A night as a "Country Rocker"

Bill Rowely rang me up and asked if I could help him out with a gig he had coming up. His regular guitarist has been 'layed low' and he needed to find a replacement. I said I could handle that and I'd seem him at the gig.

Friday arrived and showed up up the Morwell Club and set up.

The "Country Rockers" comprised:

• Drums - Steve Schultz.
• Bass - John Werner, and,
• Me - Lead guitar.

For those that haven't heard Bill Rowley sing, then let me tell you, if you shut your eyes you'd swear Johnny Cash was singing.

Bill was very organised and had a song book for both John and I. Bill would yell out a number, we'd find the page and off we'd go. Sometimes Bill would show me how a particular lead riff would go, so it was a most active experience.

I'd played with both Steve and John before, but never in the same band. It was good fun. We had a great time trying to sing backup harmonies, determining when a song had finished, and all of the other stuff that goes along with backing up a performer.

Bill encouraged us to perform our own songs if we wanted to, so at times when Bill was searching for songs, we'd just launch into a song and go for it.

Must be showing our age as both John and Steve were wearing earplugs, and, I must admit, by the end of the night I felt as I should have as well.

Very good to have caught up with Steve and John.