Pusser
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Gigs You RememberWe have all done the odd gig or two that have special memories.
In April ’88 I took a small orchestra to the Garrick Club, at short notice, to play for a dinner in honour of the then retiring Lord Havers. We were given a plush room in which to change and take our refreshments then set up at the bottom of a huge staircase.
The Garrick Club seemed to have some special rules about their formal dinner routines so we were asked to play before dinner was announced, play the guests in to ‘Roast Beef’ and then cease. The doors to the dining room were closed and we were asked to retire to our room for refreshments while the guests had dinner. The most hospitable Steward would call us back in time for the ‘Loyal Toast,’ an invitation for me to take Port and to continue playing for the guests as they left the dining room.
These were our ‘refreshments:’
Clear Smoked Quail Soup
Fillet of Dover Sole
Chives and Caviar
Stuffed Roast Saddle of Lamb
Runner beans & Carrots
Jersey Royals
Rhubarb Mousse
Coffee
We also had a selection of wines:
Fino San Patricio
Chardonnay Vin de Pays D’oc 1986
Georges Duboeuf
Chateau du Piras 1975
1er Cotes de Bordeaux
Muscat de-Beaumes-de-Venise
Churchill’s Vintage Character.
In fact, apart from a table carrying a selection of cold beer, larger, spirits and soft drinks, we ate and drank as the guests did. With Silver Service too.
There was no published programme, lack of time, so we had the repertoire pack and just ploughed through it as the moment took us. For sure, before the dinner, we played the selection from The Mikado and Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael) amongst all the others.
After Port we continued to play while the guests did the ‘mill around’ bit or just stood and listened. A distinguished looking gentleman approached and said he had particularly enjoyed the selection from The Mikado and asked if we would be kind enough to play ‘Three Little Maids from School’ again. We did and this gentleman, joined by two colleagues, danced and sang to the music. The only things missing were costumes, makeup and scenery! Three High Court Judges – I was told.
The real high spot, though, was being asked by Sir Robin Day to once again play Stardust. He sang it with us!
Guys on the gig? I certainly remember Pete Scott and a young Richard Long.
We were held back playing for quite some time more than expected and left the Club with a bottle (or two) of Scotch and a ‘back hander’ of foldies – the result of a whip round/tip from the Club.
Good gig!
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RAB
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 ..Shame for you Pat..Some people just seemed to get all the green rubs.. 
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Co-admin
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Pat... it's a hard job but someone has to do it eh?
A gig like that seems to wipe out the memory of all the green rubs you've done. Then on the next green rub (curly sandwiches, cold coffee, warm beer, rain, no audience) you look back on the good gigs as a sort of buffer from what you are enduring.
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MrJpig
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Nice one Pat!
Just shows......It`s not all beer and skittles in the Royal Marines you know!! 
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