Acoustic Rock Week 2007

So, that's another week of music and madness at the Orpheus Centre resolved. Working at last year's short course was a wonderful experience and round two entirely lived up to it's expectations. Once again head tutor Russ Barrow led the jamboree to greatness with the help of Caliko members Jon and Jo, and new friend Andrew Coleman, a fantastic pianist and singer-songwriter from Liverpool.

This year's course featured no less than twenty students. Writing a song with each of them was a solid task and remembering so many arrangements during rehearsals really took some doing. Without this year's extra enablers to help compose our ditties putting Friday night's production together would have been somewhat impossible.

Many songs were written by students completing their last year at the Orpheus Centre, their lyrics reflecting the jumble of emotions that come bundled with leaving to start an independent life. Becky's strangely poignant Finding Home and Jenny's Big Impact brought this sentiment to the foreground beautifully. Some of the most impressive compositions effortlessly fell from tutor Andy Coleman's hands. Pat's Louise and Anna's Lost breezed with a wistful jaunt of Andy's pop style. A personal favourite was Nick, Jon and I introducing the second set with a Kelly Joe Phelps inspired country/blues tune, Dance With The Devil, which saw the resurrection of my dobro after a year of gathering dust.

Following last year's Flip-flop-flop-flip-flip-off, an updated aerial competition (also devised by Russ) featuring malteasers caught in the mouth from long-distance throws provided lunchtime entertainment for everyone on the course. First place went to Jon with a floor-less three out of three! Other amusing events during the course included the toaster overheating early one morning, filling the kitchen with smoke and resulting in pajama-clad enablers meeting at the fire point!

The concert was a sell out with just over ninety guests in the audience including my entire family, cheers for coming guys! Great props were employed; Veasna's backing band wore Tae Kwon Do head bands made from toilet paper and Atalia and Jenni dressed as matadors during Matt's soundbeam solo in Spain.

Once again I'll be producing the DVD of the show, the best tracks of which will by finding their home on YouTube and, of course, right here on Bob's Times. Carrying my musical equipment into my house after the constant, raucous happenings of The OC cues an immediate feeling of boredom, despite the need for rest. After the week of developments I've returned to London to meet some friendly new neighbours moving in next-door. It seems that finding home in some shape or form has been the trend of late . . .