Blog: Space Invaders

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On Sunday I met with Mr S Hewitt at Bally Studios for yet ANOTHER practice for Total Hero Team. "ANOTHER practice?" you might ask. "Is THAT why all your performances are so technically proficient, competent and smooth?"

If someone DID ask that I would smile humbly and say "Why yes, I suppose it is", but no-one ever DOES. I suppose the answer is so clear it does not need asking?

Anyway, I was five minutes or so late, and arrived to find Steve stood outside our usual room. When he'd arrived he'd found a group of YOUNGSTERS in there, who'd begged a couple of minutes to finish off and, being KIND HEARTED as he is, and knowing that I'd be a little late, he said "Yes, of course".

This SORT OF seemed OK to me, though I must admit my BAND ALARM was already going off. "No Mark", I thought, "be not cynical! These youngsters will be coming out in a minute or so, thanking us for our understanding and general KINDLINESS." I wandered round the corner for a cup of tea - one of the many MANY excellent things about Bally is that they make you a FREE CUP OF TEA - but when I came back they'd STILL not exited. We discussed a couple of ADMIN ISSUES by which time it was getting towards 2.15pm and enough was, not to put too fine a point on it, enough.

Thus I strode into the room to find the young scamps NOT packing up or making ready to leave, but STILL PRACTICING! Fifteen minutes into OUR time! In the full knowledge that someone else was DEFINITELY coming in afterwards! I was MILDLY ANNOYED to say the least, and spoke GRUFFLY with them. "Come on, you're taking the piss now", I said, STERNLY, "We were meant to be in here at 2pm." They looked about 16 - and thus could well be in their THIRTIES for all I am a judge of such thing - but they FRIGHTED and quickly started packing stuff away. One of the TRANSFERABLE SKILLS you get in bands is the ability to pack up QUICK, so it was quite sweet to see how INEPT they were at it, being at an early stage, though this may have been because I sat down, GLARING, at them, unpacking OUR gear. Another of these transferable skills is the ability to know when someone will CONTINUE to take the piss if you let them.

As they left they tried to be NICE, saying "Enjoy your practice" and so forth. Steve answered, but i continued to GLARE - it is, I think, a LIFE LESSON for them, for LO! next time they try to mess around like this it could be with someone HORRID who will DUFF THEM UP or (more likely) NICK stuff off them, rather than give them a Stern Look. It did RILE me up tho - "Grumpy Hibbett!" said Steve, as memories DECADES OLD of similar events coursed through me.

Five minutes later Steve popped out to the LOO. On the way he saw that the youngsters were STILL stood outside the door, trying to work out how they were going to pay for the practice. Bands! They were EVER THUS!

The practice itself was a whole LOT of fun, though we did get invaded YET AGAIN about halfway through, when someone BURST into the room. "Oh!" he said, suddenly confronted with me in a bowler hat, Steve wearing a cap and PANTS on his head, and both of us talking to FUFU THE FUTURE KITTEN. "They said nobody was in here". "Just us three," i smiled, Fufu waving. He FLED.

posted 11/3/2013 by MJ Hibbett

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Comments:

LOL. STERN Mark!
posted 14/3/2013 by Charlie

Honestly! GLARING at kids! Not sure who needs to GROW UP here MJ!
posted 15/3/2013 by Robbie

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