Yes! Behold. Photographic evidence of the third ever gig of the 6 Music Band - the artists formerly known as Totalshambles and VCS Soundsystem, and this time known as many things, as we couldn't agree on a suitable name, including It Does Offend Us, Yeah!, A Load Of Old Pony Club, Fools, (sh)Abba, Tat For Lashes, The Future Heads Of Programming (a very funny in-joke), Irreverent And The Fakers etc. The line-up included Jim Simmons (vocals, keyboards, bandleader), Ian Painter (bass), Mike Hanson (guitar, vocals, bald spot seen in current George Lamb TV ad), Jude Adam (vocals), Nemone (vocals), Zoe Fletcher (vocals), me (drums, vocals), plus guests. Suited and booted, we were, this time.

I would say you had to be there, but since it was a private party, you couldn't have been really. As ever with 6 Music parties, actual presenters were thin on the ground (hats off to Jon Holmes, Julie Cullen, Matt Everett, Nemone and Tom Robinson for gracing the do with their presenterly presence), but despite grumbles, the key members of the station team - that is, the producers, broadcast assistants, studio managers etc. who do all the work - were out in merry-making force. This is the part of 6 Music I miss the most, and I was grateful to be part of it. (I actually mean that.) It would be nice to think that some of the spirit found in that basement on Friday seeps through onto the air.

I'm sure you'll indulge me a photo essay of the night (thanks to Jude for the pics - full set on flickr), which celebrated six years of 6 Music and took place below pavement level at the Albany in Central London, on a proper stage, and with proper "foldback" and two mics on my drums, which is a first. As ever, we were led, in a greatest hits set, by Mr Jim Simmons, who had hurt his hand, and to whom we owe our sporadic career and brief moments in the spotlight. Sadly, no Shaun Keaveny this time, nor Gideon Coe, who sent doctor's notes, but we were blessed with Tom Robinson - a professional musician, lest we forget, and the only one of us who's been portrayed on Ashes To Ashes - and super-saxophonist Tim Sanders from the Kick Horns, a true gent to grace us with his talents once again. The set, in no particular order, included:

Burn Baby Burn by Ash - first record ever played on the network, six years ago (vocals: unbelievably, me)
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (vocals: Tom)
Gimme Some Loving (vocals: Tom)
Folsom Prison Blues (vocals: Frank)
Knock On Wood (vocals: Tom)
Golden Skans (vocals: Jim)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (vocals: Zoe, in stick-on moustache)
I Predict A Riot (vocals: Tom)
War Baby (vocals: Tom, of course)
Kids In America (vocals: Jude)
Honky Tonk Women (vocals: Mike)
Lassoo by Duke Spirit (vocals: Zoe)
Rehab (vocals: Jude)
20th Century Boy (vocals: Jim)

On with the pics (avert your eyes if the sight of a hot drummer offends you):



It was a buzz and I've since had to become addicted to heroin and Quaaludes in order to come down. I'm not quite sure why I volunteered to sing one number, and it certainly removed me by the scruff of my jacket from my comfort zone, but here is evidence that I actually did it: