The First Gig (of the year, and how Coustics began...)

The First Gig

Friday January 5th 2024

No sooner has the new year come and gone, it’s time to get on the road again. I mean that figuratively really, because I don’t actually tour per se, I mean it’s time to get back to work. January’s Guitar Club night is usually the first booking of the year. I’ve always thought it appropriate in many ways because the club is where the music portion of my life began to take shape properly. So…..

Come with us now on a journey. Through time and space, to the world of…well, not The Mighty Boosh certainly, this is a country pub in Crockerhill, Sussex, circa 2006.

I have a new neighbour, his name is Eric. Eric is, (or now sadly, was) an endlessly enthusiastic, generous and friendly sort, quite literally in a permanent rapture as to the glorious wonders of music, mini golf and homegrown tomatoes. Upon learning that I had “flirted” with playing the guitar for a few years, I was eagerly invited to join him at a new guitar club, his music tutor Sally was running for her students at the pub. I still believe the offer to join him was honest, and in the spirit of friendship and musical adventure......the fact that Eric needed me to drive him there on dark evenings was entirely inconsequential.

Everybody squeezes themselves into the bar, warm beer is ordered and wonky music stands begin to sprout like weeds from the sticky carpet. What few locals there are are hoping for a quiet night... and they're disappointed. The classic rock and pop of the 1960s, 70s and 80s appear to be the tunes of choice, and to my surprise, I really quite enjoyed it. Which is lucky, because Eric LOVED it.

As time passed, Sally became unable to run the club, and some of us stepped up….

It is now 2024. The venue has changed, but the format has little. What’s always a bit of a wonder to me is that many of the faces haven’t changed either. It’s a testament to the strength of Sally’s original concept and that original group of people, who, 18 years later, are still clocking in every first Thursday of the month to strum a few tunes. New faces and friends are great and valued, but here’s a special shout out for the old guard for the first gig of the year, you know who they are. It would literally not be the same without you.

Anyway....last night's club was surprisingly well attended, given that many of the roads around our way have been flooded for about 2 months now, and it's January. Nobody likes January. I didn't get any good photos last night, so I thought I'd keep driving down that partially flooded memory lane and dig out some of the oldest guitar club photos I could find. I may not be thanked for posting these ;-)

Eric is the one in the second picture, looking after all the ladies. The old smoothy.......