Oh what a night!

The LD’s rock Plumstead’s One Day Café

We can quite understand why you wouldn’t want to turn out on a dark, cold October evening, especially to the depths of Plumstead, but, we’re sorry to say, you missed a cracker.

The gig was for the One Day Café, an enterprising group in Plumstead headed by Jane Fenton, that is trying to establish a community café/venue an area that’s full of artists, musicians, actors etc. but completely lacking in any decent venue or indeed café. Seeking council funding to secure a permanent venue, the One Day Café organisation has been putting on gigs in various Plumstead locations and Friday 16th October’s event was an imposing brick sh*thouse-like building nominally titled the Greenwich Rugby Club Pavilion. But with a little bit of TLC by Jane and her crew it was turned into one of the cosiest, intimate venues we’ve ever had the pleasure to play in. Attendance was very good too. So a very big thank-you to all the One Day Café-ists who turned out — not to mention a few Los Dawson ‘groupies’ (you know who you are!) and shame on you other Los Dawson-ists who couldn’t summon the courage to venture to Plumstead (and no, you don’t need a passport to leave Charlton!). Seriously, we really appreciate all your support.

Actually there was a bit of Blitz spirit to the evening. Ben was otherwise engaged so bass duties fell to our old buddy Nigel ‘Reggie’ Pierce who’d been working away leaning some 30 songs at very short notice. Paired with his old drumming partner Mark Walker, however, Reggie fitted like the proverbial glove. Handy too that he was playing an acoustic bass, not an upright double bass like Ben — the ‘stage’ was on the small side, barely room for Mark’s kit and our egos let alone Ben’s huge bass. And mid-way through our second set the power went off plunging the venue into darkness and muting our PA and amps. While the organisers hurriedly re-lit candles and ventured to find the problem, Mike serenaded the audience as only he can — the power came back on and we didn’t miss a beat. See, we said it was a special night.

So, a big thank-you to the One Day Café for putting us on. Their next gig is on 4th December (www.onedaycafe.org.uk) featuring the Steve Pringle Trio, a Greenwich-based trio of some of the UK's best up-and-come jazz musicians from Trinity College of Music.

If you want music in your area this is exactly the sort of event you should come along and support. We won’t be playing that one but some of us will definitely be propping up the bar — please join us!