This is a bit of an extra because we went down to The Royal Oak to meet Kev and Al from Bristol Rocks to discuss how we are going to promote our upcoming Monday and Tuesday gig nights at The Fleece.

We chose the Royal Oak as the meeting point as it's about halfway, it's a nice pub with a real log fire and decent beer, plus there was a band on.

We took our new camera along as well so we could practice band shots in low light and maybe the band would like some if they turned out OK.

Sorry about the quality of the shots but we were doing all right for light until the barmaid turned off the bloody lights, so the band was playing in the dark. Don't like to use flash when a band is playing, so you get what you get.

Of course the band sees a camera, reads the flyers we've been handing around and assumes we're here for a review (a free pint would have been nice then BTW). Anyway, I turned my back for a moment and Chris agreed and has been nagging me ever since. So here we go.....

Dusk is a 5-piece no-nonsense straight-on ROCK covers band who obviously love what they do and are good at it. Good solid line-up with a couple of singers to choose from, and the obligatory flashy lead guitar for the solos (although maybe the hat and dark glasses was a bit over the top for a pub gig). Solid bass and drums and a rhythm guitarist who knows all the tricks of the trade.

They've obviously been there, done that and probably DESIGNED and HAND MADE the bloody T shirt.

Four of the band managed to cluster together in the corner although the landlord needs to pour water on that massive log fire a good couple of hours before the band arrives, otherwise they tend to slowly roast the drummer. Poor old Trevor was stuck out on his own stage left. Of course this also makes it difficult to get the whole band into one shot.

They started off with the usual rock standards, and whatever you might think about covers bands as a species ("stealing the bread from the mouths of the fresh new talent etc....") Chris and I were having a really good time.

So, we had a bit of Free ('All Right Now' and 'Wishing Well'), Some Led Zeppelin (Rock And Roll), Cream (White room) - I've got a special place in my heart for White room as it was the first bass line I was taught. Some Thin Lizzy (Dancing In The Moonlight), ZZ Top (Gimme All Your Lovin'), The Who (Substitute)....well you get the idea.

It all sounded uncannily like we remember and it was ACE.

Great vocals all the way except perhaps 'Sweet Child Of Mine' which really needs to be sung at the Axel Rose pitch. Lead vocal Steve sang the whole thing an octave lower, which didn't really work. Dave Smith was called in for the stuff in the higher registers, so maybe swap singers for that one?

We didn't dwell in the 70's all the way - Dusk did a superb rendition of Kaiser Chiefs 'I Predict A Riot'.

Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' was another ambitious attempt, bearing in mind THAT guitar solo in the middle - anyone who takes on guitar god Dave Gilmour head-on deserves some Kudos. Jon wimped out of that weird bit in the middle of the solo (you know the bit I mean), but you can't blame him and he managed everything else to perfection.

So, Dusk rocked The Royal Oak - reckon there was around 40 in the bar - which was pretty good for Chipping Sodbury on a Sunday. We checked out the pubs next door on the way in and they were virtually empty.

Kev&Chris@BristolBands.com