On Wednesday, 10 October, Irene flew in to Malta. Just outside her hotel she noticed a man with a guitar on his back, and decided to approach him for information about possible open mics on the island. The man, called Charlie, wasn’t too optimistic, but he did know of the owner of a suchi restaurant in St Julian’s (a short bus ride away), who hosted jamming sessions on Wednesday nights.
The restaurant, Gochi, was surprisingly easy to find, and Miro (the owner) suggested Irene return after 9pm. Not many musicians turned up, but Miro and Hishi (a young bass player) and Irene managed to have a go, playing some of the Two Doors Down songs. Hishi particularly enjoyed ‘Mr Spitz’, about Mark Spitz, and his seven gold medals – especially the “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” at the end of the song (the other verses only have 5 yeah’s).
below: Irene, Hishi and Miro in front of the music alcove at Gochi’s
above: Hishi and Miro with their instruments