100 Club Oxford St London with The Checkmates

Got the train in from Cambridge with guitar in gig bag and because it was a nice day I walked over to Oxford St from Kings X. Met up with the gang and we had a couple of beers before going into the club for the soundcheck with the house gear. I was using an old Watkins Dominator miked up. Quite a course sound without FX, but it could certainly cut through if needed. Met some of the other musicians, including Brian “Liquorice” Locking from the Shadows who had brought a band along to do some Shadows stuff late on in the programme. My sister, Gina, had arrived to support us, so we all went out for an Italian meal and some wine. Came back to the club about 8pm and it was full. We ended up signing autographs, posing for pictures with fans, doing interviews with journalists etc. (One chap had come over from France just to see the Checkmates and get our signature on an album!) 

The night had started with skiffle and built up to more rock’n’roll by 9pm. We went on after Big Jim Sullivan’s house band and we did about 20 minutes featuring: “Eyes”, “Slow Boat”, I Wonder”, Drums, Lucky Old Sun and finished with “Early in the Morning” with Raye coming out from the behind the kit to play snare and one cymbal up front with us. Unlike the previous acts we opted for a vocal heavy sound and we were the only band to feature harmonies and dress up in the stage gear. People said there was quite a difference from what had gone before. We had to improvise the drum routine ‘cos we couldn’t shift bits of the kit, so we opted for a quick return to the final verse. Despite the odd cock up it went down a bomb! The show was being videoed but I don’t think it was a TV company? 

Shortly after our appearance we had to think about getting trains home, so we had a group hug about 10:20pm and set off in various directions. I gave Gina a lift back to her hotel in a bicycle rickshaw driven by a young Columbian guy I hailed outside the club. Got the train up to Cambridge getting in just after midnight and was home by just after 1am – a bit tired!