Where Do Music Legends Go on Halloween? We Think We Know…

If Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, is the one night of the year when the departed can return to Earth, there is one question nobody seems to ask.

Where do they all go?

Back to their old haunts? Somewhere with unfinished business? Straight to the nearest party?

Here at Music Bits Company, we have a theory about the legendary musicians. And, judging by the ghostly queue outside our shop, word has got around.

One night only. No guest list required.

Picture the scene. It is Halloween in Alford. The High Street is quiet, the shop windows are glowing, and something rather unusual is happening outside number 17.

There is a queue.

Not for a sale. Not for concert tickets. And not because someone has finally found where all the missing guitar picks go.

This queue has beehive hair, tinted glasses, a sparkling glove and enough musical history to make the greatest festival line-up look a little underwhelming.

If you had one night back on Earth, surrounded by instruments and people who love music, where else would you want to be?

George has found the ukuleles

In our imaginary after-hours gathering, George Harrison is already inside, quietly admiring the ukuleles.

While everyone else is making an entrance, George seems quite content browsing the wall. There is always room for one more tune, one more chord and, apparently, one more ukulele.

We would offer to help, but he looks as though he knows what he is doing.

The guitar department is getting busy

Jimi Hendrix has drifted towards the electric guitars. We have a feeling that a perfectly ordinary sound check might become something considerably less ordinary.

Ace Frehley, meanwhile, has arrived looking as though the dress code specifically requested “intergalactic rock legend”. On Halloween, the Spaceman outfit hardly raises an eyebrow.

Between the two of them, we might need a few ground rules. Mainly: admire the guitars, enjoy yourselves, and please leave the ceiling where it is.

Some entrances need no introduction

Elvis is here. Of course he is.

Even as a softly glowing apparition, the white jumpsuit is difficult to miss. There is a friendly smile, a familiar pose, and the distinct impression that this little gathering could turn into a show at any moment.

Michael Jackson is not far behind. We are fairly sure the pavement outside was not designed as a dance floor, but nobody seems keen to interrupt.

For once, “that was a moving performance” might describe somebody travelling across the shop without appearing to take a step.

A voice for every corner of the party

Buddy Holly brings his unmistakable glasses and the sort of presence that makes you want to pick up a guitar and start a band.

Amy Winehouse arrives with that towering beehive and a look that suggests she will know immediately whether the music is any good.

Frank Sinatra, naturally, makes queueing outside a Lincolnshire music shop look like a black-tie engagement. If there is a best-dressed competition, the rest of us may as well stop trying.

And Ozzy Osbourne? He is here too, looking entirely at home at a party full of ghosts. We suspect Halloween might be the one evening when nobody tells him he looks a bit spooky.

The ultimate after-hours session

What would they play together? Who would take the first solo? And who would have the nerve to tell that line-up it was time to turn the volume down?

We are not volunteering.

Perhaps they would swap stories. Perhaps they would browse the instruments, compare notes and enjoy being around music again. Perhaps the greatest jam session never advertised would happen right here on Alford High Street.

It is a lovely thought: different generations, different sounds and very different wardrobes, all drawn to the same thing.

The music.

You do not have to be a legend to join us

Our ghostly visitors are, of course, a bit of Halloween make-believe, brought to life in our playful edited shop pictures. No supernatural sightings required.

But the welcome is real.

Whether you are picking up your first instrument, returning to an old favourite or simply having a browse, Music Bits Company is here for the living musicians too.

For our non-spectral visitors, there is no need to wait until Halloween to make a little music. Explore our classical guitars for a gentler soundtrack, browse our bass guitars to give the party some low-end rumble, or discover our guitar amplifiers when your playing needs a little more presence. And if your instrument has a habit of slipping away, our guitar straps can help keep it firmly in the land of the living. Beginners, seasoned players and curious browsers are all welcome, no haunting experience necessary.

Find us at 17 High Street, Alford, Lincolnshire, LN13 9DS, browse online at www.musicbits.co.uk, or call 01507 838 448.

And if you happen to pass the shop on Halloween and think you hear the greatest band in history warming up inside…

Well. We did warn you about the queue.