Getting the Band Back Together

Over the Easter weekend I got a text from a man I know as Yorkie about getting together today for a bit of a jam as there's an opportunity to play a gig at the Roaring Meg bike show.  Yorkie was the drummer for a band I used to be in called Unforgiven.  I replied in the positive but I was unsure about it.  I haven't seen Yorkie or Jock (lead guitarist) in about a year and a half.  In fact the only member I have had contact with since then was Marty.

It's worth pointing out that all of these
photos were from before we broke up

Yorkie

I didn't know what to expect from today at all.  We haven't spoken in over a year and I was unsure of whether we would click like we did before.  Regardless of all this I took the bus to Muff (yes for those outside of my part of the world that is a real town) and walked into Yorkies house where we did a bit of catching up who was then followed by Marty.  The length of time we spent apart was apparent to us all when Yorkie and Jock found out that Marty got engaged about a month ago.  They didn't even know he had a relationship with this girl.  This was all met with genuine congratulations before we stepped into the garage and set up the equipment.

Now this wasn't a full reunion as we were one member light who doesn't seem to be rejoining at all (although I hope he changes his mind).  This meant I had to (and will have to) play rhythm guitar.  I didn't mind this as I always would have liked to play guitar for this band for a song or two when it was still a 5 piece band.  Still though it was sad for me that Fraz decided not to return, but each to his own I suppose.

Jock

Marty

So we began practising and I gotta say that after a year and a half we didn't sound too bad at all.  Some songs were like 'riding a bike' as Yorkie would say, others songs gathered some rust but nothing a bit of work wouldn't fix.  It felt good.  I kept thinking to myself 'yeah, we still got it' throughout the whole practise but that wasn't the best part.  The best part was that the 'craic' was better than ever.  We were talking and joking as if we were never away in the first place.  I can't wait till next weeks practice after we have individually ironed out some of the rust and work on some new songs.  Most of all I can't wait till the Roaring Meg Bike Show where I intend to tear it up on that stage.

Ahh those were the days, this was little old me.

Now as you probably have gathered from the pictures I have included in this blog this band in question is called Unforgiven, or rather it was called Unforgiven because we discussed a name change.  We are also discussing starting from scratch as if this were a completely new band and making some game plan on getting established again.  All of this was music to my ears except we haven't been able to think of a new name for the band.  I know personally I'm crap at naming bands.  I'm actually embarrassed to tell you any of my previous suggestions for names before I was first in Unforgiven.  In fact if anybody reads this I'd like suggestions for a new name for this band.  The prize will be a big hug from me.

Today, life was good.