Summertime, and the living is easy. Fish are jumping somewhere and the cotton is I’m sure being farmed and turned into a nice pullover.

But for now, summer’s about finding a long lawn upon which to play bocci. Enter Sex With Strangers and Guilty About Girls.

See, these Vancouverite robot rockers have been making a habit of getting their balls out after a rehearsal. And this time, the BackstageRider was invited. There were green balls and red balls. Two teams: 4M (Mark-Mark-Mikala-Mike) and DoubleDanBobCor (Dan-Dan-Bobby-Cory). Otherwise known as Hatch Benedict, Mark Henning from Guilty About Girls/Combine The Victorious, The BackstageRider and Magnus Magnum) vs. Dallas Archangel, Non-Band Dan, Isabelle “Bobby” Dunlop and Wedge Beavers. You know…them.

Here’s what transpired:

First, everybody gots to get a drink. The default drink of the summer in the UK is Pimm’s, so why not in Vancouver? It seems fitting if you’re gonna be chucking miniature deathstars around a lawn. Wedge (in red) insists that one’s throwing improves if one holds a drink in the other hand. Not sure.

Hatch throws out the first ball. He’s a champion first-ball thrower. Anyone can see that.

Note the elegance and the positioning as Wedge takes his shot. It’s a beaut. A BEAUT! It comes close to the others, but who’s closest? Quick! Despatch Bobby to determine who’s in the lead!

Bobby has a habit, it seems, of estimating that her team’s balls are always closest. This won’t do.

There are jeers and arguments. Wedge, several Pimm’s to the wind, is insistant that his BocciMate is correct in her highly scientific estimation. We yell louder. (And actually play better and win!)

THREE CHEERS FOR 4M!

Happy summer, y’all.

Oh and by the way, Sex With Strangers are currently recording some demos to the follow-up of the fabulous album Tokyo Steel. Apparently the first seven tracks have been labelled “Death Funk”. Check out theirs and Guilty About Girls’ MySpace pages (linked above) for gigs and news. \m/