Has it been almost two years since a Layers blog was published? Thought you’d escaped it forever? Tough luck, suckers: like shingles, Priti Patel or corduroy[1], some things insist on coming back whether you like them or not. Remember when we were all locked in our houses because of Covid, instead of because we couldn’t afford to go out any more or out of the fear of imminent thermonuclear war? Who’d have thought that we’d be looking back so fondly on 2020 so soon? Well, if the last few years have left you with a nagging sense of déjà-vu, spare a thought for the stalwart crew of the good-ship Layers[2], who, rowing against the tide at the best of times, find themselves peering from the crow’s nest in search of a drummer[3] once again.
Yes, as at the beginning of lockdown, we are once again bereft of someone to keep the beat, as the lovely Adam has been offered his dream job which, nightmarishly, is on the other side of the country.
Wait a minute, we hear you ask, who the (expletive deleted[4]) is Adam?
Adam signed on for a stint about a year ago, after a series of auditions that strained everyone’s patience and eardrums. With no disrespect to the other drummers who auditioned at that time, he was the first choice by a country mile and so we were as delighted when he agreed to join as we are despondent now to lose him.
Adam’s played a handful of gigs with us, including an unforgettable headline set at The Thunderbolt one evening that really got the whole crowd up and moving. He’s helped us to move along musically and come up with drum parts for a couple of brand-new songs. We managed to capture these parts just before he left and hope to be completing those recordings and sharing the results before too long[5]. More than that, he fit right in and went from being a stranger to one of the family in next to no time. His good-nature, work ethic (he learned the set so quickly) and talent mean that he’s left some big shoes to fill[6].
So join us in wishing Adam au revoir, bis denne and in bocco a lupo and, if you happen to know any good drummers, do point them our way.
Big love from The Layers.
[1] It’s not often that corduroy comes top of a list of things you’d prefer to have wrapped around your groin, but…
[2] Today’s do-it-yourself joke challenge: “bunch of oars”, “load of rowlocks” and “poop deck”. Have fun.
[3] And a less strained metaphor.
[4] We, of course, rarely delete our expletives. We assume that you, gentle reader, are more fucking polite.
[5] By Layers standards. Not only should you not hold your breath, feel free to sign up for a masters or start your memoirs.
[6] We’re not equating drummers and clowns. You’re doing that all by yourself.