Tour Roundup Part1
What an amazing couple of weeks, it’s been out and about, I’ll try and keep this succinct.
We started out at Joiners on the 19th. Always a pleasure to go there – lovely people and a well looked after venue. Saw some of the tour regulars – keep your eye on flickr for the audience pics – I’m still working on those but Al De Man has some pics here. At this stage, we don’t like the van, but hey ho! Back to Georgie Miller’s for soul-food, sleep and playing with the pointy dogs. Ah, good times.
Friday the 20th sees us head off to The Talbot Inn, Chaddesley Corbett for the first of our “Living Room” Gigs. The first of our van shenanigans begins – my bag (with all my new clothes) makes a rather unceremonious departure from the van’s un-shut back doors (our fault this!). We arrive late, and bring in enough gear to fill the Hammersmith Apollo stage into a room the size of, well, a beautiful old pub room. We’re starting to get really good now. Si’s voice is a little wobbly so I’m keeping a close eye and ear and we’re singing a note each at points. Good for the brain this, keeps you on your musical toes. A long game of “Challenge Rich” is pretty successful I win 3.5 to 1.5, which equals two rounds of Cointreau garglers and a couple of pints each and we’re seguing from our songs into AC/DC – Born to Run, A-Ha – ABBA and back. {Hiccough}
Hilariously good fun this one – we may have had a shandy or two. Sadly, got woken up at 9-30am after 3 hours sleep by a lady cleaning the pub for the following day’s custom. She chose to do this by pouring a glass of water over my head. Same happened to Ed too. To be honest, I nearly swung my legs into her in a tripping up/kick to inflict pain manoeuvre thinking this was a band “Joke”. “How Funny” she must have thought. “You will never Cum” I thought.
After a rather troublesome pack-down, a well deserved (and gratefully received tea and toast breakfast we set off for two gigs – Soundcheck in Leeds first, then off to The Duchess, York for Acoustic gig supporting Chris Helme‘s “The Yards“… but first…
Van Blowout Number One – waited 2 and a half hours to get going. It took two RAC trucks, and a lot of elbow grease to get that bad-boy off. Ed had some stuff to attend to, in the woods, with some sitting down. [Cough – Ahem]
Back to Leeds for soundcheck for Nick’s party (whay don’t events and PA companys just read the spec?) and straight to York for the Yards album launch. One of the highlights of the tour for me was seeing Chris Helme et al doing their big 5 piece harmony warm-up. Beautiful that.
Back in the van – off to Leeds – hilarious party gig courtesy of the organisational skills of Claire T. Happy 21st to Nick and big up to the 6 people who made the human pyramid in front of the stage. Like 6 little drunk, male, English, cheerleaders they were. Bless ’em. Good to have the brass in again – “The Three Johns”
Notable mention for the oldest sweetshop in England and their gorgeous Bon-Bons and their not so gorgeous super sours. I’m salivating even thinking about them. Like a nasty little trick they are.
Sleep is for wimps and we’re straight off to the Blues Bar for our Mothers’ Day special. Gary Stewart’s set is beautiful and heartwarming, and well received by the H&S crowd. Must get those pics of him off my Mum.
Our set is punctuated by singalongs, Gary Stewart’s rendition of “You Can Call Me Al” in Red Red Rose, Kazoo solos, a box of SuperBock (thank you Simon&Sharon). Afterwards, we all take our respective mothers to tea. Betty’s for me and Ma Huxley.
Week one over – We’re having a lot of fun. Good old us. Now if only the world knew who we were…!