“I’ll let her know. Don’t worry. Not that she doesn’t have enough on her mind at the moment, what with the wedding and all that. We went to see Richard Thompson tonight.”

“Fantastic.”

“Tracy didn’t think so.”

“She’s got no taste. Remember when we were growing up, she used to like the Spice Girls? I’ll bet she doesn’t even listen to our albums.”

“I’m sure she does. When are you making the announcement?”

“Tomorrow. That’s Thursday here. We’ve got a press conference.”

“In Adelaide?”

“Why not? We’ve always been big in Australia.”

“No farewell tour?”

“Tonight’s our last gig here. We’re playing the Thebarton Theatre. The ‘Thebby,’ they call it here. It’s a great venue. We’ve got a few dates back home and we’ll honor those. I suppose you could call that a farewell tour, though it wasn’t planned that way. Maybe you can come and see us in Leeds or Gateshead. But after that . . .”

“Of course I’ll come and see you. Then what are your plans? Do you already have a production job to go to?”

“Not yet. But don’t worry about me. I’ve got enough to get by for a while. I’m going to drift around the studios for a month or so. Talk to a few people. See what’s available and what’ll work best for me.”

“Any idea where?”

“Not yet. Maybe LA. Maybe London. It just depends.”

“Any plans to come home for a while, other than for your final shows?”

“I’ll be over for Tracy’s wedding next month.”

“Excellent. Come down and stay for a few days. We’ll go walking up on Tetchley Fell. Pub lunches in Helmthorpe and Lyndgarth. And maybe in exchange, you can teach me a few guitar licks.”

“You’ve got a guitar?”

“Not yet. But I’ve decided I’m buying myself one for my birthday.”

“Good for you, Dad. And happy birthday.”

“Thanks. But I’ve still got a while left before I get my bus pass.”

Brian laughed. “OK. Well, I’d be happy to teach you a few chord progressions. And maybe even that odd folk tuning I learned from Martin Carthy.”

“Martin Carthy? When was that?”

“A while back. At your folk singer friend’s house. Penny Cartwright.”

“I remember,” said Banks. “But I didn’t know you’d been discussing guitar tunings.”

“Us professionals. What can I say?”

Banks laughed. “It’s a deal,” he said, then paused. “Are you sure everything’s OK?”

“I told you. Never better. We’ve got the day off tomorrow, after the press conference, and I’m off up to the Barossa Valley with Dennis, our bass player, to do a bit of wine tasting. He’s quite the expert. And before you start worrying, it’s all right. We’ve got a driver. I’ll bring you a bottle of Peter Lehmann’s. I know you like that.”

“Much appreciated. Well, as long as you’re sure.”

“It was time for a change, Dad. I’m happy the decision is made.”

“Well, good. Thanks for telling me. And the best of luck. See you soon.”