Rod smiled, there was nowhere in the world that he would rather be than at a punk gig, in a small, genuine venue, in a small town. Some people would look to the great cities for the music that fired them up, but Rod knew that the music of his heart and soul was to be found in Swindon, Stourbridge, Bolton, Wakefield and in this case Reading. Places big enough that you have heard of them, but not so big that you would want to go there, but he did.
Being paid to write about the upcoming musical talent in the UK meant that Rod was paid to spend his time listening to demos and attending shows with the other twelve people who would show up, and working out who had real talent. Of course he loved it.
He threw his head back as the drummer started up and the double bass drums started to provide the backdrop to a formulaic, but brilliant, tune that was a sure-fire cult smash as far as Rod could tell. He had received their demo in the post and after his customary three listens he had made up his mind to see them live.