Tarry Bush
I brought my pocket trumpet with me to Bongos last Saturday, as Tarry Bush was playing there and Zoe had invited us all to join in. As it turned out, however, they had no bassist with them, and I’d left my washtub at home. I was considering going to the local store and buying the materials to make another, and I even went to check (it would have been cheap and easy to do, actually) but David said he could bring his once he was finished with his work.
I played a bit on the trumpet and had some dinner while I listened to Tarry Bush’s first set. The music they play is really complicated, yet they do a great job. David showed up just after the start of the second set, and we started accompanying the group on bass. It was a great time, though the space is a bit small for any crowd over a dozen people.
Andrew was worried about his neighbors complaining about the noise, so we wrapped it up around 8:30pm and went to Chocolate & Love on Xinyi Road. I’d never been there before, but the Saltwater Crocs were having their farewell concert, and they’d invited the ramblers to participate. We entered through the bar and proceeded up to the second floor, where the restaurant, kitchen and performance space are located. The place was decorated with some pretty neat pieces, including a traditional Chinese bed and door.
Most the gang were already there, so I sat down with Slim and Thumper while David went to help set up the sound for the crocs. Conor showed up soon after, and I lit into my first Long Island Ice Tea of the evening as well as my second meal. Salmon and potatoes, not bad.
The crocs took the stage and rocked away while David flitted around adjusting speakers and wires. Man, are they a loud band. They’re breaking up because Rodney, the drummer, is having a baby and settling down.
I was a bit sloshed by the time it was our turn. They were all amplified; even the trumpet was hard to hear, but I did my best though I haven’t picked it up since The Wall. Conor performed a wicked solo that blew everyone away. As usual. We went through several songs until they’d pretty much exhausted their repertoire as well as themselves. David wouldn’t hear of it, though. “Play something else, something you really love!” he cried. So the lead guitarist took the mic and sang:
“Hey, Jude…”
I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing. Cruel, I know, but the alcohol had gone to my head and abolished any sense of shame. The song was a disaster, but we made something out of it.
We played one more rock song after that, and the deed was done. Everyone was packing up with who else but Rowan, fresh from Fresh, arrived. He was despondent from having had to resort to going to such a place, and we commiserated over yet more drinking about the lack of suitable venues in this town for men of our age and proclivities until we were tossed out at closing at 3am.
I managed to get up the next morning. Ok, noon. Ish. Sandman called and said he was going to explore the new mountain trail I’d told him about, the one DJ and I took a few weeks ago, so I went along.
We trekked to the top of the hill, past the site of the haunted abandoned amusement park, and up the trail to the platform, which Sandy deemed suitable for nighttime jamming. Then we walked back down the other side to the community there, where we drooled over the nice places. Jojo went right up to the railway-tie door of one place and knocked. When nobody answered, she called “Is anyone there?” Presently a man in a T-shirt opened the door, and we said we were looking for houses in the area and wanted to have a look at his. Graciously, he let us in.
Man, what a place. He’d redecorated the entire place with junk from trashyards, knocked down parts of walls, and he even had a backyard with a fishpond (Sandman’s photo). The only thing I didn’t like about the area, besides the difficulty involved in reaching it, were the high-tension electrical wires hanging above it. The guy even drove a Mini. Ideal.
In other news, Duncan had invited me to play bass for Tarry Bush at their gig in Tainan this Saturday night at The Armory. It’s been too long since I’ve been down that way, so I think I’ll go and check in on my friend Steve and his family while I’m there.
