Welcome to the Sam and Dan the Band Blog! Here we plan to keep an account of our musical journey, sharing our story along the way and our experiences playing rock music in Barbados. You will read on the website that it all started when Sam & Dan were introduced through Sam’s wife. Our musical backgrounds and laid-back, ego-less approach to life made us feel like old friends from the beginning. But did you know that we weren’t quite the well oiled machine back then? Read on to find out why... In those days, Sam was very much the new kid on the block, still trying his best (without looking like it) to prove that he was a suitable boyfriend and all round good-guy to a group of strangers that had known his girlfriend for years. He would call himself a people person, and perhaps he wouldn’t go as far to say that he was intimidated by meeting such a large group of friends, but it was a challenge at least. Game face on! I don’t think he'd say he was nervous, but he knew that meeting his girlfriend’s group of friends was a big deal and one that he certainly didn’t want to F up! Needless to say, he and Mikki drove down to meet them on a patch of grass underneath the runway at Grantley Adams Airport, near the Light Airplane Club, where a sunny yet windy afternoon of antics would develop. Everyone set up picnic chairs and coolers to lime and chill as the afternoon led into the evening. It was here that everyone met for the first time. Sam’s initial reaction, lots of guys here! However, it was one of those moments where you wonder for a split second how it’s going to go down, before the next thing you know, you’re talking shite over a drink or two, and it feels like you’ve known everyone for a lifetime already. It really was that simple! A love of alcohol and making self-deprecating jokes is the environment in which Sam and Dan met, and in those days, Sam wasn’t even playing the guitar! As time went on Sam and Dan saw each other more, Sam having passed the friendship test (luckily!), when he then found out that Dan sang in a rock band called Rock It 27. Sam had always loved live music, but he didn’t really know of any true rock bands in Barbados, so for him, this was exciting new territory! Sam (& sometimes Mikki) used to go and watch the band play, and while still not best friends, this is where Sam’s friendship with Dan started to take root, over good music and rock n roll! There’s nothing quite like going to a gig alone and making friends. As Rock It 27 played a few regular gigs, Sam was almost the unofficial groupie, at one point when they found out he used to play the guitar, they were interested in making him an understudy too, but he never picked up an instrument with that band. Quite content to watch Daniel lead, as the most badass rock n roll frontman that he’d seen yet in Barbados. It was around this point that Sam slowly decided that he would pick up his ¾ travel size acoustic that he moved to Barbados with around 3 years ago and had rarely played. He was rusty and very sporadic with his playing, but Dan started to talk to him about learning a few songs that he sang. It was also around this time that Dan moved away from that rock band and became a free agent. Sam couldn’t quite believe it at first, but he also couldn’t quite believe that Dan was keen to play some songs with him. This killer rock singer wants to sing along with me? On my beat- up travel acoustic? The pressure was on! That poor acoustic was so small that Daniel had to lower his singing volume so that the spangly twangly chords could be heard! Sam progressed painfully slowly to start with, really only knowing what he could remember from basic lessons he had received in his teens. He knew simple chords, but anything other than that looked quite out of reach. It took him a long time to develop any form of purposeful practice, to this day he might argue that he still doesn’t know how to practice effectively! However, he plowed on, picking a couple of simple songs to learn. Outside by Staind, and Wicked Game, originally by Chris Isaacs, but the cover version by Stonesour was the one he picked out to do, particularly because of the acoustic arrangement which is what has become the Sam and Dan signature! It’s at this point that it’s worth saying something about Sam’s nerves here. Apart from his girlfriend, he found it impossible to play the guitar with anyone else watching without getting overcome by sheer cold horror and fear. He would instantly develop a nervous shake in both hands - you can imagine how hard it was to strum and pick chords out - and he would either come to an abrupt stop and put the guitar away, or mess up and reach for a strong drink and distraction. This went on for some time! Eventually, Dan convinced him to take his guitar to the next lime they went to, and aware of how nervous Sam was, he took him away from the group to a quiet corner, and asked him to play a song. It was scratchy that’s for sure, but they managed to work through the above songs while Daniel accompanied him singing. And of course, it rocked! Not so bad after all... For the first time ever, Sam was playing live music with someone else. His bedroom practice antics that had restricted him for so long were slowly trying to leave him behind. Dan’s mature approach to singing and his understanding of Sam’s nerves helped coax Sam into feeling comfortable enough to play. He still got the nervous shakes, particularly when one of Dan’s daughters decided she wanted to join our quiet corner and watch, but he tried his best to ignore her and focus on the song at hand. Little did Sam know, Dan was quite probably just as nervous! Over time Sam & Dan would meet like this, their partners and friends would have a lime, and when they’d had a few drinks to kill the nerves, they would disappear to their corner and run a few songs. Dan had given Sam a songlist which was quite daunting in those days, so he was slowly learning some of the songs at home, playing on evenings on his verandah. Then, Covid happened....

Then, Covid happened… Yep you guessed it. The island went into full lockdown with the first Covid outbreak. Any momentum that Sam and Dan were picking up, was firmly put down. However, with at least a month on the horizon of being locked at home, Sam took the plunge and decided to buy himself a heavily reduced guitar course on Udemy. Something to bide the time and hopefully make him a better guitarist… The worst part about the course was that it was structured in a way that made it really hard to find the level Sam was able to slot in at. He knew the basics so didn’t need to start at lesson one, however it took a week or two of painstakingly trying each video to find out whether he knew it or not, before he could slot in and move on. Luckily he didn’t give up. Eventually he started to get to a stage where what he was learning was new, so he started to put himself through the paces, devouring the course by powering himself through it. Little did he know that he didn’t only need to watch the videos, he should have been doing homework and practicing while watching them! With Sam playing guitar more often, especially being in a close-knit neighbourhood during lockdown, he began to become known for learning the guitar. His neighbours would give him the odd comment, mentioning how nice it was to hear music after dark. Yet for Sam this was all new and rather embarrassing. He truly didn’t believe that anyone would enjoy listening to him trying to practice. Particularly when he would chug away playing old Metallica riffs on his acoustic. After a while he learned some new songs from Daniel’s list. Then, one night Sam was practicing on his verandah, head down mid-song, Enter Sandman of course, when he noticed a presence. He shyly looked up to see his neighbour Mike, silhouetted under the streetlamp, arms crossed, head cocked, listening to him play. Uh oh! Sam abruptly came to a stop, the fear of performing, to which Mike was saying don’t stop playing! Yet stop he did. So they had a little chat about music instead. Once Mike left, Sam resumed playing, although he was now sweating profusely and both hands were shaking. That bottomless feeling in the pit of his stomach had returned. He was being watched! The evenings went on as did the lockdown, Mike used to walk up and down the gap to exercise each evening, so quite often he would walk past Sam as he was practicing. Eventually, the lockdown eased, and some level of freedom was restored. It didn’t take long for Mike to invite Sam over to his for a jam in his driveway one evening. It turned out that Mike played the keyboard. Sam was bricking it, but he realised that this was something he couldn’t say no to. What did he have to lose? Sam was also lucky enough that his parents were able to travel and came to visit just before the Covid outbreak, and with them they brought his trusty electric guitar from England. One Christmas morning that he would never forget opening his oblong guitar shaped present from under the tree, a red Stratocaster copy complete with a Marshall mini amp. He couldn’t wait for everyone to go out so he could turn the gain up to 11 and rock out! However Sam was quite conscious of his neighbours in Barbados, the insulation isn’t quite as thick here compared to the UK, so he didn’t play his electric often for fear of noise complaints. Yet that one evening, he packed his electric guitar and headed next door. Fully expecting it to be just Mike and his keyboard, alas, Sam was surprised when he turned up to find many empty chairs, a drum kit, mic stands and a soundboard. He had arrived at the deep end of the pool! Mike was very sneaky about it, but in retrospect Sam would always thank him for forcing him out of his shell! It turned out that not one, but two singers were coming, another guitarist, a drummer who also sang, and a bassist. Sam was in on his first band practice! It was a great evening, they played mainly reggae which admittedly is not Sam’s favourite genre of music, but they had a good time and the other guitarist turned out to be a very good teacher. Most of the songs were simple with only 3 or 4 reggae chords to play, so he would talk Sam through them and check he was okay before the band would launch into another hit. They jammed a few songs for ages, one of the singers was very good at freestyling so kept making lyrics up. This creative blend of looping chords while the singer made something happen was infectious. A new chapter was opening for Sam! He came home that night still nervous and shaking, but he had finally played with other musicians for the first time which was pretty cool! It didn’t go as badly as he had expected. The other musicians were also very supportive of his learning, and how fast he picked up new songs. His reply to Mikki asking ‘How did it go?’ was ‘So I think I’m in a reggae band!’ The next time they all played together was billed to be a rehearsal at a venue in Bridgetown. Ironically opposite the dock that he used to work in as a sailor. Everyone was expected to turn up and run a few songs to see how it all went, with the possibility of getting a gig there. However, little did Sam know that it was a bar, and that real, living, breathing people were there to watch them rehearse! His nerves were a mess, cold, sweaty palms, hot flushes to his face, total memory relapses. It wasn’t the pretty situation that Mike had initially painted for him. Sam was close to a freak out. However, the band had enough experienced musicians to get songs played like a real gig, calling a simple setlist and jamming the tracks. Meanwhile, Sam had found his position to stand on the stage, right at the back, hiding behind not only all the other musicians, but the biggest speaker he could find. Many who were there didn’t even notice him, a floating pair of legs! With his head down, only to come up and check what the other guitarist was doing, he plowed on silently cussing Mike all the way through his first gig! Somehow he survived his first gig, and it went so well that they were invited back to do a few more gigs. Sam was indeed in a new band called Raw Soul!

As time moved on, so did the progression of life with COVID. We went into a second lockdown just after Christmas and many feared the worst. However, Sam and Dan kept practicing independently… When the island started to come out of lockdown a nightly curfew was introduced, so everyone started to get itchy feet, and this was when Sam and Dan started to frequent Dreadhop Brewery. Barbados’ best kept secret, located on Gibbons road, just off the path from Oistins on the way to the Airport. Sam loved their beers having sampled them when they used to have a site in Speightstown. The new brewery, now located in a commercial warehouse, was the perfect place to ease oneself back into being sociable, and with outdoor picnic tables in a car park, there was such a small risk of the virus spreading that Sam and Dan decided to go down and check it out. It was here that they discovered the Sundogs for the first time. With Lee Sorenson (an accomplished classic rock musician) on guitar and lead vocals, Kurt Fields (the ultimate funk master) on bass and Sherwin King (arguably the best drummer in Barbados, or the Caribbean for that matter) on drums, they were a force to be reckoned with. The Sundogs played a selection of classic rock songs as well as a few reggae hits thrown in for good measure. All the while, Sam was mesmerised by Lee’s guitar playing, although a totally different style to his, he couldn’t help but marvel at how Lee could pull off Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and Eric Clapton, making his way effortlessly up and down the fretboard and mixing both picking with fingerpicking thanks to his new artificial thumbnail. Rock N’ Roll Baby! Sam and Dan thoroughly enjoyed the gig and got talking with the Sundogs afterwards about their plans and the idea that was germinating to form the Sam and Dan band. All of the guys were for it, encouraging Sam and Dan to keep going, so much so that Lee very kindly said that if they returned next week he’d let them do some songs in their break. The gauntlet had been set! Sure enough, Sam and Dan went along the next week with their gear and watched a killer first set, before Lee invited them to do a few songs in the interval. Both were nervous, and god knows who was the most nervous, but they managed to work through 3 songs to a reasonable reception. There was even a request for an encore, but in those days they were so fresh that they didn’t have any other songs they’d practiced to perform! They thanked Lee and the Sundogs very much for letting them take the stage. The next step naturally was for them to learn some new songs! Lee invited them back the week after, so they had to get busy! The next time they took the stage Sam and Dan had been working on a number of songs, so when the encore was called, they had a few up their sleeve. They had a great time and the Sundogs were quite happy letting them play for a bit while they enjoyed an authentic Bajan brew or two… Sadly, this didn’t last much longer. Covid had really hurt the music and restaurant scene in Barbados, and while Sam and Dan would look forward to seeing the Sundogs each week, the crowd grew less and less as fears of the virus spreading became more apparent. Eventually one night they were told that it would be the last of the Sundog’s gig for the foreseeable future until things got better. Sam and Dan were gutted, but they went on stage and played a few songs in the interval, Kurt and Sherwin joined them on Black by Pearl Jam, and it was a blast! The set ended up with Keron and Kevan from the Crashers and Craig & Phil from Sundown Superhero performing a Soca/Caribbean medley to close the night. It was arguably the best gig collectively that the Sundogs had played yet. The crowd was electric and they most certainly could rest assured that they went out with a bang. Covid was still rearing its ugly head across the island, with outbreaks happening daily. However Sam and Dan were very grateful that they had been given an opportunity by such experienced artists in the music scene. It gave them the thirst for it, and that’s something that they’ll forever be thankful for…

The Sundogs picked up a new gig on the West Coast, much closer to Sam’s home but not Danny’s. So Sam and his fiancee went every week to watch the band and meet with fellow musicians who all enjoyed the show and jammed a song or two. However Sam and Dan also went to check out Jacob Layson at Dreadhop. There he performed showcasing his talent using a looper pedal, enabling him to record chords, then play them back so that he could solo over the top, all while Nick Hoyte held down the bassline and backing vocals. This was a new way of playing that Sam had been exploring at home with his budget looper pedal, which he found quickly increased his progress and creativity. It was a talent that Sam one day hoped to master himself so that his and Dan’s acoustic performances sounded even better! It didn’t take long for Jacob to invite them up on stage to jam a few songs, so they did Drive by Incubus which Nick couldn’t resist joining them on.   Jacob is not only a talented performer, covering all sorts of classic rock songs, think Beatles and Rolling Stones as well as pretty much anything the audience might request, but he also has been busy writing and recording his own originals. Notably Castaway, a true caribbean style summer song. Check it out on Spotify! Jacob is very enthusiastic with other musicians, his energy and creative force help those newer to the scene remain inspired and follow their creative path. When Sam told Jacob he wanted to start writing his own music, Jacob was the first to encourage him and also offered to sell some of his old gear to him to get him started. Sadly the gear didn’t work with his laptop, but the seed had been sown… After a few knock-out gigs, Jacob went on holiday, leaving a vacant spot at Dreadhop open for three weeks. Sam and Dan the Band were asked whether they would fill in for him, and well… the rest you should already know! The only problem was that one of the dates happened to coincide with Sam’s wedding. A day that both he and Dan were going to be very much a part of. They made themselves available for two out of three dates understandably, their first paid gigs in Barbados. Sam also had to break it to his fiancee that on the Saturday evening of their honeymoon, he would be playing at Dreadhop...  Luckily it wasn’t too big an issue! *** The first gig at Dreadhop was when all of Sam’s friends and family who flew in for his wedding were on island. Needless to say, there was a large fully vaccinated crowd who hadn’t experienced live music in the UK for a very long time. They particularly enjoyed sampling the delicious local beer by the pint, something that the English are pretty good at! The gig went very well. Sam and Dan were nervous because it was their biggest crowd, as well as their first official gig. However, the nerves disappeared when the crowd showed their support. Many onlookers sang along to their first set word for word, and in a whirlwind it came to a break already. Cue a breather and catch-up with friends and family, but there was a second set to deliver! Sam and Dan also dedicated many of the songs they performed to various friends and family members, including their better halves. Colourful by Verve Pipe for Daniel’s wife Davea, Nothing Compares which Chris Cornell covered for Sam’s fiancee Mikki, and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton for Sam’s mum, Rachel. This resulted in a very special second set indeed. Sam also dedicated a song to his Aunt & Uncle Rob & Sarah and his cousins Matt & Ellie, who he grew up with in England. Their shared love of music and theatre proved to be a fantastic way to enjoy family occasions, with frequent outings to the West End and live music in London during the kids’ childhood. He dedicated Everything She Wants by Vertical Horizon to Matt and Ellie as well as his sister Imogen, having seen one of their favourite cover bands Boyce Avenue perform it live at their first gig in England without adult supervision on National Siblings Day. Next, he dedicated Good Riddance by Green Day to his Uncle Rob, knowing it was one of his favourite songs of all time. It didn’t prepare Sam for a very emotional sing along, with his second family linked arm-in-arm belting along to Danny’s vocals. It was a magical moment. Sam & Dan also invited Imogen’s boyfriend Chris to join them in a rendition of Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix. Chris had been jamming with Sam while visiting for the wedding, and they both couldn’t believe how strong their musical chemistry was. They were both raised on the heaviest of metal as youngsters so had a lot of common ground. Chris ripped into Hey Joe with Hendrix style aplomb, sizzling licks and a solo on the electric while Sam played rhythm and Danny sang. It was a lot of fun! Most of the crowd, well inebriated by now, were in full singing-swing, belting along while Danny sang. By the time Sam & Dan played Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis to close their set, the atmosphere was electric! The staff had never seen so much energy under their roof before. It was a truly auspicious occasion and one for the record books. Sam and Dan had finally played their first proper gig, and it would truly never be forgotten.

Sam and Dan had a big day ahead of them on September 18th 2021. Sam asked Dan to join his small wedding party as MC, alongside Sam's cousin and best man Matt, the three made quite a trio! The night before the wedding they all stayed where Sam and Mikki would honeymoon, Consett Bay, where they listened to great music, drank Sam’s famous Tequila sours, and watched Dan cook a traditional Guyanese curry with delicious rotis. The irony was that Dan was determined to recreate the classic dish authentically, however he forgot to wipe the counter where Sam had hand squeezed the lemons for the sours. The rotis turned out very sticky, and when tasted, sweet too! They’re meant to be salty, not sweet! Dan exclaimed. By which time Matt and Sam were feasting on the delicious accident, quite grateful for the mishap. It tasted great! The curry was also excellent. Poor Dan wasn’t amused, but Sam and Matt made light of the event and told Dan it was the best accident ever! The next morning they awoke for a quick sea bath before heading to the wedding venue at Golden Grove. While the bride and her maid of honour got ready, the guys checked in with Jae and the Alpacas doing sound check, and had a leisurely dip in the pool before the wedding planner curtly ordered them upstairs to start getting ready. Talk about rock n roll! As MC, Dan was responsible for playing the music for the wedding ceremony, as well as two recordings from Sam’s English Grandfather, a retired vicar who didn’t travel due to Covid. He was also responsible for playing the interim music while they all waited for the bride, which turned out to be a selection of 90s rock songs played on classical guitar or by an orchestra, including covers of Metallica, Alice In Chains and Tool. Sam’s friend Chris had introduced him to the Vitamin String Quartet which turned out to be the best thing ever. It couldn’t be more fitting! The ceremony itself went flawlessly with much laughter and happiness. The reception followed and of course, the band got underway, smashing a rock n roll setlist that would have sounded just as good on the fields of Glastonbury than it would at the wedding. The Alpacas consisted of Jae Johansen on Lead Vocals and Guitar, Craig Haniff on Bass and Backing Vocals, Philip Norville on Drums, Rene Nelson on his iconic Drum Pad, and Anderson Marshall on Keyboard. It was a vibe! Sam and Mikki’s first dance was Everlong by Foo Fighters performed acoustically by Jae. This song held sentimental value as Jae had played it previously at one of his solo gigs which turned out to be Sam and Mikki’s first official unofficial date! The Sam and Dan band then joined the band to play a couple of songs later that night. It was a fantastic evening enjoyed by all. The wedding photographer said I’ve never been to a wedding in Barbados that played rock music before. It was awesome! To which Sam replied, Well what kind of music did they play!? DUH! … Earlier that week, Sam asked Jae whether he was playing anywhere that he could bring his friends to watch before the wedding. After a flopped attempt to get Jae a gig on the west coast, Jae suggested that he could organise a jam with Rene down at Surfers Bay. Sam’s best man Matt had 8 mates on holiday from England, and Matt’s sister Ellie also had a couple of mates staying, so they went down for some fun and live music. They had an excellent dinner and many drinks, while Jae and Rene killed it as usual. If you have never seen Rene play the Drum Pad before, it’s quite something. He moves around it as effortlessly as a full drum kit, knowing where all his different voicings are and playing flawless fill after flawless fill. The velocity of his attack is similar to that of when he hits a traditional drum kit, so energetic! Jae’s vocals were on point as always, and his song selection was perfect for the mainly British crowd who belted along to everything at full volume. Dan and Sam were asked to join them for a couple of songs at the end of the night which was Sam’s first time ever playing with his local hero Jae on stage. Needless to say he was very nervous, and made a few mistakes, however having watched Jae perform all over the island it was a huge milestone for Sam, and of course, nobody noticed! It was also good practice for performing with the Alpacas a few days later at the wedding to a much bigger crowd and, of course, his new wife!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated our blog and I apologise to any avid readers! We have been busy. Whether it’s been learning songs, or working on our own, Daniel and I have been meeting regularly to ensure that we don’t lose momentum and keep rockin’! We have spent a lot of time recently working on our current songs, crafting and refining them so that they work with just a guitar and vocals, working on arrangements, while also adding new songs to our roster each week. We both started out as avid alternative rock fans, playing the music that we enjoy listening to at home, however we’ve started broadening our repertoire which now includes a heap of well known songs that are not just rock, (yes there are a couple of pop songs now!). A few months ago we really struggled coming to terms with playing songs that we didn’t particularly like ourselves, however playing at gigs with so many tourists, most commonly Brits, made us have a rethink that our song choices could have a little bit of variety to them. Particularly with all the British tourists on the island, we had to start looking further afield! With that said, we have been thinking outside the box, as well as picking upbeat, sing-along songs that an audience will enjoy. We have also been very conscious of picking songs for Dan that suit his awesome vocals, and we’d like to think that we are finally getting somewhere now! We would also like to thank the many people who have come to support us recently, for singing along, giving us feedback and advice, and suggesting songs that they would like us to cover. The journey we are on has been really fun and we are loving it! We are also honoured to have been nominated for Gine On’s People’s Choice ‘Rock Artist of the Year’ Award. It was a bit of a shock to say the least, considering we haven’t even played together for a year yet, however it’s humbling and gives us a chance to show gratitude for where we came from and how far we’ve come in this short amount of time. Many of the artists in our category are those who have inspired and helped us along the way. Jae Johansen in particular has been the gold standard for live music in Barbados ever since I moved here 6 years ago. I used to go and see him play on his own and with a full band, the latter truly showcasing that he not only has a killer voice, but he forever made While My Guitar Gently Weeps one of the best showcases of his playing ever. He really rips that song and has made it his own! He has also been very supportive of the two of us, letting us jam with him and pushing us to keep at it. Jacob Layson too has been incredibly supportive. He’s always the one who encourages me to write original songs, or learn this or that solo. His energy is infectious and like Jae, he always asks us to jam with him if he’s playing a gig. He alone has not only helped us play at new venues for the first time together as an act, but was also instrumental in helping us secure our first gig at Dreadhop all those months ago… We also can’t forget pop punk legends Sundown Superhero, who years ago I met through their very first rock music festival Sundown Fest which they hosted pre covid. I didn’t know the band members back then but since, they have become a second family to me thanks to chief songwriter and Barbadian pop punk legend Craig Haniff. (He’ll hate me for saying that…!) He is another who has been overly supportive and helpful in giving us feedback and advice. He and I bonded over our love for Dave Grohl, striking up a friendship on Instagram at first (before Craig deleted his account), luckily we maintained contact! From encouraging me to keep playing, to sharing song ideas and inviting me to experience a studio for the first time, it’s been real! They are currently recording their third album and organising their next incarnation of Sundown Fest which is well worth keeping an eye out for. May 21st, save the date! A special mention also to Vengeance Falls who are the most recent winners of the award. Dan goes way back with them, but I don’t know them particularly well. However they have been nothing short of supportive either and have often come to watch us play when they haven’t been gigging themselves. They have a big following which is encouraging to see that there is a market for rock music, particularly some of the heavier stuff which is what I was raised on. I’m yet to jam a Metallica song with them, but I hope to do so in the near future…! All of these artists are well deserved of the award themselves, so to be anywhere near them is a beautiful thing. We know we have a long way to go, but we are getting there! What I am trying to say I guess is that the music scene, most particularly the rock music scene in Barbados, is overwhelmingly supportive. Having gone from an avid fan, who was way too scared to entertain the idea of taking stage and joining some of my local heroes, to jamming with them, and bouncing ideas off them, it’s an unreal experience! … Dan and I played at Jumas last night (next door to Lonestar) which has become our west coast home. We play every Thursday from 7pm. For those who like relaxed seaside dining without the pretence of some of the west coast’s restaurants, it’s a great location and the food is top notch! Jules is a very sweet and kind lady, while her husband Mark is who I initially approached about playing there who has been very supportive and given us some needed advice having worked in the music industry himself. The staff there are also great fun, and make us feel very welcome every time we play. Last night was the first night we played in the restaurant at full capacity, having been just over half full for the last few weeks. I guess it’s a mixture of how one has to build a night in the music scene, but also testament to the staff promoting us on the beach in the day to guests sunbathing and enjoying a few cocktails. I have been working very hard at tweaking our setlist each week to keep it fresh and interesting, not only with song choices, but song tempos and variety. Last night was the first night that we really got it spot on, we played a huge variety of popular 80s and 90s songs which had the audience singing along in the busy restaurant. I have also been encouraging Danny to think outside the box, for us to tackle songs that he’d usually resign to the shower or singing along to on the car radio. His voice is unique and I love to hear him do songs that might be unexpected for an all out ‘rock singer’. It’s been great fun seeing him smile and grow as a vocalist. I enjoy pushing him, made worthwhile when I hear him nail it live on stage and see the audience’s approval. I also finally have my own microphone which I am ‘breaking in’ on stage. I find it quite hard to sing and play guitar at the same time, particularly when I’m the only instrument, but my goal this year is to perform one song by myself. I will get there eventually. For now, I am getting used to the sound of my own voice, having introduced the band last night and speaking to the audience between songs. I am really quite shy when the spotlight is on me, but when the pressure is off I can be my relaxed and gregarious self. Using the mic helps develop the chemistry that Dan and I have on stage - where I used to joke behind the mic between Dan and I - now I can include the audience! Having worked in the tourism industry for the past 6 years of my life, I love meeting new people and talking with them, particularly when they share our love of music! That’s it from me. I have some backdated blog articles to edit too, however I’d like to put this out for now because it’s where my mind is at. You can catch us at Dreadhop this Saturday 12th and Saturday 26th of February from 6pm, and at Jumas every Thursday from 7pm. To any aspiring musicians, you’ll be surprised how far you can get by just asking a question and believing in yourself. Learn to take criticism and use it correctly, and you’ll never lose momentum. We hope that our story will inspire many others to do the same. Long live rock n roll! Sam