This week Anna Phoebe joins Roxy Music (we repeat: joins Roxy Music), expresses her opinion on Tweets, invites 50 strangers into her house and prepares to introduce Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson to her dog! Go here to read Anna’s previous columns.

Today (May 3) I failed to turn up to the Total Rock show – again! Naughty, naughty. Joel, the show host, replaced me with a random girl he ‘met’ through Twitter. His opinion is that following someone on Twitter gives a real in-depth insight to their personality and that after reading someone’s Tweets for about a month it is as if you ‘know’ them.

Now, I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I’ve decided that it seems an interesting enough theory to try out. So this Friday (May 7) we have ‘The Man Who Fell’ coming into the studio (www.twitter.com/themanwhofell).

I just find it bizarre that through one webpage you become  embroiled in someone’s stream of consciousness. He is a guy who seems to have no life other than his endless Tweets, (most of which I ignore) but his character I find fascinating, nonetheless. I don’t even know who this person is, or what his contribution to society is – but I am among the 4,494 people who know what he watches on TV, that he lives in London N19 and that he is currently testing out a bee-only diet. Who are these people?! ‘The Man Who Fell’ will be with us between 10am-12pm at www.totalrock.com. And if you’d like to follow me on Twitter, my page is www.twitter.com/annaphoebe.

So, I had some good news this week – I’ve been asked to join Roxy Music playing violin and keyboards for them for their string of dates over the summer. After auditioning for their musical director I got a call back to meet Bryan Ferry at his studio. In a room filled with pianos, synthesisers and keyboards, I got out my violin and played the solo from Out Of The Blue. I then played through a few classics like  Love Is The Drug, and then Out Of The Blue on keyboards before an impromptu recording session for one of his new tracks.

It’s always nerve wracking performing for someone who has had a glittering career  from before you were even born. Roxy Music is a band I grew up listening to – I remember being shocked at my parents’ vinyl copy of Country Life with the two semi-naked ladies on the front of it! I never imagined that, 20 years later, I’d be looking at the fine specimens of album artwork blown up in all their glory in Ferry’s studios.

The very next day I was standing behind three tiers of keyboards and synthesisers at my first rehearsal. I now have a little under a month to learn about 40 songs. which will be whittled down to the ultimate festival set. My columns for the foreseeable future may be a little short!

Apart from blasting out Roxy tunes on repeat (I’m sorry, neighbours!), last week I had about 50 people descend on my house on for a house gig. They’re organised by a truly great bunch of people (www.sofarsounds.com), who come and take over your living room, invite musicians and an audience and create a venue in the comfort of your own living room.

We started off in the garden and then squished into the front room – it  was quite bizarre having your house filled with people you have never  even met before, but luckily all the people invited are respectable beings – I think the worst thing that happened was someone trod in some undiscovered dogshit in the garden!

Speaking of dogs, today (May 4) Wallace The Dog is being taken to meet Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull); we’re heading out to the country to have lunch and introduce Wallace to Ian’s large animal collection. Hopefully he (Wallace, that is) will behave himself. You can go see Jethro Tull at the Royal Albert Hall on May 10, performing a special concert commemorating the 65^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Unfortunately, I won’t be there – I’ll be doing a final rehearsal for my solo gig at Camden’s Underworld on May 11. It’ll be the first time I’ll be playing with a full band line-up!! Tickets are available at www.stargreen.com/tour?tour=26258

Right. Got to go and rehearse.

Inspiration Track Of The Week:
Roxy Music Love Is The Drug

www.annaphoebe.com