Life in the music business in February. Nu-soul diva Beverly Knight cancels her world tour of Dominic Street, Cork-based trio Bass Odyssey get drafted in to fill her spot in the Roisin Dubh, only to find ex-Stone Rose Mani and his mate, Phil, warming up the decks for them.
The "Bass", however, seem able to understand the quirky accidents of fate. Take Twilight, for instance, their second track on the night and a song which name-checks Wordsworth, Michael Carruth and the Cork City D.S. in its first verse. Or Poncherello - "dedicated to all the chip-heads" - a fond eulogy to Seventies children's TV.
The true nature of this Odyssey, though, is a drum 'n' bass odyssey. MC Strict, DJ Alan O'Keeffe and producer Graham Finn are complete and consummate converts to the cause. MC Strict's lyrics - tight, disciplined and intelligent - soar with a new-found confidence, while the more O'Keeffe and Finn strip things down the more melodious they get their groove. Thus did the crowd respond to Strict's repeated baritone cajoling to "give it up for the Bass" with ever-increasing glee.
As they finished their third encore with shouts of "more" ringing in their ears you could tell that these three know the truth of it all. The simple fact is they were never meant to be the stand-by act.