I have been listening to Radio 2’s run down of the Nation’s Favourite Number Two singles (which I heard earlier today Ultravox’s ‘Vienna’ won somewhat spoiling the surprise); I’d voted for a-ha’s ‘Take On Me’ out of loyalty to my favourite boy band of the 80s, but I know I should really have voted for ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis.

I love music, but I’m not in the least bit musical myself – however I did once play in a band, but I only got that gig because it was my brother’s band and he needed me to drive him to it.

People actually paid to see us perform too.  It was at the Cornmarket Hall in Kettering.  We did a three song set consisting of ‘Sweet Jane’ by Velvet Underground, ‘Desire’ by U2 and I think ‘Mannish Boy’ by Muddy Waters – I seem to remember the last two were chosen because of their harmonica interludes, an instrument my brother had recently added to his repertoire.

The concert was called the ‘Red Cross Rave’ – how very 90s! – and it was a charity event.  The band was called The Boston Tea Party, named after a Typhoo tea towel which my Mother owned detailing major events in tea’s history (who’d have thought that was possible?!)  As I had also bought her a ‘Pig Breeds of the UK’ tea towel from a holiday in Norfolk we could well have been called Gloucestershire Oldspot, so let’s be thankful for small mercies.

The instrument I played?  The tambourine of course.  The adult musical equivalent of the triangle you played at primary school.  I just remember having to tap it in time with the music.  I seem to also remember that I decided it would look ‘cooler’ to whack it against my leg and I had bruises where I’d obviously done this too enthusiastically!

But at least I had a go.  That was the only time I ever performed in a band which is a relief for all I’m sure.  When I recently told my daughter about this she seemed reasonably impressed that her old Mum once played in a real band, at a real concert that people paid to attend.  I may have even become ‘cool’ in her eyes for a nanosecond until I revealed the full details!