Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Cats & Laps & Rock & Roll

by admin - 17:40 on 07 October 2014

It's a fair bet that few of the world's rock stars had cats when they started out in showbiz, or if they did were able to play loud enough behind closed doors to ignore the sound of scratching.

Much of today was spent in getting to grips with some of the songs on The Mystery Band's set list that I've not played for a long time or have never played at all. A few songs I'd never even heard, not being well versed in the oeuvre of Beyonce, Taylor Swift and David Guetta. Fortunately the set also includes Clapton, Hendrix and Santana. I look forward with huge interest to hearing the singer (a girl) who can pull them all together.

But practice, especially when trying to work out some tricksy chord changes or rhythms, is not aided by a cat (usually Willow) who wishes to make use of a lap already half-filled by the big end of a Fender Precision. Her look of exasperation when I refuse to keep still is matched only by the look of bafflement about what I'm doing and the hurt expression she wears if I stand up to play.

At least she doesn't want to perform, unlike Pandora who tries to hold down strings with her tail or nose. Maybe I should allow her to persevere and become a YouTube sensation.

Despite the hindrances I'm now somewhere between confident and optimistic in my ability to play forty-five of the forty-eight songs or bluff my way through them (which is usually enough for most pubs). The remaining three – by the diverse trio of Catatonia, No Doubt and Ozzy Osbourne – will take a little more work.

Literary Update: Voting has begun for Scotland's Favourite Nature Photography Book 2014, so click here if you wish to give your support to Moray Firth Dolphins by Tim Stenton, published by Bassman Books. One lucky voter will win a copy of every book on the shortlist.

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