The stage is set

Back to the Assembly Rooms in Tunbridge Wells, this time to see Show of Hands who are probably my favourite group - and probably one of the best bands around, that is if you like talented musicians who can play, sing, entertain and tell a good story wrapped in a good song. Go and check them out.

Sitting where we were it was almost impossible to get a decent shot of the band on stage, but before the main set it was possible to get stageside and record the scene.

Steve Knightley, Phil Beer and permenant guest Miranda Sykes are Show of Hands. Steve is the song writer and Phil is the mulit-instrumentalist who has to be listened to to be beleived. Miranda plays bass and guitar with her vocals adding a indispensible dimension to the songs.

SoH sing about every day people and every day life. Poignant, sad, joyous, happy, mad, bluesy, folksy sometimes all in the same song. And political too. Listen to Country Life or Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed. Steve is a sharp political commentator in the way of Billy Bragg but not so abrasive.

The rest of the day was very busy. Susan at work again so I sloped off to the gym early then came back and did lots of stuff followed by cleaning duties and getting dinner ready. The journey to Tunbridge Wells was fraught, getting through Maidstone to pick up our friends was terrible, so blockage somewhere - it took 40 minutes to cross town and only 35 to get to TW from there.