Used to play celtic, swing & pop instrumentals in a duo called Paper Moon - acoustic guitars, penny whistles, recorders, small sound system and such.

Once, we're performing in a nice little country bar when these 2 jokers come in very drunk. We're halfway through the Star of County Down, and one of them asks loudly do we do any Black Sabbath. When we're done the tune, he asks again.

"Geez," I say (hoping to distract), "you should've been here an hour ago. Our whole first set was pretty much Black Sabbath, with a little Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden thrown in just to keep it interesting."

The guy's looking at me in a puzzled way and leaning off to one side, like he's personally channeling a special force of gravity that the rest of us haven't tapped into.

Our friend the bartender sez, "Hey, you guys missed some great metal in that first set."

The guy turns and looks at the bartender, and then turns slowly - with that careful imprecision of the drunk - and stares at me. Somewhere a tiny wheel is turning.

"Yeah, well, that's all right then." He says; big smile. "Sabbath kicks ass."

The two of them sit at the bar drinking beer while we continue with (I don't remember) tunes like I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, Of A' the Airts, Uzièko Kolo, etc.

A half-hour later, they lurch in the direction of the bar door. As they pass our set-up; the guy pulls a $5 bill out of his pocket and stuffs it in the jar.

"That's all right then." He says; big smile. "Sabbath kicks ass, Man."

- Merritt


"Only that day dawns to which we are awake." - H.D. Thoreau