Dontcha just love the music biz?

Life gets better and better. Yesterday we went to The Strawberry Jam on the embankment. There was no one there. So went to Charters. Charters is a pub on the river and I mean literally on the river, as it's a converted grain barge. Mike Fowler was there setting up his PA system for an afternoon of music.
WE asked about The Strawberry jam. Apparently the organiser was stuck in Cambridge after getting blasted. So the hippy chick was spark out on drugs instead of being here to organise things. Far out!
So we had a few beers and a chat with Julian who is playing on my next showcase night on the 18th along with a band caled the Kidnaps.
Mike played for half an hour then announced "Mike the hat is gonna play next" WHAT! Oh well. So I got up on stage and took his guitar and started playing. Wild wood, Wild world, wild thing. in fact anything with wild in the title. Played for twenty minutes. It went ok.
Meanwhile outside on the embankment people were wandering around with guitars looking for the action. No Strawberry Jam.
Went home to print out the flyers to take to the Wheatsheaf, the definitive list for the night, E-mailed the newspaper and a music mag. Stepped outside and walked straight into Richard from Within. He agreed that he and Abi would do a set on the showcase night 9th July. Fabulous. I said I'd let him borrow my 12 string again to do pink floyds "wish you were here".
Saturday night we went to Goodbarns yard to see my friends Pip and Steff playing with their band The Electric Warriors (That's a reference to Marc Bolan I think)anyway Steff wants to do a spot as well so I've pencilled him in for the 30th July. He has this plan for a set including himself, Pip, a saxophonist and Cat. Cat plays electric violin in my friend Tonys band Pooks Hill. So that should be really interesting.
So we hit The Wheatsheaf, stopping to talk to Julian and jac's on the way, to show them the advertising flyer we'd produced. Negotiated a fair rate of pay for the nights. Which is great because now we can afford to pay the bands something. Not a lot, but enough for their beer money on the night. So I'm happy at that. Simon and I could have trousered the lot. But we're neither of us money grabbing little bastards. OK we want to be paid for our work but at the same time it's nice to be able to pay the players something.
So things are really panning out great for the showcase nights. Everything seems to be falling into place nicely. Don't you just love the music biz?