Sparrows at Leeds West Indian Centre November 2016

As November 19th 2016 was also the date of Katie and Vic's wedding, Bex is unable to accompany the Sparrows to the West Indian Centre today. So Wanda has agreed to come with us [and actually play], and also Fehmina [whom I bribed with a lift to Katie's wedding]. It was Emma W who invited us to play at this event which is being run by Cameo. And, yay, Yi Bai is back. He got a hug, whether or not!

Because I also had a music centre class before the gig and Katie's wedding after, today takes some precise planning and some teamwork. In the morning I take over the pans and kit to Gildersome, meet Vicky and leave her to stack now and set up later. At NLMC Julia, Satinder and the gang are up for setting up and down. Next I go back to for a final load and collect Fehmina. .  .  .  .

Fehmina phones me as I pull up outside the West Indian Centre. She gets a taxi over.
Oops.

This is an event to celebrate Yona Knight Wisdom's Olympic achievements. An English Jamaican, or is he a Jamaican Englishman, he won a medal for springboard diving at the Rio Olympics, and because he was, for technical reasons, unable to represent his country of residence, he dived for his country of parental origin.

We are always pleased to be asked to play at the West Indian Centre as we play West Indian instruments. Originally a pianist, I learnt guitar, then played bass guitar with various bands, made the most basic attempts at drum-kit but adopted pans as my main instrument and music and pan teaching as a career  many moons ago now. And love it! Pans is just the best. Full stop.

Players today are Ashley, Owen, Lucy, Isha, Kirsten, Claudia, Annie, Ella, Bella, with Yi Bai [ex-Sparrow anyway], Wanda [satellite Sparrows leader anyway] and Fehmina [ex-Sparrow anyway]. It was Isha, Ella and Annie's debut gig, and they were fine, playing where they could and miming where they couldn't. It was also Prince Buster's Wings of a Dove debut for us [after we abandoned it at St Paul's, for reasons to do with our reputation].

Because I also had a music centre class before the gig and Katie's wedding after, today takes some precise planning and some teamwork. In the morning I take over the pans and kit to Gildersome, meet Vicky and leave her to stack now and set up later. At NLMC Julia, Satinder and the gang are up for setting up and down. Next I go back to for a final load and collect Fehmina. .  .  .  .

Fehmina phones me as I pull up outside the West Indian Centre. She gets a taxi over.
Oops.

PS Players are always welcome to join the Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows. Best to be high school age with some pan experience, or other musical instrument, or desperately keen, and promise to work hard!