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Published: August 9th 2015
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Schmoozing, bluesing & cruising with those Darn Dangerous Binkleys Part 2: The Naked Hug. When I attend a blues gig I want to get down and dirty.
I want the music to crawl up my arms...wrap itself around my head and burrow in.
To scorch my skin...excite my soul...to approach love.
And when you get into emotions like love...you can be begging for heartache.
'Cause there's no such a thing as a free lunch...or that the artist will love you back for that matter.
There are groupies who follow musos...attending all their gigs...wanting to take fanoration to another level.
This is one such story...where I was the fan...and a bit of gall or is it balls in a spa pool...comes into it.
And like it or not...those Darn Dangerous Binkleys had something to do with it!!!
******
Meeting other blues cruisers...Ralph the Mayor of the Lido Deck...Derek requesting we channel all our energy through him.
Stephanie & Debbie who we met everyday...even put us back on track when we lost our group at Costa Maya.
Most have been Legendary Blues Cruising the Caribbean before...flashing how
Dancing & Dangerous
Photo courtesy D MJBinkley many like badges of honour.
Meet one who is on his thirteenth...the Aussie from north of my place on his second...the acupuncturist her sixth...nineteenth the most I meet.
Black grouper fish for me and scallops in bacon for Den...can't remember what Dave & MJ are having..."With my left eye jumping I don't know where to go" ringing in my ears...I'm swooning already.
Pretty quickly it becomes clear this is no ordinary cruise.
Never been anywhere before where everyone wants to meet everyone.
And all expressing delight we are "virgins"...first timers.
All promising the cruise "will change your lives"...MJ particularly skeptical.
All promising as virgins...we are gonna get laid!!!
Now I've only been on one cruise before...with three mates when we were about twenty...chasing like minded girls on the menu.
But with old rockers like on this blues cruise...no youngsters in sight...kinda wondering what'll be on the menu...for us to get laid tonight!!!
A sting of flowers placed around our necks..."Welcome. You have just been lei'ed".
Talk about a let down.
Time to start hunting...for all the hot blues in sight.
******
Kester Smith "Smitty",
Dancing & Smitty
Photo courtesy D MJBinkley Taj Mahal's West Indian drummer I recognised from a gig in Sydney.
Chatted cricket one time we met.
Asked me "Who was that Aussie opening batsman called Keith many years back?"
"Oh you mean Keith Stackpole?"
We were best mates on the ship after that.
Then there was Popa Chubby who blew us away at the Great Southern Blues Festival in Oz in 2013.
Had to say I was pleased to see him again in Fort Lauderdale...and I want a Hug Photo sometime.
"Cool", he says. "We'll do it on the ship."
Funny how the smallest thing can become a fixation...how the desire for a simple hug or a photo can become much much more.
******
Now on this ship if I was Mr Bloggs...no one would remember me.
But when you introduce yourself as Dancing Dave...well that's a different story.
Kinda cool when other cruisers and musos call out "Hey Dancing Dave."
Not an ego trip mind you.
Just a lot better than being "the Invisible Man."
And so Popa Chubby remembers me as the Aussie...the one called Dancing Dave!
Fanoration
Photo courtesy D MJBinkley ******
Don't remember whose idea it was but after we came back from touring the Costa Maya ruins in Mexico, Dave Binkley and I think it'll be pretty cool for us virgin first timers to show a bit of initiative and set a trend.
They had a Virgins Night, a Wig Night, a Mardi Gras Night, a Sea Creatures Night...photographers galore at each of these nights.
So we decide to have a "Dave Night."
Advertising by notices on all the lift lobbies for all Daves to meet one night at the back of the concert deck.
We figure there'd be heaps of Daves...well there probably were.
But with hand written signs how many would you expect?
The answer for us was five...yep five!!!
But no ordinary five...nah...not for the Legendary Blues Cruise's first ever...Dave Night.
Well there was me...that's Dancing Dave from Oz...Dangerous Dave Binkley from USA...Diesel Dave from Canada (who was running late)...another Dangerous Dave from England who kindly changed his name to Dapper Dave (as we already had a Dangerous Dave)...and Dynamite Dave Keyes, the keyboard player for Popa Chubby who came straight from a gig
How about now?
Photo courtesy D MJBinkley 'cause he said he would.
We even interrupt a gig in the Piano Bar which Dynamite Dave calls "a continuation of the Dave Party."
And of course there were the photographers.
And of course thereafter we have our groupies...but not just any groupies,
Nah.
We have the hottest groupies on the ship.
Thereafter our own Dave Binkley is known as Dangerous Dave...never seen without his cool blues hat...nor am I for that matter.
Everywhere we go Dangerous Dave is saying in his laconic drawl..."We're gettin' the band back together."
And wherever we go...yep...like rock stars...our groupies follow!!!
******
During Popa Chubby's first gig he welcomed those from far and wide...pointed to a guy from Norway...and to me all the way from Oz.
I had been raving about this guy and Dangerous Dave & MJ soon knew what I was talking about.
Popa is a huge man...the only thing meatier are his guitar licks.
And wow can he play...steam rising from his head...hot, hot, hot...I rate one of the best I've seen.
And at the end of the first gig he beckons me on stage..."Let's
And then
Photo courtesy D MJBinkley have that hug...photo that is!!!"
It was O.K. I thought...but I am not satisfied.
Funny how the smallest thing can become a fixation...how the desire for a simple hug or a photo can become much much more.
******
Days and nights pass.
Heaps of gigs...heaps of fabulous food...heaps more gigs...heaps more fabulous food.
So one night I had a bit of a break and lay in the dark next to the pool and just watched shooting stars go by.
Then I heard it.
Popa Chubby and his wife and a couple of friends cooling off in the pool.
Then they adjourned to the spa bath just near me.
But like in all jungle stories a hunter was nearby.
Dangerous Dave's Number One groupie...MJ is her name...emerges from the shadows...strips down to a onepiece...and hops into the spa bath with Popa Chubby!!!
Holy Moley.
I can't let MJ have all the fun.
No way Jose!!!
So I belt back to my cabin...whack on my swimmers...and I'm outta there.
Into that spa pool...'tween MJ & Popa Chubby!!!
I think there were five of
us...or it might have been seven...chatting American politics...so I felt a bit out of it.
But MJ was smiling...she was loving it.
Then Popa indicates it's time to go...rises like a behemoth...water pouring off his pale skin.
But a shark rises with him...moves in.
"Time for a proper hug Popa."
He smiles like only Popa can.
"Oooh...a naked hug," he exclaims.
And I just slide back into the water...potentially long enough to drown...only rising'cause there's still many more gigs to go.
As I rise...I catch MJ's eyes...smiling at me.
"So you got your hug Dancing One...and didn't it give Popa a surprise!!!"
Relax & Enjoy,
Dancing Dave
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RJT
Rachael
Dave night
You guys must've had a really fun time - I almost felt like I was there! It must be fun writing these blogs and reliving it again. I love the idea of "Dave Night"!