10:00am Sunday and we’ve just woken up after what could be our last sample of the nightlife here in Austin, self proclaimed capital of live music. My ears are still ringing!

Last night four of us managed to listen to three good to mediocore bluesy rock bands as well has fit in a couple of games of pool between setting out from our hotel at 20:30 and bar closing time at 2am. Needless to say a quantity of alcohol was consumed but as the glasses are first filled with ice, as there is no control over the measures and once its diluted by coke or tonic there really isn’t a deal of rum or gin in the content. Oh and supper was from a bratworst (spelling?) stand.

Having read the music section of our guide book one of our foursome, Jason wanted to search out the 311 Club. We missed it on our first prowl down the street last night but having crossed the road found it was the place we’d already visited on at least two previous occasions! One of our favourite bands was on stage as always. Two elderly afro-caribbean gentlemen playing laconically anything the punters request, a mexican guy complete with droopy moustache on lead guitar and a middle aged female who really belts out rock classics all supported by a similarly aged drummer and a slightly younger tall bass player.

Last night was the first match for the Texas Longhorns and shortly after the event finished the bars turned burnt orange. It seemed everyone but us was wearing the team colour – t-shirts, shirts, blouses, dresses, even hair ties. The 311 Club was fairly empty when we first sat down at what we consider now to be our table. Turning round an hour or so later the place was packed, impossible to see the door. The dance floor in front of the stage soon filled up to and the ladies restroom was a place only the desperate visit. As the musicians played their way through a now familiar order of tunes it was time to go and try shuffleboard further along the road.

Both the shuffle board (a fifteen or twenty foot plank of wood, covered in sand with pucks like miniture curling stones) and darts were fully occupied by orange clad players so Kevin & I challenged Jason & Brian to a game of pool. Four people representing three different continents meant we first had to settle on the rules to play by! All too soon we were being asked to finish our game. It was time to go home to bed. Where did the evening go?