Nutbush. The small town Tina Turner was from, and the name of the one and only song she ever wrote. I get odd looks when I know so much about Tina Turner being the young age that I am. But, then again it has been my job for the past 5 years: Being the drummer of your parent's professional Tina Turner tribute band, tends to leave certain pieces of trivia about the 69yr old iconic diva on your brain.

So, 5 years of gigs. 5 years of travelling around the country and playing every kind of venue you can think of (apart from Arenas or Stadiums, I'm pretty sure Tina has those covered herself), can give a person many stories to tell... The kinds of people you meet, both good and bad. The seemingly endless travel. The places you see from the wrong side of a van window; all of this makes up the glamorous lifestyle that is being in a professional tribute band.

People tend to think we all get paid an abnormally large amount of money to turn up to a venue, set up a small amp, play for an hour and then bugger off. I would love to bring one of these people to a gig. You spend around 2 - 3 hours in a van, where the Radio is your biggest source of entertainment. Arrive at the gig to set up a massive amount of gear, which can generally take up to two hours. Soundcheck (which can go amazingly wrong, and stress everyone out for the impending hour on stage). Then wait around, either fed or unfed depending on how hospitable the management are. Play the gig (the most fun part, no matter what the audience reaction). Tear down the gear. Get in the van, and then you can bugger off. All in all, over 12hours work.

Of course, this is a complete generalisation, and not all gigs turn out like this. But, this is a blog, and maybe the entries in the foreseeable future will bring many more tales of diversity in the way of gigging.