Had an unexpected encounter this afternoon. Jez (no point in hiding his name 'cos he's famous) tapped me on the shoulder in Boots where I was hunting for a shower cap (not for the shower but for protecting my hair during wet and dirty plumbing jobs). Jez is lead guitarist in Damp Patch, an up and coming band. When I knew him for years back we were playing together in a schoolkids' band called Deaf Shepherd. At the time I fancied myself as a lead guitarist but I never really had the talent compared with Jez. So I finished up playing a pretty lively (borrowed) bass guitar for Deaf Shepherd. I was always being told to stop trying to play the melody and just do the rhythm. We rehearsed for about six months, then had one or two gigs, and the band fell apart.

It wasn't till last year that I heard Jez and the singer, Benedict, had formed Damp Patch, and seemed to be doing all right as a warm-up band for more important names, but I never heard them play. I wondered where the songs were coming from, because the keyboard guy from Deaf Shepherd had always written the songs. He was part of the reason we broke up because he was never happy with the rest of us and fancied he could do better. I haven't heard of him since.

Anyway, Jez was quite complimentary about my bass as he remembered it. I said I felt a bit embarrassed I'd never heard Damp Patch play, and he gave me a couple of tickets for a concert next Tuesday. Result!