Nobody Here But Us Chickens

There's an old joke amongst guitarists that rock guitarists play three chords to thousands of people, and jazz guitarists play thousands of chords to three people.

Well, that's jazz.

Desperate Measures guitarist plays chord number 437

Owing to a slight lack of publicity for our performance after the prize giving at the Totnes Canoe Festival on Sunday 20th July, most of the sun-burnt public and exhausted competitors had headed for home by the time we started.  We were however rewarded by the attendance of some of the event officials and the cheerful bar staff who no doubt were disappointed by the bar takings.  We did our best to improve that during our interval of course.

We don't play 'Empty Chairs at Empty Tables' but it might make a good caption...

Actually 'Willow Weep for Me' - which we do play - is quite miserables enough. Thanks.

But it was fun.  Unlike for our Sunday lunch gigs, we were able to play at a more natural volume. And we dug out some of our party numbers like 'High-Heeled Sneakers' and 'Mustang Sally'.

Nerd time.  Mustang Sally was written by Mack Rice (often called Sir Mack Rice after being "knighted" by a record company) who got the idea after the drummer of a band said he wanted a Mustang car, rather than a Lincoln.  He called the drummer "Mustang Mama" and the song was born, with a chorus of "Ride, Sally ride" taken from a children's rhyme:

Little Sally Walker sitting in a saucer,
Ride, Sally, ride!
Wipe your weeping eyes!
Turn to the east.
Turn to the west.
Turn to the one that you love the best.

When he played the song to Aretha Franklin, she suggested he made the song "Mustang Sally" rather that "Mustang Mama" and the rest,as they say, is history.  It is now one of the most requested songs of any band playing any gig, anywhere.  So it's just as well we learnt it.

Next gig Yealmpton Show, Wednesday 30th July.

In DMs, no music stand is allowed to be level with any other.