THE DOG’S BI-FOCALS

The ski resort of Soldeu El Tarter nestles at 1800m in the Pyrenees but Joe & I feel like we are crashing back down to Earth from much dizzier heights as we return home.

During the 1980’s this humble package holiday destination was a passionate and inspiring place for ski teachers to be. This was where we first learned to ski and eventually, to teach. Our friends were more than just charismatic instructors; they were romantics, adventurers, raconteurs….and musicians.

We had our very own rock band, “The Dogs Bollocks”. Back in the day most ski weeks would finish up with everyone, ski school and clients alike, piling into the Aspen Bar to listen to the resident band belt out a few Rock Classics. The “Dogs” had a varied line up over the years, with varied success but last weekend a few old fossils witnessed the reunion of the original and best lineup:

Front Man & Vocals: Robin Baker

Vocals & Rhythm Guitar: Joe (Jose Cerveza) Beer

Bass Guitar: Carole (Haddock) Eyre

Lead Guitar and Rock God: Rhodri (the Welshman) Judd

Drummer: Unfortunately a comprehensive worldwide search failed to unearth Rick the Taxi, so Jose was the only stand in – more of him later!

As we waited down at the Roc Hotel for them all to take the stage the air was electric with anticipation – would Robin and Joe remember all the words or be forced to blow the illusion by jamming on a pair of bifocals to read them half way through? Would Jose finish his shift as Chef at the Himalaya before we all felt the call of ovaltine and bed? Could Rhodri still stand up after a whole bottle of tequila?

We needn’t have worried, the band reckon it was a shaky start but that was completely lost on (or forgiven by) their fans who were too busy clicking away with the cameras and yelling their own versions of the words to be put off by a few dodgy guitar chords. Anyway we never loved them for being perfect, we loved them for being OURS.

This night they were as near perfect as they had ever been. They went from strength to strength as Rhodri’s fingers began to dance out dazzling chords and Jose threw in a couple of magical drum solos of his own. Robin & Joe belted out the old tunes like their lives depended on it and Carol took it all in her stride.

My personal highlight was Roadhouse Blues but I’m sure others would argue for Parisienne Walkways and who couldn’t get up and dance to Johnny B Goode!! It was all brilliant, not least because everyone was there for this and ovaltine be dammed, no one wanted to go home.

So we didn’t! After the Dog’s official set the current local musicians followed them onstage – Jude, Nicky Pas, Danny and Jose still on drums and we loved them because they were obviously in the moment just as much as we were – even more so as in the final stages of the night (or should I say the first stages of the following morning) all the musicians jammed together on stage. It was clear the early part of events had been for us, the audience, but now it was all about them and they were sucking every bit of marrow out of it!!

I have to make a special mention of Jose here. You have to be in love with life when you can come straight from your day-job to play and jam madly all night long, then regretfully leave at 6am the following morning in time to start a 7am shift on your day job again! What a guy! What a drummer! Couldn’t tell you about his cooking though (?)

So that was our weekend and if anyone out there started reading this blog in the expectation it was something about skiing or ski teaching, well it is and here’s why:

When you book an instructor don’t just ask him about his qualifications. Ask him who he learned to ski with (Joe says: Llorenz Giol the Spanish freestylist & Champ; photographer; Thomas the bouncing Czech ‘you have two skis –use them!’); where he likes to ski (Joe says: Run of the Gnomes, Land of the Giants, Cerveza Gully with a Parham Split) and maybe something random like what music he likes or what he eats. And when he answers, if you think you could fall a little bit in love with him, then you should book him again. But be careful, only fall a little bit in love, because unlike a puppy, an instructor is for fun, not for life.

PS Llorenz Giol (59) was still in the bar at 7am – Rock On!

lots of pix on Facebook and our website!!