The Spark Behind the Groove – James’s Version (a.k.a. “How a Lay-By and Lindt Changed My Life”)

The infamous tiny stage we first performed on!

Lynsey is definitely the spark — which, by the laws of disco physics, makes me the groove. A title I’m absolutely happy to accept!

Honestly, I never expected that the gig I was depping on that Saturday would be any different from the usual routine: load the drums, hit the road, meet the team, do the show, pack up, go home, repeat. The glamorous life of a travelling musician, right?

The day we drove to Bangor started off exactly like that. I’d been asked to meet up with the backing singer and the guitarist to share the journey. I already knew the guitarist, but Lynsey was a complete mystery.

So there I was, parked in a lay-by on the A5, when a tiny VW Up rolled in. Out stepped Lynsey — and within seconds we were deep in conversation about Pink Floyd (thanks to my T-shirt). We kept chatting… and chatting… and after about twenty minutes, realised that John the guitarist had also “arrived” — just in a different lay-by down the road! We’d been too busy talking to notice. If that isn’t a sign of instant chemistry, I don’t know what is.

The rest of the day was just as brilliant. We laughed nonstop. The miniature stage, the dressing-room tent with no lights, the hilarious backstage chaos — everything was comedy gold. Lynsey even gave me some of her dinner, which in my world is basically a declaration of deep friendship.

What struck me most was how comfortable it felt. It was like I already knew her, even though we’d only just met. On the way back, Lynsey said, “I’ll add you on Facebook,” only to discover that — somehow — we were already friends. We’d never met, yet we were mysteriously connected. (Clearly the universe had pressed the “shuffle” button on fate.)

And then… chocolate entered the chat. We both love chocolate. Not just casually — passionately. We distinctly remember the Lindt conversation (refer to Lynsey’s blog for that adventure!). When she sent me a picture of her Lindt bar the next morning, we messaged all day. I got caught up with rehearsals for a few days before replying again properly, but once we started talking again, that was it. We just… never stopped.

Fast forward, and now here we are: travelling, performing, running our shows, building new ones, and laughing our way through life together.

Lynsey may be the spark — but together, we’re definitely the groove.