In preparation for the Brewery gig on the 30th, we had a microphone, a bass guitar and a couple of amplifiers. Most of us performing at the gig used the opportunity for an amplified run-through of our gig material. It's coming together well. Same routine next week. Alan promises to stop being so bossy when the gig is over.

The set-up was something of a surprise for Bob, Simon and Patrick, who came to play, but spent a fair amount of time watching people struggling with technology. It was good to see Patrick again, and hear how Simon is getting on at University.

Apart from the run-through stuff, the highlights were:

• Simon's new instrumental called, I think, "A thousand miles of sea"
• Patrick's songs based on his travel experiences (e.g. being shot at by a 10-year-old sniper in Burma)
• "Goodnight Irene" by Bob, with his bouzouki
• "The Weight" from Andy and Richard, supplemented spontaneously by Steve on bass - hope this has now found its way into the set list for the brewery