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| Posted By: Ronnie B Goode |
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Stoke 16th April
When you set off on tour there are always a few dates that are a bit, well... we're not sure if it's going to be a pleasent experience or not. Stoke was on that list because we had initial pre-sales of 30. Not a lot a seats in a big venue like the Vic halls. We had heard that the ticket sales had picked up by the time we got there, all we had to do was get there.
It only took us 3 hours to find the theatre, the roads in Stoke are a bit rediculous, even the locals that we asked for directions had "no f***ing idea how to get there by car" due to a strange one way system. But we got there in the end (after a detour around to the "New Vic Theatre") and a lot of stress. Was such a lovely afternoon too, and we spent it in the van.
The venue was a bit of a surprise for me too. Though others remember playing there a few years ago, I couldn't recall the venue or stage at all, but I was very pleasently surprised. What and excellent theatre it is. Lovely cool chick working on stage door, nicely decorated new building, good facilities in the dressing rooms, a separate green room for the emporium, a big stage, (sounded strange at soundcheck because of the echo, but it was fine for the show with some people to absorb the sound) and A BRILLIANT UP FOR IT AUDIENCE.
The bit that got me going was how enthisiastic the stokians were that turned up. There were a lot there, probably thanks to our friend Phil who had put up a lot of posters as it his local town. Right from the start it was clear that they were there to have a good time and ment that we had a great show. It was a strange brew of relief and surprise but a good one. Thanks to all of you who came and made it rock.
I have to share this little gem of aftershow excitement. While I was cooking up my dinner in the green room, the others were getting into a "Tour Quiz" with Sir Dagger asking the questions, with classics such as:
- What was the name of the cafe we ate at in Southend?
- What is the most easterly show we have done on the tour so far?
- What colour underwear was the sexy chick in the 4th row wearing in Hull?
It was a classic and there were big cheers for correct answers, teriffic stuff. There has been a strange outbreak of random noise making in the band as well. This is a real laugh. We all have silly sounds (animals, noises, or just yelling) and sometimes when they erupt together it sounds real strange. At stoke I nipped out for a quick smoke and I could hear the noise from out in the car park!! It sounded so funny, wicked. Perhaps you might hear our insanity one day, if we don't end up in padded rooms by the end of the tour!!
take care all.
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| Posted By: Ronnie B Goode |
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Bracknell Sat 12th April
At last a nice close drive for us West-Londoners. After an easy drive to the gig and getting set up I had first to deal with my broken ADA pre-amp. Luckily I had another at home that also didn't work so I managed to cobble the two together and get one good one. After an hour of mucking about under the bonnet with a soldering iron, it worked. Cheered me up no end to be back with the right guitar sounds.
After checking all my gear was working it was time for soundcheck. After running through our usual antics somehow we got onto ripping up Alanis Morisette songs featuring yours truly on very out of tune vocals. It was really funny, but nothing compared to the feeling that I had when a fan of the band e-mailed me and said that they had heard it all from out in the front of house cafe. Don't you hate it when the in joke gets out!! Very funny.
The gig was good, there was even a scrap during Sympathy which added to the vibe (not that we condone violence at all). The sound was quite good on stage and we all played pretty well.
After the show there is a quick escape so that we stand a chance of getting home before midnight and start to enjoy our days off. Nicky Popkiss nearly killed us on the way home due to lack of driving concentration (it is amazing how distacting deep musical conversation can be). But we made it home safe and sound and I was in bed with my nice cup of Carluccios Hot Chocolate before midnight.
Can't believe how excellent this weather is for our trip up North. Hope it continues and we get a summer this year.
Take care and enjoy the sun
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| Posted By: Nick Dagger |
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Gravesend Friday 4th APril
It's a beautiful day folks. Very nippy but very sunny. The bus picks me up at 11am and traveling today in the Bus are Nicky Popkiss, Ronnie and Bill. Gravesend is such a dour name for a place. Any place with the word grave included has that very sombre feel about it. I wonder whether it was a place where they buried a lot of the plague victims. We've been here many time before and it's not a bad place at all. It's an estuary town with a very industrious past and I find anyway near the river fascinating. The theatre is called Woodville Halls and is one of those early 60's buildings which haven't stood the test of time. Grey granite and very cubic. It reminds me of some of the Eastern block buildings I'd seen in East Germany before the wall came down.The dressing room quarters reside deep under ground and strongly resemble the subterranean detention rooms of Zwickau ( a town in East Germany where the communists would re-educate non believers. The Counterfeit Stones played there in 93 - post Wall ).
Poor old Ronnie after proudly setting up his field kitchen, found out that the drinking water tap was actually spouting water that contained a virus. It came out smelling like the local swimming pool and was alarmingly cloudy. We left him there to work out whether his poached eggs would now have to go the way of other greasy spoons and be fried.
After working out how to get out of the theatre's series of coded locked doors we finally emerged like three of the Great Escapees into fresh air and daylight. As the final coded lock door slammed behind us we ventured off into deepest Gravesend. Despite our earlier visits I couldn't think of a grazing patch that had impressed me and we steeled ourselves for either a long walk with no result or ending up in a Coffeerepublicstarbuckneros trying to get excitied about eating some cheese melted between a pair of odour eaters called panninis.
God loves us today. He hath lead us to a fine Italian Cafe ( Leonardos ) just five minutes walk from Stalag Woodville. My immediate impression was the sheer joy and happiness of the people that worked in there. I loved this place and I hadn't even looked at the menu yet. Three big mugs of tea came over very quickly and boy was it good. I had the veggie breakfast with poached eggs
( sorry Ronnie, You Can't Always Cook What You Want ). Bill had pasta and Nicky had er.....can't remember. All this well cooked food, cheerful smile and at a very reasonable price. Although we were talked into buying a coiuple of raffle tickets. It was worth it.
AFter lunch we found a music shop called " Music Bay " where I bought a harmonica and a Stones book and then went down to where the Tilbury ferry departs. A real bit of old Dickensian England. A block of new Riverside apartments looking down on a huge rusty barge and ferry station. I also found this very old Barbers SHop which has been there since 1851. It really is fascinating. The front window is full of old shaving mugs and other memorabilia for sale. The present owner is a bloke called Tom and his been there forty years. With a blue nylon coat covered in more stains than a tramp's underpants and a red beard he was more than happy to impart the history of the shop and the town. He sadly felt that Gravesend was dying. The loss of the docks was the first big blow and now he felt the system of precinct building was turning the place into a ghost town. Just up the road from the barbers there's a small covered market called Borough Market and I was drawn there by the sound of loudly played cockney party songs. It was coming from a CD stall and I managed to find three albums to buy. One was by an Irish artist called Joe Dolan who I'd written a song for, some twenty years ago. It was a number one in Ireland and a few other overseas territories and I was delighted to see it on the album. Just through the other side of the market there's a street with specialist shops. Vinyl records, old toys, sea fishing tackle etc. I had a quick gander then went for tea up near where we had lunch.
Sorted out my croaking voice with the various potions and the rubber mask and completed the sound check in record time.
An 8'clock show that went brilliantly and then met up with an old friend and his wife back stage. That is a little bonus on this job. A lot of old friends and colleagues that have moved on and away will often come after seeing the show advertised in the local press. Yes, it was a nice day in Gravesend.
Luv
Nick x
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| Posted By: Nick Dagger |
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Thursday 3rd April Tunbridge Wells
I suppose it's because I'm the gob of the band that I feel the responsibility to maintain the tour diary more than the others. I'm a few days behind and I note that dear old Ronnie has snuck in some gearspeak from Ludlow but I have a few observatons of the other gigs before that. Appologies for the delay but I refuse to shove my head in the bonnet of a computer when I'm actually on the road.
So off to Tunbridge Wells and it feels a bit scary today. There's been a dreaded cough/cold/bad throat lurgy going round and I know I got it from Charlie in Southend. I'd spent all day respectfully keeping my distance from him both in the bus and the dressing room allocation and then at the very end of the show for the line up and bow he's standing next to me with all his infected beads of sweat running on me. Anyway now I've got it but at least I don't have to wear the leper's bell because I'm the last in line. I'm a militant keep fitter and dose myself up on a regular basis with vitamins and a proper diet and I'm just hoping that this regime will see us through the next run of gigs. I think I scared a few people with my new inhaler mask. I bought it in Boots and you fill the base with boiling water and a few drops of your chosen oil and then attach this rubber mask to it and breath in deeply for about five minutes. I looked a bit like Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet inhaling Amyl Nitrate. Anyway it worked and cleared the pipes up quite nicely. I just hope I don't have to introduce it midway through the show.
Bill and I were the first to arrive and after hogging the best dressing rooms went out on our grub search. It has to be said that Tunbridge Wells aint exactly the Mecca of Cafedom. there's the usual run of franchise coffee shops but we like something with a bit of a personality. After nearly giving up we found a place called
"Delicious 2" WIth a menu boasting homemade Steak and Kidney Pie and other such goodies. Bill and marched in. The first thing I noticed was the vintage of the clientele. AT 18 you sometimes need to show your birth certificate to buy a drink. Here you'd need a death certificate to get served. The young girl serving, eyed us with surprise. There's a look about two starving men and after a couple of grunts and points we were cradling two heaped plates to the till manned by grinning
Rita.
I thought this lurgy thing I'd contracted was giving me slight dizzy spells but it became apparent that the whole building was slightly crooked and the floor sloped in various directions. Once we'd sat down you had the choice of chasing your plate across the table or defending your lap like a goal keeper. This place would be perfect for training astronauts to eat in weightlessness.
AT one minute past two this behemoth with short black hair burst out of the kitchen to turn the heater and lights off of the hot food display. SHe literally threw herself at it like a rugby forward. She was obviously trying to beat the approaching customer who'd unwittingly forgotten that ALL hot food finishes at 2pm in "Delicious 2" may be that's why it's called that. It should be called "Vicious 2" given the way this Cell Block H warden launched herself at the switch. It happens a lot in small town England and is the bane of any regular traveller. You cannot get a bit of hot grub after 2pm. You can blame the black out rule of the last war for the pub tradition of opening hours but for serving meals it's just bloody laziness. It doesn't happen Sur le Continent.
Wandered the shops and precinct and bought some CDs and a book and went back to the theatre for a kip. Had a short sound check and got ready for an 8pm show. WE had a very good turn out and up they got for Start Me Up. It was an excellent gig although for some reason we found the sound on stage very quiet. Freezing cold tonight but got home in good time and hit the sack about 1.30.
Luv, Nick xx
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| Posted By: Ronnie B Goode |
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We always look forward to playing at Ludlow since we did a gig in the castle about 4 years ago. Loads of interesting shops to peruse, a great cafe called Aragons and friendly staff at the theatre (especially Jess with the beautiful smiling eyes). It's a nice little gig but I was a bit put out because my guitar pre-amp had blown a transformer and I had to use a dinky Boss Overdrive pedal to get all my sounds. The ADA MP-1 is the pre-amp in question, they sound great but are hard to get parts for. Please e-mail me if any of you have one sitting around and would like to sell it! During the gig it all came together as usual and the sound was pretty good. Our tour manager bought down Matt Clifford who played keyboards with THE Stones on the Steel Wheels tour and is writing and producing with THE Mick Jagger. He's a nice guy and really enjoyed the show. He had seen us once before, a long time ago, and had noticed that the band had improved enormously in the last few years. The line up is very settled now and we all get on better than ever before, musically and as mates, and have a bloody good time. Touring is hard work but it is also a lot of fun, I have laughed until my gut was aching twice this tour already.
Before soundcheck we all hit the town for food and shopping. I usually cook for myself in the emporium, before heading to the town to shop for dinner and cd's or whatever other interesting stuff catches my eye. It is amazing how different towns can be, the ranges of supermarkets (and other shops) can really range in quality and quantity. Some places have only one small supermarket and others have the choice of kings. There is a great organics shop in Ludlow with a fab range of cheeses, olives, fresh veg, bread and other healthy food. We just noticed tonight that there was an amazing (scary) number ingredients in the chicken sandwich that Nikki had bought from Tesco, must have been 50 at least!! Scary stuff. As we say, touring is all about food. We are what we eat and who wants to be shit?
Take care
Ronnie
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| Posted By: Nick Dagger |
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Cliffs Pavillion is always described as being in Southend but it actually resides in a posh bit next door called Westcliffe. This has been our fourth visit to the Cliff's Pav and I've only just realised this because for the first time I took a walk to the main shopping centre. Yet another glorious day and after a brill lunch down at the Estuary Cafe I thought I'd go exploring. The others wanted to hole up in their dressing rooms and stick their heads into their lap tops. The ten minute walk along the cliff top road is a sheer delight. There are still some fine pieces of Victorian architecture in evidence and it's apparent that this was a very rich area in her reign. Some of the houses have wonderful old Empire names like Imperial Court and Imperial House and look quite Indian in influence. All this viewed in fantastic sunshine and just after the old Cliff Lift built in 1914 you get to .......oh dear ! Another bloody shopping precinct. Such a perfect juxtaposed example of a glorious past and a bland present. This was going to be a surgical quick strike shopping trip I wanted out of here as quick as possible. I browsed around a computer shop and chuckled at the patient efforts of a sales asistant explaining the virtues of a scanner to an elderly couple. The only scanner they were familiar with was the medical kind and they both looked a bit concerned that such a device was being heisted on them. Out the shop and the first thing I see is a pair of banana yellow stilletos worn by a woman sitting on a bench. We all know the white heels preferred by Essex girls but I hope yellow is a one off. Quickening my pace now, I hear the cackle of a pair of approaching teenage mothers pushing the results of an unprotected shag in a Ford Escort. Both much too big to be wearing the too tight jeans they'd been piped into. Quite why this particular breed of female feels it necessary to broadcast their conversation to everybody else in the street I do not know unless it's some sort of " estate " mating call.
I finally got in the queue in Marks and Sparks and whilst there a heard a perfect example of what is now called an estaury accent. " Them Fings Yeah. " What a wonderful misuse and abuse of the Queen's English and just a totter away from her statue looking out to sea.
Got back for the sound check and had a cup of tea in the theatre bar looking out on a fantastic sunset on the gleaming mud.
Some of my family are in tonight and so we'd better be good. The show went well and although the audience didn't take to their feet until " Miss You " they seemed to really enjoy the show. Had my post show shower although the theatre boasts baths as well. Very sweet but I couldn't step into something that may have had Lional Blair in it before.
Ta Ta,
Nick x
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| Posted By: Nick Dagger |
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While this weather stays as good as it is then any trip to the coast is going to be a bonus. We arrived in Eastbourne at 1pm and after grabbing the best dressing room Bill, Nicky and me marched off to the town centre for a cafe. On the way I was trying to solve one of life's great riddles and that is why Eastbourne is called Eastbourne. There are no other surrounding towns with compass tags and no centrally named " Bourne " as a reference. Why East when it is actually very nearly the most southern tip of England and just to prove my point on how wonderfully English it is to name these places such, we're in Southend on Monday which is absolutely East. There's no Northend or centrally named " End " there either. Maybe these naming trends are a coastal thing designed to confuse would be invaders.
The gig was fab. You can always judge an audience by it's smell and the perfumes and eau de colognes were very pleasing indeed. All in all a lovely theatre, lovely audience and a lovely day. The Italian ice cream cafe near the theatre is a real treat and if they could only redesign the shower in the ladies back stage bathroom it would be perfect. Why the shower is positioned at private parts level I don't know but I can guess.
I went into a coma listening to Bob Harris on the radio on the way home. I came round just as we landed in Chiswick with the strains of some track he was playing called, " Where have all the lions gone " Does anybody know this track and the singer ?
Ta ta Nick x
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| Posted By: Charlie Mott |
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The Palace Theatre, Redditch, has plenty of lightly decorative original features and had been refurbished to a high standard by the present owners [sounds like a bloody real estate guide- Ed]. Good facilities like running hot and cold water and all that jazz. Speaking of jazz, Buddy Morcelout is down town next week, check him out.
Bye.
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| Posted By: The Band |
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What a lovely place!
Itís so fresh and new and shiny. The drive down was hitch free and we got there quicker than expected. When we got there the rest of the band were in awe of the building work that had gone on there. A new scene dock had been constructed and so allowed the sound crew to load in the gear with the minimum of fuss. Apparently the previous had always been a nightmare for the load-ins as the entrance was a double door and didnít allow much to be moved in a quick time.
After dumping the gear the regulation feeding was upon us. And what a beauty of a cafÈ did we find. It was so good; Ronnie actually joined us instead of holing up in his room with his canteen. Obviously tired of the rabbit food he usually forces down his throat. The band were in awe of the cafÈ (I canít remember its name, sorry!) and I hope that the cafÈ diary is up and runnig so that you can see for yourself what a treat it was.
After gorging ourselves we then set about the town. It was very nice and had a generous helping of second hand shops, much to the bands delight.
The gig went as well as Iíve seen and we seem to be finding our routine now. The audience were in fine voice and kept up with us to the bitter end. Letís hope this is kept up for the rest of the tour.
Afterwards was very nice as the bar was kept open for us and there was a small party in honour of one of the patrons. His 70íth birthday and he didnít look a day over. So a few morsels were proffered to us and we gladly accepted (well I did and I know that Charlie wasnít far behind).
A lovely experience in a theatre that is run by volunteers and it has to be said that the show went smoother than in some of the ìprofessionalî venues we have played in.
So there you have it.
Nicky Popkiss.
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| Posted By: Keef Rickard |
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Well last night we rolled into Worthing for a nights fun and frolics. What a cavern that Assembly Hall is! Its like playing in Westminster Cathedral, something we can only imagine thank God, as I'm sure we won't be doing the General Synod's xmas party this year...
As to the gig itself an enthusiastic Worthing contingent made it worthwhile, although we had a couple of sickies in the band. Ronnie was just getting over a bit of a cold and poor old Bill had some sort of gut-busting bug. He was all over the shop (well the contents of his abdomen were..). Luckily he managed to stem the tide with various ointments and preparations and then turned in a great performance. Top.
This was also the first gig for Ronnies new pedal. What it does I'm not too sure but apparantly its beer, whiskey and fag-ash proof so that can't be a bad thing!!
See ya at the next corner in the road
Love Keef
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