Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be....an Outburst.

The Outbursts guitarist Neale Muldowney is out of action so the band have been forced to employ a series of guitar deputies to fill in him for him. Steve Istvanski of the Stabilisers picked up the first gauntlet, learning the a set of songs, with Mick Taylor-virtually-over-night efficiency. However, he is unable to commit temporarily to the role. His replacement is a small army of guitarists including Andy Golding and Paul Warwick of Trad Arr. and myself...of er, Pocket Rocket.

Last night was our first and only rehearsal before the Punk Rock-Til-You-Drop gig next week, Thursday 23rd October at the Hope & Anchor in Islington (Tres Retros, Live Wires and The Lone Groover also play). I haven't played in a punk band since the Playschool Barmy Army, my school punk band split circa 1983. It was an honour to be asked, and a pleasure to play with the band, who I love dearly.

I get to play the first two songs in the set next week, Law 'n' Order (an original) and Good Guys Don't Wear White (I don't know who this is by originally, but I am familiar with the Minor Threat version). The other boys have more songs to play, and are committing to further dates with the band. I better get my own house in order, as it were. House of PocRoc.

It was funny though being in someone else's rehearsal space. It was a bit like seeing a friend's bedroom when you were a kid. It was cool. New space. New toys. New sounds. And interesting to see how other bands rehearse. It was fun for me not to have to sing a lead vocal, and play simple conventionally-tuned bar and open chords in a straight ahead fashion with a lot of fuzz. I enjoyed it. And Matt Outburst kindly gave me a lift home from Tottenham Hale to Chalk Farm, during which we talked non-stop about our experiences of being in bands that both nearly made it in the 80s and 90s.

Forgot to get someone to take a photo me, though. Bummer.