Clothes, clocks, climate and covers.

It's that miserable weather time of the year here in the UK and I'm pissed off with it.

I like the deep winter, when it can be cold and crisp and has been known to snow. It's great for photography and there's a certain romantic and Christmassy air to it.

But, this autumn stuff is getting me down. The colours are nice, I'll grant you that. If I didn't have a job, 2 bands and some family I'd try to get out and take some pictures of the gorgeous autumnal reds and browns that are everywhere. Leaves, trees, deer and foxes are all around me; I've got Richmond Park on one doorstep and Bushy Park on the other, even closer, doorstep. Sri Lankan friends come over and get photographically excited by the deer everywhere and stop and stare in amazement at the foxes. We just look at foxes with disdain, who wouldn't if they went through your rubbish every night?

Everything is in limbo. Clothes, clocks and climate are all unsure whether they should be in winter or summer mode. This morning, the first work day after the clocks went back, I woke up to sunlight.

On Saturday I was strolling around Kingston wearing a T shirt and sunglasses. On Sunday I made a fire at home and wore a jumper and an overcoat. ( I was boiling!). I took a stroll down to the river, it's about 5 minutes walk and can be quite picturesque. But I couldn't really get interested or photographically stimulated. I took a few shots of rivers, birds and the like then wandered home deeply dissatisfied.

Exactly a miniscule fraction of a nanosecond after I had turned my camera off and put the lens cap on I heard a roar and saw a gorgeous Ferrari convertible with its hood down speed past me.

Damn!

So home it was. To practice this fantastic set I've got to learn. I was contacted by a great local funk singer who asked me if I was interested in doing a gig with her. It's her first solo gig after Barflyz, her band, split up. The intention is to do the one gig and see how the various musicians get on to see what might happen after that. I said "yes", rather loudly and quickly and followed it with lots of very serious doubts about whether I'm a good enough drummer for the calibre of people and music involved. The doubts are still there but I figure that she wouldn't have asked me if I wasn't good enough and these challenges have to be met head on. Or not.

But she sent me the set and it's a kicking jazzy, funky and latinney piece of work. From Mas Que Nada by Sergio Mendes to Broken Dreams by Basement Jaxx to Glorybox by Portishead, it's all there and I've got to learn them and nail them. Some of the songs are technically hard and some are challenging in terms of feel but I'm enjoying the learning. There's a few, Superstition, Take your Mama that I already know, which is always handy.

On the subject of music can anyone tell me who won at the battle of the band thing in Colombo?

I can't find the answer anywhere.

And it looks lke the little covers band I had joined has now imploded. The usual musical differences and guitarists and singers egos have been hard at work.

I'll keep you posted.