She was dying for a mad night out, she said, so where was I going to take her? I know, I said. If they’re playing tonight, we’ll go and see Society Rocks, the most electrifying covers band I know. Their Facebook page said they were playing in Exmouth, 40 miles away. Society Rocks are a stubbornly local outfit, and I was surprised that they were venturing so far afield. I booked a B&B off Exmouth seafront and off we went.
The friendly receptionist at the Dolphin asked us what our plans were for the evening. ‘You haven’t come to see Jake Wood making a special appearance at the Fever Boutique nightclub, have you?’ she said. ‘Jake Wood?’ I said. She looked sorry for me. ‘Max Branning?’ she said. ‘The car dealer in EastEnders?’ No, we said, we’d come to see Society Rocks at the Park Hotel. She looked even more sorry for us. ‘The Park? There won’t be many in there tonight, unless the band has a following. Have they a following?’ ‘I’m afraid we’re it,’ I said. She gave us a tip. ‘The Fever Boutique is near the Park. If it’s dead at the Park, you can go and see Jake Wood.’ Here she looked left and right to see if anyone was listening, then hissed devoutly, ‘And he’s staying here!’
We took a cab to the Park hotel. As I leaned over to pay the driver, I could hear the band in full cry. What I expected to see when I walked through the door was a raucous rough house, four deep at the bar, with beer flying. What I saw was the band giving it everything they had to a huge and all but empty function room.
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