Blog
Newcastle…small room big ironing board
15th April 2013 | Juliet
The venue at Newcastle is a bit squashy backstage, dinner at the back of the hall. Soup was spiced lentil and veg.
The VIP passes have arrived, and in the corridor they are hooked up to their lanyards. Kerry has sent them on to the 80 VIPs from Glasgow already.
Tim’s wedges gave him a much better sound to work with. An aftershow on the balcony bar. Dave’s mate Geoff the DJ was there being extra exuberant.
To sum up, “the dressing room was very small. The ironing board was very big,” says Jim.
Glasgow S.E.C.C.
13th April 2013 | Larry
Enough top bunks for all who want one
13th April 2013 | Juliet
Glasgow is not far down the road, but the one way system meant a long scenic taxi ride round Stirling to the tour bus parked up by the Albert Halls. It’s spacious, and enough top bunks for all who want one. We get to the SECC for soup. Wilf and Alex are cooking for us again. It’s spicy tomato today.
Then a lot has to happen in not enough time. Sound checks, run throughs, choir checks, VIP sound check bit, and questions and answers from the 80 VIPs. The laminates got delayed but they are coming (soon)…
The SECC is enormous. 7000 people. Lots going on. Tim said he was being deafened and had a strong urge to run off stage. (He didn’t.) The choir did their thing for a run of songs.
Big aftershow many familiar faces-Saul’s mates as he lived up this way for a while. Oh and here is Dean who used to be Tim’s minder. He is tour managing Echo and the Bunnymen.
Back to hotel for a snooze.
Tolbooth, Stirling
12th April 2013 | Larry
A Stirling performance
12th April 2013 | Juliet
The band have been writing some new songs and living in a house together for a few days using the Tolbooth as HQ.
My day started at 6. Train was packed with commuters to Bury and long distance to Edinburgh. The man with the cold across the aisle sniffed heartily and wiped a lot. Moved up a few carriages and watched the rolling lake district appear, heading north. Never take a cold into a tour.
Soup was Mexican bean with lime juice, made by the man at the café across the way.
There is a lovely castle in Stirling-a fine Scottish town. There is a bagpipe shop across the road.
The Tolbooth space is for 200. Sold out packed out. Some new songs played. Audience right up close. All good.
Stockton Weekender, County Durham
5th August 2012 | Larry
Last awayday this year
5th August 2012 | Larry
Stockton, our last awayday for this year :-( . . .
Backstage is Dave’s mate DJ Jazzy Jeff, larger than life itself, charmin’ as a darlin’, loud ‘n’ proud (esp. his shirts :-) ), his chat contains more bull than a steak ‘n’ ale pie!! He is holding court whilst elsewhere a rather drunken Dave Brown and the very sweet Filipa from Portugal swap fan tales.
Earlier in the day Mr. Hunter and I wander into the center of Stockton to find some food, we end up having a Mexican takeaway in the nearby park, sat in deck chairs watching the Olympics on a giant TV screen, like a HUGE tv dinner in a tree-filled living room.
This gig brings to a close a lovely summer of small festivals that have won us all over with their friendliness and warmth, Kendal was especially memorable for me.
Thanks to everyone who came along to see us and to all the folks who followed ‘@Larryontour‘ on Twitter.
See you all soon.
Kendal Calling, Cumbria
29th July 2012 | Larry
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
29th July 2012 | Juliet
The bus glides north. Bunk next to back lounge—mistake. Head by TV speaker. Awake till four in the bolt upright club. Then a banging downstairs. Veer down to kitchen. Toaster hanging by lead off side of fridge, hitting side of cupboard. Unplug. Rescue two bottles of red wine opened and about to slide off the edge. Go back to bunk. Fall asleep for four hours. Wake parked up in a field.
Crew disembarking. Join early doors breakfast with some Inspiral Carpets. Vegetarian sausages and white bun with ketchup sachet and Graham’s got his own soya milk…
We are in the deer park. It’s drizzly. It’s beautiful. It’s green. It’s the Lake District.
Time to wake up for soundcheck. This is done and dusted. Some of the festival campers are up and about. Then there is nothing to do but chill, or so we thought.
Matt, our forever–cheery tour manager says, “I’ve got a job for you.” The task: organise seven genuine no-messing signatures on about 51,000 sleeves for the boxed set. It’s a bit drizzly outside and Jim, Dave, Mark and Andy set to it. Andy’s trumpet-sketch paw print makes for a slow sign but it’s getting done. The other three join in halfway and finally they are all done. Lots of coffee is served, treading and placing with Mrs. Overall precision. There are piles of precious half signed cards on every surface of the bus. Finally it’s done. Packed and checked, signed sealed and delivered to James HQ tomorrow.
The sun comes out.
We find Mexican food out in the field and a gingerbread house where children can paint. It’s a lovely festival vibe and Larry is out and about in the woods and forest with his extended family…
Tim is writing lyrics for Jam J….what rhymes with ‘eyes’….? Geoff Buckley suggests ‘pies’.
And then the show. Tim thinks it would be good to start from Teddy Bears’ Picnic (lifted from his iPhone collection). Shabby sorts it.
It’s getting late and cooler now. Tim’s new Toy Story soldier jacket is picked and off they go.
Saul’s set list rises from the picnicking bears with a clarion call Born of Frustration, and it’s plain sailing from there.
Jam J was happening. The crowd were out there.
Then four red guitars to sign for charity. No bother. There was a load out. There were burritos for the crew (no pizza for miles).
And off went the big pink bus south….
Sound Island Festival, Kent
28th July 2012 | Larry
