Perhaps it was a coincidence when I saw Howard Jones at the airport, but on reflection I now see it as some sort of sign: the singer songwriter from the 80's doing his stuff onstage (John Hackett) and the manic dancer prancing around beside him (yours truly). Perhaps a psychic message was being sent to me in the BA departure lounge at Heathrow as I waited for the flight to Newcastle; perhaps there is a place in today's market for another singer-songwriter; perhaps John Hackett is about to achieve global recognition and the royalties will come flooding in- and perhaps I'll be expected to dance in a cage at the side of the stage. Dream on!

I booked into a room at the Hilton with an impressive view of Tyne Bridge. Across the river, wedged between office blocks, I could see the back of the small club- well actually it was a pub- where John would be performing, assisted by local Geordie and musical genius, Tony Patterson. Perhaps this was yet another sign: I had unwittingly booked the only room in Newcastle with a view of the gig and it seemed that John's name was almost written in the dirt of my hotel window… hmmm… could be a good lyric there. Below, police were milling around preparing the area for a photo shoot for Naked City, featuring thousands of locals- all stark naked, of course. Another sign? Perhaps someone was telling me I should have packed my vest. I wonder now whether any of those naked participants had looked up at the third floor of the Hilton at around 5.30 in the morning and noticed a middle aged man at the window, staring out… eating a room service vegetable korma… deep in thought at the prospect of John forming a band.

Some months later here I am in the Fulham Road, ordering champagne and traipsing around numerous delis in search of snacks for the post rehearsals friends and family show at the Soundstage Studio in Park Royal, where the John Hackett Band have been rehearsing for several weeks. Things had gone far better than expected, although in truth I hadn't envisaged being catering officer and a Rigsby-esque B+B proprietor. Before all this I had no idea Tony Patterson has to have his boiled eggs just so, or that 'be prepared' Neil Marshall- John's powerhouse of a drummer- has a penchant for all things inflatable… well, mainly mattresses in fairness.

Tony, Neil and John do like a cooked breakfast (so rock and roll!) and feel terribly guilty about ringing my door bell in the small hours after a session in one of the local night clubs. But I'm not complaining, I'm just not quite getting the expected creative buzz out of all this at the moment. Fate has somehow conspired to make me - for years the arch ligger- the facilitator of other people's ligging. A cruel twist.

Thanks, Steve. The deeper we venture into this madness, the more I'm beginning to see- albeit in a miniscule way- the pressures you must have been under and what a distraction those non-musical issues can be. I cannot wait to get down to more song writing but there are emails to be sent, t-shirts to be designed, hotel arrangements to be made and eggs to boil… no small feat for a vegan! Was I meant to feel like this when we embarked on this antidote to mid-life crisis? But John and the band are on a high and the songs are sounding great…

I felt much better after the Charterhouse School show: less catering, I suppose. We had an audience comprising pupils from the school, parents, teachers and relations of the band- including Lord and Lady Hackett. Neil Marshall had set the gig up and had conjured a PA system and lighting. We had a crew, roadies and merchandise- an even an audience, although they probably hadn't heard most of the music before. John gave an impressive, polished performance and seemed at ease in his role as front man. Steve-ever the supportive big brother- joined the band for a few numbers, tearing into Ego and Id, leaving Andy Gray- a brilliant guitarist in his own right- a bit shell-shocked! The talented bassist, Andy Hyam, even seemed to be enjoying the proceedings.

Nick Magnus already has his Hexameron t-shirts back from the manufacturer and on sale on the merchandise stall, while I'm still waiting for the mock-ups to arrive and can't really decide on a design. I hope we'll have ours ready for the Sheffield show. And if they are ready, I hope someone actually buys one. Stressful.

Who knows where this will take us? My mate, Stephen (Unwin) Brown, recorded 'On The Shore', a seminal folk/rock album in the '70's with his band 'Trees' and now- some 35 years later- he's riding high, having been sampled on the title track of Gnarls Barkley's monster album, St Elsewhere. Last night I joined him on a foray to Notting Hill to thank the proprietor of the 'Minus Zero' record store who had recommended Trees to Danger Mouse, the super-hip producer and creative force behind the Gnarls Barkley phenomenon. I was straight in there, up to the counter telling the guy that my mate was outside and he wanted to come in to thank them for the recommendation and how his life had been changed and how cool it was that something recorded 35 years ago was now being played across the globe. Mid-flow, another friend whispered in my ear that I was in the wrong shop and that I was almost crushing a very small person in headphones who was level with my groin, listening to music at the counter. Embarrassed, I turned tail and left. However, we did eventually find the right shop and I managed to hand over a couple of copies of Checking Out of London… just in case there's any more sampling to be done on platinum albums. Apologies to Rough Trade who must have thought I was deranged- and to the chap at the counter whom I sincerely did not notice in my stampede to impress.

Life can be so strange. Damo Suzuki from Can, the brilliant German experimental band, was a huge hero of mine back in the loon infested '70's. Now there's a strong rumour he may be improvising on stage with a certain Sheffield based flautist. The same flautist who recorded an acclaimed rock album with no flute, sings lead vocals and plays mean licks on lead guitar… Whatever next?

Next: Sheffield Boardwalk. Songs for the new album. Genesis Convention. Is there anybody out there?