The Calamari code

A certain member of the band has long been readying himself (and his inner suburban home) for the glorious moment when the great chief squid descends to earth from the outer reaches of the cosmos. Being more circumspect, I always felt our eight-legged future overlords would first attempt to communicate with us from afar. While laid up of late, I've taken to tackling the cryptic crossword in my preferred quality broadsheet newspaper. The last couple of days, something weird appears to be happening.

On Monday, I squealed with delight at the clue for 10 across:
Beats me! Tip off? (5)
The answer, of course, is Tempi - one of Paddy's favourite words and a subject of considerable consternation on this blog at certain times during the past year.

I texted the clue to p-borg who, being the intellectual powerhouse of the band, diverted his attention for just a few moments from the enthralling final of the World Cup chess event in Siberia (where America's Gata Kamsky was towelling up his opponent with a neat twist on the Sicilian defence) to fire back the correct answer.

I thought nothing of it until this morning I clapped my eyes on 27 across:
Someone like you has sort of crimson liquor (7,6)
While Paddy mulled it over, courtesy of a timely facebook message from myself, I filled in the letters and gasped as I grasped the emerging secret communique. The answer, of course, is Kindred spirit.

Close fans of the ink would know that the band has only just reconvened after an injury-enforced layoff. For rehab-related reasons we have exchanged our regular digs at Richmond's Midian Studios for an (acoustically poor) room at Yarraville's Kindred Studios.

We met as Kindred spirits last week and tempi were fairly average (as was everything else, mind you). Methinks the grand squid emperor won't be coming down here until we offer up a considerably hotter brand of rock.

Will keep you posted on any new communications.