Pic: Kev shows "Our Adam" how to play with his elbows

Date: Fri 28th March. Time: 9.30pm. Weather: Bloody awful!

When it rains on Brampton, it really rains, I mean in bucketloads. So you find a pub and stop in it, then order a taxi, get a kebab and go home.

Luckily The Grouse is a very popular place and those hardy souls who made the journey were in the right place for a brilliant night out. We love playing The Grouse, a nice intimate gig, good beer, great staff and we rocked it!

We're getting used to our 3 set format now and from the opening bars of "Ziggy Stardust" to the end of "Stick Together" we had a really good time, we even got "the singing barmaid" up along with some others to help us out with Mustang Sally (that girl can sing) - I do wonder where Sharon, the landlady, went when we were looking for volunteers... hmm

Again there was a broad range of people in the audience, the young townies (where did those 3 lovely ladies go?) having a few drinks before hitting the clubs, to The Grouse regulars who know good entertainment when they hear it and Rio 5 were well recieved by all.

I've added a few photos from Friday night to our mobile photoblog, simply use your mobile phone's web browser to search for "rio 5 eyemag" and scroll through our galleries.

Our next gig is Fri 25th April @ Brampton Manor, a new venue for us so we need a lot of helping hands to make it a success.

You know it's a good gig when...
You know it's a good gig when you're set up and sound-checked before people start arriving.
You know it's a good gig when you've got a great sound on-stage and off-stage
You know it's a good gig when you're swigging rose wine straight from the bottle (very nice it was too!)
You know it's a good gig when everyone gets dressed up in 70's gear and gets totally into the spirit of the event.
You know it's a good gig when you've got more lights, lasers and big smoke than U2.

So we all got changed into our 70s gear (Elton John on keyboards, Ozzy Osbourne on Vox etc) and set off into the first of 3 sets with Ziggy Stardust a rapturous reception, thats the beauty of playing in a proper village out in thesticks, everybody turns out for every charity gig and really enjoys themselves and raises loads of money, £460 last night at the last count.

Come the 2nd set, and a few more beers in everyone's bellies, and the party really got started, singing along, dancing, shouting and cheering (particularly during James' Sit Down, which is a 90's song kids, but who cares?) to songs from Joe Cocker, The Commitments and Free.

A quick change into our Blues Bros outfits (and didn't we all look smart) and on to a stage bathed in blue light, for Sweet Home Chicago and a rip-roaring last set, Delilah, Caroline and the legendary Team A v. Team B contest that is "Gimme Some Lovin'" (it was a draw).

I honestly cannot thank everyone enough for making last night an absolute success and one which will live in the memory for a very long time, Trish and the Eyam "Crazy Gang" for giving us the chance to return to The Mechanics, Jono Havenhand for doing an outstanding job on the lights and sound - it wouldn't have been the same without you, Gill for giving me a lift and making us all a packed lunch (she is too good to us), everyone who paid their money, turned up, bought raffle tickets and glow bracelets and made it. THANKYOU SOOOOO MUCH!

Photos from the night are on our myspace: www.myspace.com/rio5rock and also available as a download for your mobile phone, simply point your wap connection at wap.eyemags.com and search for "Rio 5"

3 sets? 3 SETS!

Yes Rio 5 are back on the road with their new-look show - new songs and a new 3-set format! Unveiled last night (1st March) at The County Hotel, Saltergate, Chesterfield.

From the opening power chords of Ziggy Stardust (by David Bowie) to the closing notes of Gimme Some Lovin' Rio 5 had the audience in the palm of their hands. It's been 10 weeks since their last fix of 70s Rock/Soul and we delivered the goods, we slipped one new song in - Leave Your Hat On by Joe Cocker (from The Full Monty film) which was very well recieved, luckily Dave Stone left his clothes on (shudder at the thought) but we left out 2 other new songs, you'll have to come to the next gig - NEW VENUE ALERT! - at Joplins Bar, Low Pavement, Chesterfield on Fri 14th March. It's the first time we've played here so we need many helping hands to turn out and help us make it a rousing sucess - we need to be supporting live music pubs to keep bands going and to keep the pub trade alive.

Check out the website: http://www.rio5.co.uk/ for the full list of gigs...

Right, I'm off now, got to sort out my Elton John outfit for Eyam Fundraiser, 8th March. Come back soon to see the pictures - it's going to be great!