Village Performance

I've been playing keyboards in and out of the local village band for the last two years. This time it was time to take a deep breath and perform in public at the monthly concert in front of the bakery.







I've recently taken up my bad habit of playing the banjo after a friend in Tasmania nade me a most marvellous instrument from beautiful timbers. Not exactly a banjo it's a Banjulele, smaller than the real thing and all wood without a skin. The sound is sublime, like a sweet little guitar.

Once in Japan I wanted to get a full size five string to play as well. So went to a place called Ochanomizu in Tokyo where there must be more guitars and guitar shops in one place than anywhere else in the world. I found a perfectly good Chinese made, of course, banjo for around $200. The equivalent instrument made elsewhere would be around 5 times the price.






So with a group of local friends we started rehearsing once a week for about a month. The rehearsals were as much fun as the performance with a hilarity filled picnic supper held each time when we had finished.

The day of the concert itself was bloody hot and windy, hence the lack of formal attire.

My wife says I have to stop looking so grumpy when I play. Its not grumpiness, just concentration. At least I didn't stick my tongue out of the corner of my mouth. Or maybe I did and no-one has been brave enough to show me the photos.