Quote - Banksie lives not too far from you, mate.  I ain't spoken to him for a while but we were frequent conversationalists, times back.  A nice, very funny guy.  He gave his blessing to our song, too.  Said the lyrics were brilliant, which was real praise.

Hey praise indeed if he liked your lyrics! Well... actually, I just happened upon a rendition of your tune there on Youtube and I'd be inclined to agree with him. Great stuff! :biggrin:

You got a band website or anything... or more recordings available to listen to?

Last band I played guitar in was about ten years ago now... however I actually joined a girl band, as their kind of "Dad Drummer", LOL, for a brief stint last year, before the wee boy came along, and temporarily at least, has put paid to me getting out enough to practice with a band... getting up on stage is a buzz I definitely really miss though. Hope to get back to it...

Despite Iain Banks living a stone's throw away from me I've never met him... or at least never to speak to. Actually I've passed him in the street, in Edinburgh, probably at least a couple of times over the years... least it looked a lot like him... didn't ever feel the occassion was right to introduce myself

"Use of Weapons" is, I'd say, still about my favourite Culture book... but probably only by the narrowest margin. I struggle to think of one of his sci fi that I didn't love reading.

I haven't gotten round to reading Song of Stone or Whit, I have to admit. Know what you mean about Canal Dreams... although I did enjoy it nonetheless when I read it, as I recall. He set a gold standard, in my view, with both The Wasp Factory and The Bridge which I think even he is hard pressed to live up to, in the Iain Banks work.

I guess the Iain M. Banks sci-fi work just, well, exists in its own universe...

My favourite Culture ship name is from, I think, "Matter" and is "Pure Big Mad Boat Man" :biggrin: