Jackroadkill

Man, what a gig to play! That's about my idea of heaven - decent rock music and Vulcans.

Weirdly I've just had my car's windscreen replaced, and the guy who did that was missing half a finger. There's a lot of it about, seemingly!

You're going to have to give me a clue there, I'm afraid! @Lozz196, the walk will happen (it has to, I've taken money in sponsorship!) but I'm going to have to adjust on the fly and go as soon as I can. If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to break it into two and do some of it, go for another appointment and then complete it afterwards. I'd rather not do it that way but options are limited.

Latest developments: I had an appointment at the trauma clinic on Tuesday. They didn't make me talk about my childhood but neither did they remove my stitches, so the earliest date for that to happen in now Tuesday of next week. There's still some uncertainty about the grey bit in the middle, but to my eyes it was smaller than it had been and less grim-looking. I've got a new dressing on and can flex the fingertip without too much difficulty, so that's good. The worst thing about all of this is that I wanted to start my sponsored walk on Saturday but this now can't happen until at the soonest Wednesday, and as I'm anticipating it taking me a week to complete it, time is running out. However, in much more positive news, I've played the bass this afternoon, badly and with three fingers, but I've played. Cheers, JRK

Oooooh, hello!!

I used to work at Paradiddles when I was at uni. Crazy times. Saw the Damned play at the White Horse, too.

Awww, no! In my day (1997-2000) it still called itself "Wycombe's Marquee" and had bands on every weekend. It still had the, ahem, exotic dancers on at luchtime. I don't suppose you remember Paradiddles Music Store on Castle Street?

So obviously we need a meet-up so that we can all shuffle our feet nervously and compare purchases, right?

You could hang around outside the White Horse and see if anyone needs a bass player!

Well, looks like I was wrong, eh? Still sometimes it's great to be wrong, so I'm glad you got the chance to let it rip a bit.

Shucks, no progressive vegetarian grindcore for you!

No, Mark, not too soon - might as well laugh as cry, eh?!

Well, there's an update: I went back to the hospital today and the clinic staff removed the dressing (eventually; it was caked in dried blood inside!) and cleaned it up so that a good look could be taken. One side of it is reattaching nicely; the other side less so. However, the consultant had a look and said that hopefully the good side will encourage the less-good side to behave and that I should come back in a week's time for another look. He hasn't ruled out me losing a big chunk of it but it does sound as if things are reasonably positive at the moment. I was advised to move the fingertip within the confines of the dressing (which was changed for a much smaller and less bulky version). I tried to take a picture of the wound but somehow just got the floor of the clinic, so you lot have escaped the gorefest this time. Cheers, JRK

Thanks very much, everyone. I was pretty down about it (the thought of not playing again rather than the injury itself) when I woke up this morning but I've given my head a talking to and am feeling a bit more positive now. Band practise is going ahead tonight (without bass) and we're going to figure out what we're going to do. I've got a follow-up appointment on Thursday where they'll assess the there's any likelihood of the stitching working and we'll go from there. Annoyingly I have a 111-mile sponsored walk coming up in the next couple of weeks and could do without this hanging over it. Still, as said above, where there's a will there's a way. Thanks for all the supportive comments (and horrifying war stories!) - they're making a boring day at home much more bearable. Cheers, Jack

Thanks all, I really appreciate your input. I'm a bit down (could just be the codeine wearing off!) but determined to keep positive and to recover to play again. I'm intending to go to rehearsal tomorrow night and work out with my bandmates what the best course of action is for us. Thus could take a while and I'd hate for it to mean the end of the band, so I'll do what it takes to ensure that we can continue, As much as I wouldn't like to miss out, I think they should perhaps get a dep in until I'm fully fit again. Until then I can always sing or dance around like a fool, I guess.

It may well come to that. Whether the finger heals or not I'm not taking this lying down; I will play my bass again.

Whilst pulling up a fence post today, I caught my finger between the post and the chain that was being used to remove it. One trip to A&E later and they've sewn it back on but there's every expectation that the repair will fail and I'll have no flesh left on that fingertip. The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital team that did the job were absolutely brilliant - I can't stress this enough. The efficiency and the skill that they worked with was humbling to watch. As it stands though, there's not much hope for the fingertip (which is being held on by 11 stitches): It looks like I'll be re-learning how to play bass when it has healed. Does anyone have any experience of an injury like this and the road back to playing? Thanks, JRK

That's a delicate way of putting it.

I did the same with my '66. It plays much more nicely without the metalwork.

I'll bet she doesn't; they're pretty misogynistic and utterly without artistic merit.

I'd like the '56 P, that's for sure. More than my pocket money will stretch to, I'm guessing.

We go straight from For Whom The Bell Tolls into Los Angles Is Burning and it goes down well. I didn't think it would, but sometimes it's nice to be wrong!

Was it JB's? That was a cracking venue back in the day.