"Let's do the show right here..."

Shopping is so often a disappointing and glum experience. That dreary plod round your favourite supermarket (this must be an oxymoron) to replenish the fridge, or the desperate search for sensible clothes at reasonable prices that don't make you feel like the sort of person you're afraid you're becoming. 

Yes, shopping is mostly a 'bad thing'.

...and yet, every so often there's a tiny glimmer of sanity.

I finally cracked a couple of days ago, and went to buy that mixing desk I mentioned on the previous posting. Having done all the research, I went along to the Stockport branch of Dawsons, to see what sort of deal I could get.

There's usually music playing in the shop; even if there isn't a customer torturing an innocent guitar, there is often a live concert DVD or album playing, to demonstrate bits of PA kit. This time, as I walked in, I could hear some bloke singing "Come together", from "Abbey Road".
I assumed it was a prospective purchaser trying out a microphone. Then I realised that he was one of the salesmen, and that the music that I had assumed was a karaoke backing track, was being provided by the rest of the shop staff, playing instruments from the displays.

There was one bloke pounding away on a Yamaha electronic drum kit, another squeezing out some lovely sounds from a Fender Telecaster and a guy playing a Fender Precision bass through a rather nice 100watt Ampeg Combo. It was a great demonstration of how real instruments, played by real people can sound.
You can find reasonable pub-rock bands on any Saturday evening in any town, but this was entirely unexpected. It also felt oddly subversive. When the shop door 'pinged', and another customer came in, I found myself thinking guiltily, "Oops, if that's the Area Manager, we're all going to get into trouble."

Their version Electric Six's "Gay Bar", was pretty convincing too, with bags of attitude and tongue buried firmly in cheek.

(Err... I'm not sure that the previous sentence reads terribly well. Oh well, the double entendre wardens can do their worst.)

So, a resoundingly successful afternoon shopping. I got the mixer I wanted at a very reasonable price and was treated to a blast of live music as a bonus.

Dawsons of Stockport, I salute you.