I'm still friends with the band

Another country, another town, another restaurant,
and another basement with a band.

The difference is that this is a more up market place. The waiter was
telling me about it. It was in the old bank vault and still had all the
safe deposit boxes around the walls. The management decided to turn it
into a martini and cigar type venue, with the occasional live band,
thinking that the walls were thick enough to keep the sound under control.

I ended up down there because it was still early and I knew I could get a
comfortable chair, a coffee and relax for a few hours after dinner. I had
to agree with the waiter. This wasn't the going to attract the starving
students and they wouldn't have got past the bouncer anyway.

So as I settled in, and the band set up, I noted the arrival of the usual
suspects, namely family and friends. Well, more family really. The
people drifting in seemed to well dressed and over fifty. By the way the
place filled up I had to assume that the parents and extended family of
every band member was here.

You know it is a sign of your success when your parents give up telling
you and your dead beat friends to stop making that racket in the garage
and actually come out to watch you play. That or it is just resignation
that since you've survived to this age, then this must be more than
passing fad and probably even pays the rent. ( Although they still
secretly wish you'd dump that bass player boyfriend and put on some makeup
for once )

Also, the gig was nicely timed to be late enough for the folks to have
dinner, catch the opera and then go watch the kids play.

So they are out for the night and having fun. They get to drink in front
of the kids and not give a damn because it isn't their party, for once
they are the ones doing the crashing. They have cred because they know
the headline act, and they they get to tell the bouncer that 'they're
friends of the band'.

I'm willing to bet they will be respectfully quiet during the set but up
and dancing by the end of the night.

Some time later, when dad had finally made his way in after, presumably,
driving around for an hour looking for a safe place to park, the band
stopped tuning up, put down most of their drinks, and played music that
didn't actually suck.

They played a lot of old favorites from the R&B catalog and derivations
therein, including a deceptive funk version of 'all blues', which actually
works if you can keep it on the one, and you know what I'm talking about.
I saw the few strangers who didn't, and were expecting a sat night DJ and
house music, finish their drinks and leave.

Still, the band kept playing, there was an audience who cared, and fun was
had by all. Highlight of the night was when the singer thanked her
friends for showing up before one of the songs.

You just can't do better than someone in a breathy French voice saying
something from the heart and then banging out a version of 'Lady Marmalade'.

You know you're in another country when that happens.

Vive la difference