Blog
As sweet as it is strange
2nd April 2011 | Larry
Our hard working crew were at the venue till 3am sorting out myriad problems including two hired amps literally blowing up when they plugged them in, and a knackered monitor desk. They are back at the site early to carry on sorting.
As we walk on stage all of us, the crew especially, are unsure if everything will work. Miraculously it all goes without a hitch and the gig is a dream to play. The Chilean crowd are with us all the way, even through the vagaries of Jam J and Stutter (which btw brings the house down), one hour and 15 minutes of pure pleasure culminating in an on stage Laid-fuelled dance party with lots of Chilean fans and friends. Life is as sweet as it is strange.
After the show we chill backstage till early evening then some go back to the hotel and some enjoy the later acts on the bill. Tim dashes off to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros straight after coming off stage, he must like them very much as he usually needs to recover from a gig, but I suppose we only played for a fraction of the time we are usually on stage.
Much much later, back at the rooftop bar with amazing views of the city, the private Lollapalooza party is in full swing. The drinks are flowing and our TM Thom turns into ‘Capt. Wobble’ as the Cosmopolitans he was imbibing hit his legs. It’s late now, very late, time for bed and another hungover day chilling by the pool tomorrow, groovy groundhog day.
Mojitos, pizza & smokes in Santiago
1st April 2011 | Larry
The leaving of Lima for Chile is a first class affair :-). Our crew, ecstatic at travelling business class, are overjoyed. Nick (drum tech) is so excited he plays endlessly with the electric reclining seat until it freezes in full recline and wont budge!!
The entire cabin crew try to return his seat to something approaching upright, but to no avail. He eats his meal, watches True Grit, and even lands in Chile fully reclined. He always was a bit laid back but this was ridiculous.
Immigration is a mixed affair as the US contingent are charged $120 to get in, whilst the Brits get in free :-). It turns out that the US charges Chileans to enter America, so Chile gets its own back by making them the exception when entering. They call it the ‘reciprocity rule’ but really it’s just two fingers up to the Yanks.
Santiago is a lot more together than Peru, it appears more European and advanced. The hotel is one of those swanky, funky, far-too-clever-for-its-own-good places that looks great but nothing works, you cant find the light switch and when you do, you notice a faint glow from behind a panel that only enhances the gloom. They are usually called ‘Designer’ hotels but believe me they have f*ck all to do with design.
The lobby is on the 4th floor and Saul has already left in disgust to find a ‘sensible’ hotel. I’m meeting Saul, Mark and Dave for dinner, we arrange to meet outside, and for the first time I encounter the maze of lifts in the place; whenever you enter them you can easily find that you have gone through some kind of time/space continuum where you arrive in a shopping mall/underground car park or gift shop. Wandering and lost, I hear Dave’s dulcet tones shouting my name, he’s lost as well!! We confer and compare notes and manage to find the entrance where the others wait patiently, bless em.
A fabulous Mojito and pizza fuelled meal ensues and normality is resumed. A lovely table underneath a canopy of foliage, and a great atmosphere where smokers aren’t banished to the pavement and EVERYONE is happy, chilled and satisfied.
Day off, Lima
31st March 2011 | Larry
A hungover day by the pool, setting the world to rights with Saul…
Explanada del Estadio Monumental, Lima, Perú
30th March 2011 | Larry
A festive Peruvian party
30th March 2011 | Larry
Long soundcheck as we dust off the cobwebs that have gathered since December and try out songs where we feel that Andy will be most missed, Frustration, Bells etc. The gig is a massive car park at the foot of the dustiest mountains we have ever seen, but tonight it promises to be a festive Peruvian party. (Note to self : Stay well away from the Pisco Sours!!)
Good Grief!! . . the set list is done before teatime!!
The setlist is changed, of course, the vibe at 4pm is different by 10pm. By the time we are due onstage, the vibe is right, we take the stage and it all falls into place.
The sound is a little clinical at first, somehow separate, missing the ‘sonic glue’ that holds it all together, but the Peruvian masses lift us. They are enthusiastic, listening, shouting and chanting, their energy pulls it out of us. Higher and higher we go until we hit Sometimes, the Peruvians experience, for the first time, an electric and emotional response from their brethren all singing as one, tears and emotion stream across the faces of the crowd. It’s very moving, but not as moving as Laid which sees the whole crowd move as one.
Tomorrow is a day off, thankfully as I’m a bit drunk now :-).
Trouble with a capital P
29th March 2011 | Larry
Ahh, Lima lovely Lima, my first time on the continent of South America; flying in over the monumental Andes, you can almost hear the pan pipes. Dinner is courtesy of the Minister of the Exterior whose representatives greet us with warmth, humour, good food and wine.
We are presented with personalised gifts from the Minister, Saul reciprocating by presenting his aides with a lovely commemorative Wills ‘n Kate cushion from Heathrow’s gaudy gift shop, they appreciated the humorous gesture.
The night kicks off traditionally with ‘Pisco Sours’, Peru’s most iconic cocktail. Under normal conditions this is a potent brew but on top of the long flight and jet lag it soon gets me in the mood for talking utter shite at the dinner table :-).
2 oz pisco brandy
1 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 egg white
1 dash Angostura® bitters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco_Sour
KLM captives and a poorly paw
28th March 2011 | Larry
The soup today was mushroom (sorry Jules, I couldn’t resist :-) courtesy of KLM, who were good enough to feed us for free after the Manchester party missed the only Lima flight out of Amsterdam, thanks to heavy fog at Ringway, oops!
The ever friendly Dutch people at the airport sorted out new flights, overnight hotel, food and a bag of emergency goodies including an XXL white tee that Jimmy proudly wore to dinner with the announcement that ‘spilling the mushroom soup down the front of his only travelling clothes wasn’t worth the risk’. The hotel waiter mockingly referred to us as the ‘KLM captives’ and brought us free beer and knickerbocker glories. Let’s hope we make it to Lima this time.
Andy has a poorly paw and won’t be joining us on this trip (big sigh . . awww!) bless him he has tried everything, he even considered having his plaster-cast removed for the flight and re-instated in Peru, but his doctors weren’t a happy bunch and the threat of deep vein thrombosis is considered too great, even with blood thinning injections. He is, in his own words, “pretty gutted not to be coming”.
Larry’s December 2010 Photos
27th March 2011 | Larry
Last game of the season, our cup final
18th December 2010 | Jim
To be honest it was a pretty stressful day. The was so much illness and injury in the James extended family it was hard to see a way through the days tight and demanding schedule.
The soundcheck was rushed and clunky as we tried to meet the requirements of a film crew, integrate a choir and get ourselves happy with our onstage sound. The VIPers gave us a brief respite from the panic and a blast of supportive warmth that raised our spirits better than a large glass of Granny’s eggnog.
The gig (such a small word for such a big event) gave us all an elephant-size dose of adrenaline and all pains were forgotten. We did what we do best – banged out big faves, educated with the new, got dark and threatening and put our all into the last game of the season, our cup final. We won 3-0 or thereabouts. Afterwards I got very drunk.
Big thanks to all our crew who made this happen and I hope the U.S. contingent made it home before Heathrow broke.
Also many thanks to The Pigeon Detectives and my newfound best buds Frazer King.
A chorus of funkin’ angels
18th December 2010 | Juliet
Tim is hoteled and shiatsued and sleeping. Next buy some Olbas oil for a steam inhalation. Holland and Barrett have run out. Boots never let us down and I grab some herbal throat lozenges just to cover all possibilities, and remarkably as I pass through tillward there is some wheat-free fresh chicken soup by Waitrose which is residing in Boots… Whatever next? Soon you will be able to buy flatpack furniture in Boots.
The nice man at the hotel heats the broth and sends it to the patient.
I meet Niamh for coffee and tea in the crushed velvet sofas downstairs and we regroup. It’s dark mid afternoon. Manchester looks magical round by the cathedral in the snow, lights and people in winter wonderland gear.
Tim is not eating much for a few days and feels very queasy….and feverish.
Questions from the audience come thick and fast. Where does Dave get his hat? Jim answers for him, “He found it on a bus in Wrexham.” What would make the world a better place? (paraphrased) Larry jumps in with an acute attack of Tourette’s symptoms (sic) to say “Ban @@###@@ religion” in his colourful expletive-expressive way. Tim stands stock still and silent during this bit.
The cameras are whirling round. There are big screens. Tim stops talking to rest his voice and throat which hurts..a lot.
When I find him later he is standing in front of a man who is tenderly holding his face with two hands. Oh sorry… It looked like the interlude of some deep snog, but no he was the doctor checking him out for swollen glands.
Soup is French onion. You can have it with beef stock (traditional) or vegetarian version which is in a smaller pan in the kitchen. White wine is used or the onions go pink said Wilf.
After attempting dinner Tim gets up and passes out in the corridor and before we know it there is the doctor again who has prescribed full-on steroids and antibiotics etc to get him through this fever. The fainting was caused by eating…low BP and blood rushing to the stomach etc.
Tonight there are both support acts Frazer King and Pigeon Detectives whipping up the atmosphere in the stadium.
The special thing about this gig is the 13,000-strong audience ….and then there’s the choir who add magnificently to Got The Shakes, Tell Her I Said So and Lookaway…a backline of funkin’ angels conducted by Joe Duddell, who also plays a mean tambourine.
Tim’s voice is holding up brilliantly and just now the band are officially part of the Finest range at Tescos.
The encore of Sometimes and Gold Mother has choir and full on audience stage invasion. An Xmas do with Chris’s supercharged dancing lights.
Mega aftershow that extends till the wee hours. Larry’s dad is there as are Saul’s folks and Jim’s huge family.
Help Cally sort and pack down the dressing rooms. Find shower gel and towels for those who need them. Why are they always in the wrong room?
Get back to my hotel, take off my pass and reach for my phone to switch it off…it’s gone…quiet liberation… Good night……
