Thursdays were quiet and, if I recall correctly, didn’t last too long. Saturdays tended to be noisier, particularly when the boys from Gutbucket were in town and at a loose end. For most of the time, however, the entertainment was provided by a record player and a selection from one of the extensive record collections previously referred to.
There was the odd musical interlude as well, of course.
From time to time Gutbucket dropped by, and some of those who came and went played guitar, sang and wrote.
There was Steve from Ayr, who’d drop by with girlfriend and guitar and could generally be persuaded to treat us to a rendition of Soul Singer Sammy and a little ditty about Ned the Kangaroo, Bill the Porcupine, tea and coffee. There was another one called I Can’t Explain It that was only performed under extreme duress in the absence of the girlfriend.
Jim the guitarist from the earliest version of Heavy Chunder was, believe it or not, a prawn fisherman and a huge fan of Love’s Forever Changes, and could be persuaded to attempt Alone Again Or from time to time, though he never managed to get all the way through the little guitar solo in the middle of Andmoreagain.
Usually some time around eleven each Saturday night a vehicle would disgorge two well-dressed gentlemen who’d been out and about. Mr Dave and Edge were fond of the good things in life and tended to sample them before they called in.
My mate Eric’s sister Irma played piano, and did a nice line in jazzy blues vocals in a trio called Mattoid, with Irma on piano and vocals, the younger Buff Brother on bass and vocals and the inimitable Rockhead on drums, and it was Irma who prompted what remains one of Hughesy’s fondest musical memories.
There were a number of people that came and went on Saturday nights, popping by to check what was happening, man. The highest-profile dropper-by drove a white panel van. Ric Montgomery played lead with Barabbas, who’d relocated from Cairns to the Inside Out, and, on this particular night called in looking to play some blues with young Irma, who he rated very highly indeed.