Boom!

I got to play the drums at work yesterday. It was weird, to be honest. It felt as if I had got as close as I will ever get to performing as a proper musician. I was in a proper venue, on a proper stage, using a professional drum kit. The fact that there were only three other people in the whole building was neither here nor there - I can say I played the drums at a large holiday centre in Suffolk during Summer season!
I suppose I should give you the facts. I was doing my rounds and having a chat with the maintenance manager about a problem with the speaker system in the ballroom. (An extravagant title for a space that holds 120 and is usually used for bingo.)
Dave - the drummer from our resident band at weekends - was in there, setting up his equipment ready for their show tonight. He was saying he's had some work done on a couple of his drums and wanted to test them out, and wished his brother wasn't abroad on holiday, as he was a proper roadie and could help him. Eventually, in conversation, it came up that I can bash the old bongos a bit, and he asked me if I would kindly give his kit a bit of a workout while he walked around the room, so he could satisfy himself that he would sound alright tomorrow. I was, to say the least, flattered, shocked, humbled and excited in equal measure. I was terrified that I would damage something, primarily, but once I sat down and got on with it, it felt good to be giving it a go.
He thanked me, said 'you're all right for an amateur' and then went outside for a roll-up. I don't know if I should be embarrassed by this, but I've been glowing with pride and satisfaction ever since.

RC 18-6-22