A musical interlude

I think I have worked out the fundamental difference between English people and American people...

American people dance.

The world can be easily divided into three types of people:
- Those who get up and dance.
- Those who hate dancing.
- And those who don't dance but get home and wish they had.

From what I can tell in my whole week on the West side of the Atlantic - most Americans fall into category one.

Well they certainly did last night when Adam, Bob's son, took us out to see two of his favourite local bands. The first bar we went to was just like the ones you see in the movies. They were waitresses who served beer to you at the table, bowls of nuts, sticky floors, and undesirable toilet sanitation. I was probably far too excited by all this than I should be. I mean, its like an American going into The Bell on Reigate High Street and getting excited by the curtains. But the whole place was just so....American. I loved it.

The band was amazing too. They were called the Greg Billings Band and, at the risk of sounding like a 14-year-old emo, you should really check them out on myspace. The lead singer, Greg Billings, was in a band that was apparently quite big in the eighties so they were all these groupies in the bar requesting their old favourites. And the moment the band began, people started dancing. In that brilliant don't-give-a-damn way. It was fantastic.

From what I can tell from two days in St Petersburg is that everyone is ridiculously laid back. Nobody seems to have any type of 'proper' job and if they do its only to make ends meet so they can indulge their passions. I met this incredible lady who cleans rich people's houses four hours a day then spends the rest of her spare time singing and making records. In the space of about five minutes I had also learned that she's recently lost about six stone, used to date the drummer and feels awkward about it, and then she tried to get me to beat up a girl in the toilets so she could steal her dress. Am beginning to really love that American-openess.

After about an hour we moved on to Ricky T's (again) to see another one of Adam's bands that was equally fantastic. It was only Wednesday but everyone was wasted. And from what I can tell by people's behaviour at the baseball game - everyone was wasted on Tuesday night as well. There's no 'oh no, I can only have the one, work tomorrow and all that....'. People in St Petersburg don't give a sh*t - and I love it for that.

So it was with a slightly heavy heart Rich and I left there this morning to explore the theme parks of Orlando. If anyone, during any point of reading this blog, has felt jealous that I'm here and you're not - then you're about to feel a whole lot better. I'm writing this from the most horrendously disgusting motel room that I think ever exists. The state of the place is a whole other blog in itself and I will bore you all with the slimy (literally) details another time.

But the Internet works (though its the only thing that does, I'm hunched over the only working lightbulb in the corner to write this) so I thought I would grant people's requests for more videos and give you a taste of yesterday's musical action.

So here it is. A low-quality video of the Greg Bilings band. Now please, lose the stiff upper lip, and dance around your study.

I'm off to put some socks on so I don't contract a disease from this carpet.

Lots of Love

Holly xxxx