Review finished. Further to this, I have to add that my wide eyed frenzied impressed excitement has nothing to do with the fact that this is something a friend did and I’m like, ‘Wow, it came from that guy.’ No. It is totally independent of any emotional or personal connection to the music. I would have reacted exactly the same way had I just been given it with no idea of where or who it had come from. Like I said, he’s all jobbed and familied up, but seriously. I would play bass on this in a heartbeat.

Here it is

Day 1199

Saturday July 27

Last night I planned to be up and at it by 9am today and that’s exactly what happens. I have nothing but quizzes on my mind although I still want to do a blog, have an editing session on my recently completed account of the 100 hour jam, and read and critique an article Paul’s written for a new darts magazine before I start.

Yes. On the other side of it now and I can report that I have indeed managed to finish three full quizzes.

It starts with three sets of general questions with two of the quizzes having a set theme. This takes four hours with a couple of breaks. Then I’m off for a walk on Hampstead Heath to shake that all off.

Back to it and I get to work on soundclips for all three quizzes. This takes three hours with no break; sourcing, recording, editing, making MP3s of each one and writing the questions.

heath walk

Onto the picture rounds. It takes 50 minutes to complete the three picture sheets and write the questions.

Then onto the answer sheets for all three, which takes an hour.

The whole process, breaks not included, has taken eight hours and 50 minutes, so about right for my estimate of around three hours per quiz.

After getting the stuff done I wanted to before starting, I began work on the quizzes at 10:20am, finishing at 10:50pm. So 12 and a half hours in total, not counting the Diary stuff and work on Paul’s project.

I still have a few edits to do on all of them and one is far weaker than the others so that will need a revisit. Considering this, I think I have all the quizzes I’m going to present to Ross, which I plan to do at his thing on Tuesday in Seven Sisters. I now have six completed for him, plus the first one that I did for my bar, making a total of seven. I did have the idea of having 10 for him but I think it’s far better to polish this six than have 10 only kind of done at full stretch. So that’s my job for the next few days. Get these six to a full professional and ready to present standard.

Day 1200

Sunday July 28

I’ve literally only just finished a session of editing and revising and am suddenly at a loose end when I get a call from Per. He couldn’t have timed it better. Do I fancy a visit to Aint nothin but, he asks. Sounds cool. And with that, I could also go to the Blues Kitchen as well, taking in both those jams on the same day, something I’ve never done before but have often thought about.

I get there and he’s with a few friends of his from Madrid who are in town for a week or so. And there are plenty of people in here to introduce him to. Once again, he thanks me for being his London machete. When I get called up for the first time, he gets called up to, making this the first time we’ve played together in London. A big moment and he fully seizes it with his huge voice and stage presence.

After, he gets talking to me about the kind of band he would like to form and yes, he would love it if I could join on bass. He wants to do something in the classic rock vein. I’m really not too sure how available I would be for that but he throws in a little incentive. He doesn’t care if we do paid gigs or not, but is well aware that whatever musicians he gets in may feel otherwise. So he says to me that if we do get any paid gigs, he won’t take anything and the money can be divided between me and the other guys. Really not a bad offer. I think I’m happy to sit on the sidelines, carry on with my own stuff and see what could come of this, but it’s an interesting proposition and I can’t imagine there’d be a whole lot of complicated learning for whatever he has in mind.

We do this place pretty well and I get called up for a second set. Then, as it winds down, thoughts turn to the Blues Kitchen. Only one of Per’s friends is up for continuing so we say bye to the other guys and make our way there. The 88 bus from Regent Street just down the road takes us to a bus stop right round the corner from the Kitchen. Any sharp eyed, elephant memoried readers will remember I used to talk about the C2 doing this same job but that’s sadly no longer around; its route has been merged with that of the 88. Controversial but I won’t go on any longer about that here.

And yep, onto a great time at the Blues Kitchen, Per’s first return since the 100 hour jam. However, he has to sit this one out as they’re already full up with vocalists but I manage a couple of sets.

Day 1201

Monday July 29

I’ve had a heads up that Dove’s blues jam is on at the Spice of Life tonight, but when I get there I find my information was a little flawed. Either that or my memory. But there is some kind of jam going on here although I have no idea what kind. It’s a fiver in and I want to know what I’m walking into. I’ll probably go for it anyway but, once I’ve established this isn’t Dove’s thing, I ask the guy taking the money what kind of jam it actually is. Something different is all he can offer and the more I ask him to elaborate, the less information he offers. Whether he’s being deliberately obtuse or his knowledge of musical genres is genuinely limited I have no idea. What the hell, I’m in. Just as I make that decision and hand over my money, I see Ellen at a table just off to my right and we have a pretty big hello, after which she immediately starts to introduce me around. One of the guys, on being told my name’s Mark, asks me for my surname. I give it and he says, ‘I’ve heard of you.’ Wow. OK.

I find out now it’s pretty much a pop jam although pretty much anything goes, including jazz. She tells me who I should introduce myself to – a very much larger than life and hugely welcoming lady called Baby who runs the jam and the stage with more enthusiasm than I’ve ever seen from anybody. And as I’m hanging out, happy to be called up whenever I am, Ellen tells me I should just jump up and take the bass pretty much when I want. I’m really not sure about that but over a few minutes, I discover that she used to run this jam and is actually the house bass player for tonight. And then the house guitarist tells me that if she says it’s OK, it’s OK. Under Ellen’s gentle persuadings, I give in and as the band is being assembled for another jam, I just walk up to the stage, introduce myself to Baby there and then in front of everyone, and go and take the bass. ‘I love this jam,’ Ellen says over the mic. ‘There is a list you know, but hey, if people want to just come up and join in, that’s cool too.’ Once more, I’m in. We have a singer up with us who’s doing one of her originals. Her idea is that she sings the first verse acapella and we just come in behind her, working it out for ourselves. No pressure then. Over to far stage right, I form an instant connection with the other house guitarist and between us, we silently communicate what key we’re going to play in and when. The time comes and yes, we have it and the whole band is now up and with the singer. On and on we go, through a few solos, and after that, the singer has a wordless vocal line which I pick up on and start playing along with her whenever she sings it. As we get to the end, she signals for the band to slowly drop out, but then points to me, indicating she’d like me to carry on and play that part with her. And on this lovely note, the song concludes to huge applause which she is clearly delighted with. Success. And I’m off. Up back to my newly and instantly formed little crowd at the top, Ellen tells me that we can pretty much split the bass parts between us and asks if I can please take any jazz numbers that are called; she has an ipad on her mic stand on which I can call up any leadsheets for the tunes. Cool. However, another bass player friend of hers also fancies the jazz numbers and I’m more than happy to make way for him, instead just enjoying the hangout. And that bass split part doesn’t quite happen either as there are a few more bass players here than either of us realise. All good. It was a lovely gesture anyway. There is one mildly embarrasing moment related to this. Well, two actually. The first is when she again insists I go up and take the bass without being called and I do. But once in place and ready to go, Baby announces another bass player has just turned up and she would like to get her on. So, laughing it off, I have to leave the stage and go back up and join the others again. This happens once more, again at Ellen’s insistence, and this time Baby calls an end to the night and requests the presence of the houseband – meaning Ellen on bass, to take it home. Oops. As we cross on the floor, she apologises and says she had no idea. Baby finds this very funny and at least it’s publicly out there that it wasn’t my fault.

Jam over and the post jam hangout ensues and I discover that a few of the people here are also often guest musicians at Ronnie Scotts and, in general, integral to the London scene. I think this is the crowd I’ve been searching for my entire time here. This is pretty much confirmed when Ellen tells me she’s been asked to present a masterclass at this year’s London Bass Show – on singing and playing at the same time. She also writes for Bass Guitar Magazine and says that she can introduce me to Joel McIver when we’re there. If that name doesn’t mean anything to you, let me digress to elaborate. Not only is he the editor of Bass Player Magazine, but he’s also one of the main movers of the London Bass Show and conducts some of the Q&As. He’s also the author of a whole ton of very successful and critically received music biographies, among them, And Justice For All…The Truth About Metallica. One of the best music books I’ve read. He’s also written biographies on Slayer and Black Sabbath and Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson among others, and was described by Classic Rock Magazine as ‘By some distance, Britain’s most prolific hard rock/metal author. Notable international music writer Martin Popoff said he was probably the top rock scribe in the world. Damn. And he’s someone I’ve really wanted to get an entre to for quite a while, maybe with something in conjunction with the Diaries. And maybe now, the 100 hour jam. Don’t really know, just vague ideas. Well, here it is. I tell her I was already very much intending to seek him out at this year’s show and she says now, the personal introduction is always the best way. I couldn’t agree more. Of course on the back of that, we get talking about the post Bass Show jam on the Saturday. Of this, Ellen puts us all firmly under instruction not to take any gigs that night, specifically aiming that at me. I think I have my orders.

Upstairs now and we take a big round table and have a few drinks at the late bar as I meet all the other house musicians properly, and a new guy who’s joined us – a bass player from New York. He doesn’t play the big one at all but it’s clear he’s heavily into that scene and it seems natural rather than showy as he drops a few big names that he’s played with. I say natural because almost everyone here can do the same thing and it’s seen as interesting rather than any kind of one-upmanship or gratuitous name dropping. On his part, he’s thrilled to have found what appears to be something of a core of the London musicians crowd. And so am I to be honest. As I said, I really think this is what I’ve been looking for this entire time. Yes it’s taken a while but here we are. I’ve totally forgotten his name so for now I’m going to call him Ryan. He tells us he was at Aint Nothing But earlier on and thought he saw a fellow New York musician walk by the place. Thinking, ‘No, that couldn’t possibly be. Not just random like this in central London.’ So he called a friend and asked if he knew where that particular musician was at the moment. ‘Yes, in London,’ came the reply. So he messaged her and she said that yes, she had indeed walked past that venue and she had been on her way to The Spice Of Life and he should come along. And here he is with us now.

Last orders called and it’s clear there’s a hard core here with no intention of going home. But where to go? Then someone remembers that Baby had gone off to a private members’ club and had issued an open invitation to join her and her little crew. That’s where we’re headed then. We find the place, round the corner from Ronnie Scotts, and outside is a small group of guys who see us with our instruments and say, ‘There you are. We were wondering when you’d show up.’ They’re genuinely excited that we’re there and it seems they were talking to at least a few of us earlier on. We ring the buzzer and we’re in. Ryan can’t quite believe he’s happened upon this random group and is now heading into a very luxurious and exclusive looking place. I’m kind of thinking the same. Think posh hotel lobby. But when we get to the desk, we discover that Baby has left and, without a member present to vouch for us, we can’t get in. Oh well. No matter. They direct us to a place nearby which is open until 4am. We go and find that place and it’s an expensive looking French restaurant, but yes, they have a table for us and yes, it’s OK just to drink. Taking the class level of the place down a few notches, we go for the pitcher of beer option and sit back and share that among ourselves. I think Ryan gets the first and I get the second. After that, Ryan insists it’s all on him. How many more we get through I have no idea but it’s a wonderful, laughter filled hang. During this, me and Ellen discover that we actually briefly met at last year’s Bass Show when she was playing at one of the small gigs during the day within the main exhibition. And as all the other conversation develops, Ryan is open mouthed as he hears of the 100 hour jam and a few of its related stories. ‘A 100 hundred hour what?’ he asks, almost dumbfounded and quite unable to fully take in what he’s just heard. We tell him of the non stop element and about how the changes happened to keep it going, and he’s even more taken aback. And Ellen happily tells him that not only did I stay for the whole thing, but that I was the house bass player for it. And yes, he hears about the whole 57 hours stint and his eyes go a little bit wider. With this, Ryan’s impressedness, if that’s a word, at finding this little band of musicians, is sealed. Once more, I have to plead not leaning back on the false modestly thing. Instead, I can’t help thinking he’ll be back in New York and telling musicians, and people in general there, about meeting the crazy guys who did a 100 hour jam and, in particular, that he met the house bass player for it who stayed there for the whole thing.

Day 1202

Tuesday July 30

Off to meet Ross again tonight, this time to present my six quizzes to him. This meeting is going to happen in the bar in Seven Sisters in the time before the show at which he auditions prospective acts for his agency.

What I’ve come up with, or at least have started to come up with, is not so much a quiz but a gameshow in a pub. I have a few concepts but would like some more but the idea and intention are very much there. I’m sorry dear Diary followers and friends, but I really don’t want to put the actual ideas in here in a public forum. I hope you understand. However, once this thing starts they’re going to be out there in the public domain anyway, but for now I’d rather keep it all to myself.

Of course I don’t give him chapter and verse on all six of my quizzes, but it’s important he can see that I’ve done them and they’re all at the same standard, including the slightly dodgy one I mentioned the other day; each time I came up with an idea to improve them, I went through each one and incorporated that idea. That way, they all developed at the same time. I thought this was far better than having one with all the improvements and then having to go through all the others with a mammoth editing and adding job. So yes, we have a good look at one of them, a quick scattering of some others, and he’s happy to see that he could have chosen any one of the six at random and the level would have been the same.

He really likes what I’ve done, and now he can see that I’m serious.

With that he lays his cards fully on the table. He doesn’t just want to offer this to his 150 plus bars. He wants to take this national with quiz masters all over the country presenting what I’ve put together. Whenever a quiz happens I’ll get a cut. If I have a quiz night myself in our region but get a gig that night and someone has to cover it, I’ll get a cut. If simultaneous quizzes happen on a night, of course I can’t be in multiple places at once so we’ll need other people to do them. I’ll get a cut. I think you can see where this is going. And of course there are the nights I’ll present them myself and I will essentially be the front person of this thing. For those I’ll be paid the same as I would for a gig.

He says that now he’s seen where I am and what I’ve done with these things, he’d like me to ramp it up and get more and more content because, before we can properly get started on this thing, we need a whole massive file of quizzes. Or to be more accurate, I do. The whole drive here is content, content, content. He says that when he puts it on the app and pushes the button, in one moment, over 150 bars are going to be offered the concept. ‘That means,’ he says, ‘We need to be ready for 150 managers to come back and say they want this. Are you up to it?’ I am. However, there’s a fly trapped deep in the ointment. I tell him right now that, although yes, I’ve done these six in the past week since we last spoke, things are now going to slow right down. ‘No, you have to speed it up,’ he says. ‘Sorry. Can’t do. I was able to put all this together because I was on it full time because I didn’t have a job. I start my new one tomorrow.’

With that, we get talking. He knows I have two acts signed to his agency, and I tell him now that he also has Ben, who’s already said he’ll call on me for any duo shows. ‘Oh yeah. Thanks for reminding me. I forgot you played with Ben.’ Make that three acts then. The conclusion of this little conversation and digression is that if he can get me enough gigs, I won’t have to do the day job thing and will instead be able to devote my time to this new project thing. With that, he hits me with something else.

He says he really likes the acts I have, but they are just a little bit on the niche side – two blues (with Ben and Fred) and one jazz. What I’m missing, he says, is a full on pop/indie duo. ‘If you could put one of them together there would be a lot of work there,’ he says. With that, he adds that he’d be able to keep me plenty busy on the music side which would mean I’d have all the time I needed to really get the quiz going.

Now I really do have something to think about. And finally, finally, finally, after more than three years of pushing and hitting dead ends – think all that time and numerous episodes with The Insiders – I have my very own bona fide agent. Someone proactive who actually knows I exist and who has it in their own interests to get me on the road. And I’m about to add yet another act to my portfolio. But this one, as yet to be born, already has an agent behind it ready to go full on. Yes ladies and gentlemen. The opportunity is right here right now on this very table for me to become a full time bass player – and national quiz writer and quiz master. I didn’t quite see those last two coming but there you go.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

I’m thinking it might be time to call Dan, tell him we have a real opportunity here, and see if we can get The Insiders to fly again.

I mention that I have someone in mind who I worked with for a long time but he immediately asks me to hold fire on that. There’s an all day music fesitival coming up this Saturday that his agency has organised. He says I should come along and that there could be one or two people he could introduce me to. OK. I’ll hold off for now. That’s a date for Saturday then.

We get back to the quiz and we’re energised. We excitedly come up with possible names and a few concepts. He comes up with a great unique selling point but sorry, as above, I’m not going to say what that is just yet but it is brilliant.

What I will say is that his agency’s tagline is ‘Where the music can never be questioned.’ And I think I have to say the name of the agency now too. Sunday Soul Lounge. That’s relevant because we come up now with a whole brand for the quiz. Quiz Lounge. And he says he’ll make a logo for us that will reflect the existing logo of the agency. Now for the tagline. We throw a few around before settling on, ‘Where the questions can never be questioned. ‘ We thought about saying ‘answers,’ but concluded that that could come across as a little passive aggressive whereas saying ‘questions’ is kind of cute.

Then he has an idea. ‘Do you want to do one here?’ Why not. With that he’s out of his chair and on his way over to the bar to pitch the idea to the manager. See what I said? Proactive. He comes back and says the guy already has one going that he’s happy with but still, the intention and action were there.

Now for that job that starts tomorrow. It was supposed to start last Monday on the 22^nd, then yesterday. As you can see, I’ve still not got my hands dirty yet. And yes, the finances are really starting to bit because I banked, literally, on starting on the 22^nd and when Cris told me that, like I said at the time, I did my sums and decided I could take some time off and make it to first pay day. First payday would have been yesterday, or maybe even Friday a few days ago but of course that hasn’t happened. However, like I’ve mentioned, I have had a few bits coming in and of course I’m in Kristoff’s bar this Friday and I have a gig on Saturday. But really, I have to get proper work started proper soon. During this whole conversation with Ross, or let’s say, meeting with my agent, Cris calls. Sorry. Not starting tomorrow. We start Thursday. Definitely Thursday. Bloody hell. I’m being pushed right to the very limit here. But to this I can add a postive; not starting tomorrow means I can go into my bar before it opens and test my quiz equipment – microphone, computer and music files and stuff – to see if it all works how I think it will. OK. I’ll take that.

Meeting over and we now have a show to see. Three acts and my drinks on Ross’ tab. This night is just getting started.

Day 1203

Wednesday July 31

Into the bar first thing in the morning to check my equipment before the place opens just to make sure my computer and connections and stuff will work with their system like I think it all will. It does. And I’m also now able to show the boss a little more of what I have, including the soundclips. She loves it.

Now I’ve got to go out and buy my cordless mic. I’m on a bit of a budget and have a few false starts on this. After taking the trip into the city, I check out some reviews of one that I find and discover that, with extra bonuses and stuff from one particular shopping site, I can incredibly buy it online for just a fiver. Result. I immediately start looking for a bus to take me back home.