I was in Albrighton, Shropshire over the weekend, the occasion being the fifth annual UKMG National. As usual, a lot of people got together to play a lot of guitar, while drinking a lot of beer and generally having a lot of fun. Our traditional venue, the Mabs Cross hotel in Wigan, is no longer available for functions, so we relocated to the Lea Manor in Albrighton.
It’s difficult to describe our UKMG Nationals to “outsiders” without sounding like some kind of freaky evangelist, but they really are special. I said it all last year, but it bears repeating. It’s a fantastic opportunity to catch up with friends and play music in a warm, appreciative and encouraging environment. Now, I certainly don’t need any encouragement to overstretch… er, challenge myself musically, but there are several people who have gained their first experience of playing live at Wigan (or notWigan, as we referred to this year’s event). It’s an interesting paradox… you’re playing in front of 50+ other guitarists, which ought to be terrifying, as they probably know exactly how each song is supposed to sound, but at the same time everyone is willing each other to do well, without a hint of egotism or competitiveness.
This year, I decided to push myself a bit. I wanted to have a blast through something from the first Van Halen album, so why not go for the jugular with “I’m the One”? I can’t remember whether it was Dave Barlow or me who suggested “Big Trouble” from Steve Vai’s stint with David Lee Roth, but that one also took some dedicated practice. Two other songs were complex, but quite comfortable to play in the end… Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne” (of course I just had to duplicate the classic Larry Carlton solo) and Frank Zappa’s “Peaches en Regalia”. Easier (but no less interesting) guitar parts came via Blur’s “Girls and Boys” and XTC’s “Sgt. Rock” and I even managed a bit of blues with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. I then allowed Jim Nugent to talk me into doing a couple of jazz tunes (Miles Davis’s classic “So What” and Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints”) at the last minute… I really regretted my lack of preparation, but it was still bloody good fun.
It’s all over now, though. Looks like I’ll have to find something else to think about until next November. In the meantime, there’s a few pictures on Flickr…