Jon and Libby

  Thursday's office, with Jim and Lee fettling the live feed in the background. It was back to Derby on Thursday for our return visit to a venue since playing our first EMOM back in late December. This time, rather than a leisurely train journey down through the Trent Valley and a slap-up breakfast at the Premier Inn the following morning, Marjorie the Satnav was in command as we hurtled over the Pennines in the mighty Sandero, windscreen wipers battling against driving rain, and standing water so bad I felt the need to momentarily pop my hazards on to warn drivers behind me. But get there we did, and bang on time. I'd spontaneously booked a place at the Dubrek Studios May EMOM, and subsequently discovered that Lee Greatorex would be livestreaming it to YouTube . The question was: do I tell my family they can see me hammering away at the ivories like a demented Mrs Mills, and more importantly do I tell my group of old school friends who take the piss out of EVERYTHING? As usual...

  EMOM can be a life of woe! The life of an EMOM performer is filled with woe. Take poor Steve Hardaker of Hardaker and Zux. On the way to play Bleep 17 last Thursday, he had a blowout and couldn't make the gig. Cue a small army of performers who had put their names down to play but hadn't been picked, secretly crossing fingers and waiting by their phones for the call to fill in.  In the end, the gap was plugged by our host for the night, the inimitable DJ Johnny Deluxe, who performed a longer set to pad the evening.  Spinmeister Johnny Deluxe playing an extended set to cover for Steve H.  But what of the other acts?   Well, as usual for BLEEP, I had a curfew of 9pm. In this case, it was a super strict curfew because ASLEF was taking action, and pretty much every train out of Manchester that night had a service announcement warning of possible disruption. So, what did I get to experience before I had to leave? Engines is a new one to me, but nonetheless he ...