As Lisa Simpson said, when, after she was about to expose Jebadiah Springfield: "sometimes the myth is better left told than the truth."

And this is how I look upon the Moonshine Rock Bar in Scapa House. A tiny enclave tucked away inside a 500-bedroomed hotel for U.S. Navy servicemen, I can imagine no better/cooler venue in the world.

From what I can recall (or, am willing to admit), the only lighting the MRB had was ultra-violet; there were no beer taps, just cases; and a mannequin, placed behind a cage on-stage, served no apparent purpose other than to suffer the artistic (graffiti) feats of the bands that played there.

The Moonshine's toilets resembled CBGB's: itself a toilet. And, when another band had been booked into the neighbouring hall next door, gigs could often resemble the Run DMC-Aerosmith video for Walk This Way. Only this time it was Discrepency and Howlin' Gaels pretending to be Jam Master Jay and Steven Tyler. Now there's a thought not exactly worth harbouring.

I only every played there once - it was too much fun "swiping" other peoples' beer and hurling people (as well as abuse) in the direction of whatever incarnation of Jungle Logic and Stentching Mr. Stanley was onstage.

When they came to bulldoze the place, 'twas a sad day. Those mechanical dinosaurs - that'll be the JCB's - tore away at some great memories. If only they'd done it to the tune of Slayer's Seasons Of The Abyss... At 1000 Watts.

Moonshine Rock Bar - we hardly knew ye.


ps I hear a certain ex-Discrepency guitarist salvaged the Moonshine's Bar. Respec'.