It's official - the orkney blues festival is alive and well! It's now called the Orkney Blues Weekend, and I'm just back from an enjoyable couple of days with the After Hours Rhythm & Blues Revue. Playing in a ten piece band like After Hours can be chaotic, it can be depressing, but sometimes it all comes together and the world seems like a more pleasant place for a few hours....

So, whilst the patrons of the Ferry Inn (Friday 21st) and The Stromness Hotel (Saturday 22nd) might not agree, we thought we were in pretty good form. Our usual fair share of dody starts and dodgier endings (and few middles that left a wee bit to be desired) but by God you can't fault us for sheer dogged enthusiasm!

It makes life so much more bearable when you play in front of a crowd for whom listening to live music is not (a) a background distraction (b) a boring drone or (c) just a noise. It's also refreshing to have around you other bands and musicians who are genuinely keen to talk and share the craic.

We're only a 1.5 hour ferry ride away from Stromness, but when it's the end of September and the equinox is upon us, you need to take the rough with the smooth. The good ship Hamnavoe is a sturdier vessel than its much loved predecessor the St. Ola, but we still rolled like a drunk coming home from the pub as we crossed on Friday night. The lights of Stromness are a welcome sight to the seasick traveller.