OVERRULED

Since hanging out with the lovesick one a few weeks back, I've become much more aware of the ludicrous number of rules in existence in this city.
For instance, this long list outside 'Groove' - a small bar in the village, where we went to see a gig by Oli Rockberger a couple of evenings ago. It's amazing to me that 50 people managed to get in, given the criteria.
Has the hitherto harmles flip-flop now become some kind of gang-affiliated attire? (Parents note well - if your child absolutely refuses to part with their flip-flops, then the chances are they want to be recognised as a gang member.) And what, pray, is a head warp?

Oli has a very good voice and lots of potential. He also writes pretty good songs, give or take a few mini drivers gear changes (not nearly as bad as the truck driver's gear change). The end result is kind of the soul of Jamiroquai meets '80's pop (in a good way.....) with some jazz thrown into the mix. We were therefore convinced that Oli must have had a mis-spent youth at the Wag Club, until we realised that it had probably closed down before he was even born.
All in all, he's talented and I think he'll do well. And it's always good to hear the lovely Janek Gwizdala on bass, who is never anything less than totally committed and brilliant at what he's playing, even when only depping, as he was for this gig.

The whole gig was marred for me though on account of the following, which I felt moved to present as a list of rules.
1. If a bar is the size of my living room, the drummer should not need to be put behind a perspex sound screen, unless it is to dampen his volume rather than amplify it even more.
2. If the sound engineer has his fingers in his ears for the majority of the gig, then the gig is TOO LOUD.
3. If the audience have earplugs in and are still uncomfortable with the volume, then the gig is TOO LOUD and can cause head warp.......