Our friend Adrian has  played in a rock band for years; they’re good, they write their own songs and are all very proficient musicians. A few years ago Michel, the lead singer moved away; they found another singer, a nineteen year old girl called Nadia. She had a fabulous voice and for a while all went well; but gradually Nadia’s mother took over, installing herself as the band’s manager, wanting them to buy lighting systems and smoke machines; after all they were her daughter’s ticket to stardom. Eventually the base player and one of the guitarists walked out and the band folded.

In 2019 they got back together, minus Nadia and her mum, of course, but their resurrection was short lived thanks to covid.

A while ago, Adrian phoned me to say they’d started to play again, they’d got a gig booked, so would I like to go along?  I thought about my divorced friend Jan’s words; that the best advice she was ever given was NEVER to turn down an invitation. So I said yes, I’d love to.

I saw Ade at Kieran’s a couple of weeks later; he mentioned the gig again and I assured him that I’d be there. Well actually, he said, they wondered if I’d like to do some backing singing; I thought of Jan’s words, took a deep breath and said yes, I’d love to.

They’re a great bunch of guys and real perfectionists in their music; at my first rehearsal I asked what they’d like me to do, only to be told “whatever you like”! No pressure then!

The original gig was cancelled due to covid and rearranged, but I then had covid, so I haven’t sung with them in public yet, but I love rehearsals, when I can immerse myself totally in the music and forget everything else in my life.

As they say, as one door closes, another opens.