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Goodnight mirrorballs
17th April 2010 | Juliet
There’s a football on Jim’s top bunk. He won it this morning at Sky’s Soccer AM in a celebrity shoot out. I think Jim and Tim did an interview there as well as kicking a ball. Anyway as all these things it’s on Youtube: Jim’s penalty glory.
The rest of us had gathered in the foyer of a rather grand hotel that seemed like the set of a Jack Lemmon film. The kind of hotel where a lady in a fur coat cradling a chihuahua wouldn’t have looked out of place. A silver coaster appeared at breakfast to rest the bottle of water on. Very proper.
There had been a great aftershow and extended party the night before after the Albert Hall so there was general sleepiness as we set off just after 11am…
We picked up Tim and Jim from the Sky place somewhere, heading north.
It’s a long way to Liverpool. Time for sleeping. The 12-bunk sleeper bus is perfect for some shut eye. Pull the curtains and snooze the time away…..Getting in or out of a third storey top bunk requires minor gymnastic/mountaineering tactical moves, ideally the ability to do vertical standing splits.
‘How to Lose Friends and Influence People,’ a comedy, is on DVD in the back lounge. There’s a bit of snacking and footie-watching in the front lounge. Then we are there in Liverpool.
The pre-soundcheck soundcheck [sic] by some of the crew is taking place in the big hall at Liverpool. A sunny splash of Stevie Wonder and a bit of Led Zeppelin, and yes it’s Chloe from Unkle Bob on bass.
I’m making fresh pressed juice in the dressing room. Tim’s had a pint of carrot. “No Dave, don’t pour it yet, too much celery, more apples…” Add some last minute limes.
In catering there’s minestrone and the Saturday papers.
Band soundcheck.
There’s some filming, an interview with Tim and Larry on the brown leather sofa backstage and then it’s dinner and back to the hotel for a power nap. Then back to the venue, time for on-stage soundman to put the ears in, wires attached with stripper’s tape. Belt and a box. Hat runs on stage, red wine runs on stage, Larry’s camera runs on stage. Coat of many mirrors runs on side stage.
Larry and Tim go walkabout, starting the show with Sit Down. But nobody does. Larry appears stage left, plonks his black box into my hands, and disappears into the darkness; I pass it to Benny who passes it to Simon Soundman who lays it to rest next to the control panel. The show takes off . “The gig was fairly uneventful,” said Larry afterwards (wot no doing the splits on the barrier tonight?). The crowd were AMAZING…”
Tim pauses to tell the story of the coat of many mirrors. The original heavy black wool coat was left to Tim by his dad. Later a clairvoyant told him his deceased dad was wondering what happened to it. Realising the coat could be put to use, Tim got the coat fixed up with the many mirrors. The song to follow is Porcupine.
And then the gig is done and it’s all happening in the dressing room, which conveniently has access to a rooftop smoking area. Loads of people come in. All the band are there mingling and chatting, friends, family, fans. Unkle bob is there too. Ali, who organised composer Joe Duddell’s orchestra/James collaboration before Xmas, is there. The ‘glitter girls’, three women in themed silver glitter togs are there; first spotted outside the Albert Hall on the steps on Friday, they have got to the aftershow. One of them makes a cup of tea.
There is champagne, diet Coke, and a fridge full of cold ones. Crack open a bar of Green & Blacks, made for sharing. There’s a couple of fans who have done the whole tour, staying in hotels and seeing every gig. They seem very happy. Happy as Larry even who is grinning from ear to ear chatting away…
Meanwhile everything is packed away. The coat of many mirrors is covered in its black protective outercoat and hung in the flightcase wardrobe; black suede shoes rest beneath.
The whole stage is being dismantled by men in baggy trousers who appear from everywhere and work real fast at clearing the lot away. A truck outside gets everything shunted into it super fast. Lots of zooming heavy things on castors.
The mirrorballs have gone back to bed, wrapped and cushioned in flight cases. Tucked up. Goodnight.
Liverpool University Mountford Hall
17th April 2010 | Larry
Simon says
16th April 2010 | Juliet
LG: The next written blog is care of Simon Phillips, our keyboard tech and artanarchist/dj extraordinaire
I asked Simon to do Friday….he is the crewman who stands stage left and does things with keyboards, etc. I was too busy running round in circles (literally) through the corridors of this beautiful round building….
Over to Simon:
“I wanna go home.
Woke up in my bunk outside the Albert Hall at 9:30, which means I woke up too early. Bugger.
Don’t mind not sleeping, it just means I spend more time hanging around in catering annoying Orla and Wilf, grazing on food I shouldn’t be eating.
Feel like I’ve put on about 5kgs since the start of the tour.
After too much brekky and then eating scones with jam and cream, it’s time for me to do some work.
No such luck, more hanging around to be done.
I live just down the road, i could have nipped home and had a the luxury of a bath, spoze I should be used to that grubby tour feeling though.
Set up Mark’s gear and taped a mic to his new melodica, fixed a cable and a few other exciting bits and bobs.
Really looking forward to the show.
The Albert Hall is a funny venue, it’s round and acoustically rubbish but always a great gig.
To be honest last nights show will be hard to beat. Larry getting stuck on the crowd barrier and then his bezzy mate Tim (heartlessly) tacking the piss out of him was one of the many highlights on this tour.
I need to clean up and then polish mark’s melodica!
Hope you enjoy the show.”
London Royal Albert Hall
16th April 2010 | Larry
Heaven’s Chimney and no spicy food
15th April 2010 | Juliet
Thursday apparently. We wake up in Bristol at the Hotel du Vin.
The showers are like trying to stand under a waterfall, dynamic powershowers which won shower of the tour award. But now we have to switch hotels to another hotel in Bristol.
Tim has a sore throat. We go to see an acupuncturist to get some Chinese medicine, herbs and acupuncture. Dr Wu tells Tim to keep drinking loads of water and avoid spicy food and of course air-conditioning. All that singing in the BBC was a bit drying.
Tim gets needles put in the sides of his throat (ST9) and one in CV22, “Heaven’s Chimney” (at the base of the throat above the suprasternal notch), this one looks a bit scary. The chill out point yin tang is needled between the eyebrows as well as points on his wrist (Lung 7) and hand (“Great Eliminator”). An extra point near “Welcome Fragrance”, bitong, is used to clear the sinuses.
Tim is left to relax whilst the needles clear the Heat. Mr Wu thinks plenty of sleep is a good idea (if only). And Mr Wu makes up the herbs to go….
Now it’s the afternoon. Tim is asleep. Next it’s courgette and Parmesan soup and soundcheck.
So Bristol …they did the gig then came back for the encore. Tim said to the audience, “I never knew Bristol was so….. sexy. I always thought Bristol was cool and sophisticated.”
Then Ring the Bells…….
Bristol Colston Hall
15th April 2010 | Larry
“I tried to do the Paris Hilton…”
14th April 2010 | Juliet
We travelled after Tuesday’s Bournemouth show. The charismatic James Walsh (Mr Starsailor) did the supports at the seaside venues. Checked in at 2am to a hotel in London.
The missing coat of many mirrors has been found. This is a miracle as it has been missing and after following several leads has been delivered to the hotel, into my wardrobe. It’s a weighty object, and Tim tries it on for size after breakfast before it gets sent for a bit of mending.
Day Off turned into a very busy promo day in London. Stayed in a hotel near James Street. Day started with a rush to the BBC to play some songs and chat with Lauren Laverne. Tim, Jim and Larry and Saul – almost a one man band (doing drums, violin and guitar). A mini pared-down James.
Larry got papped by three journalists with big long lenses. “I tried to do the Paris Hilton half side-on pose but it didn’t work,” said Larry. “I think they thought I was Tim.”
Jim, Larry and Saul went for a pub lunch with Meredith who helped with the photos. Tim did some other interviews in Soho and then they all met up at the BBC with various regional programmes. Dale Winton, Alvin Stardust, and Mark Lamarr all said hello, and Tom Robinson popped his head round after Lauren Laverne had done her interview.
Early evening was an interview with Dermot O’Leary. Then it was back on the bus and a journey to Bristol, checked in to hotel late… meanwhile Andy went to see the Sun Ra Arkestra. There had been a soup deficit and everyone was very tired when we finally got settled in to another hotel this time in Bristol.
Day at the Beeb
14th April 2010 | Larry
Tea tray and cinder toffee
13th April 2010 | Juliet
Monday sweetcorn chowder made without cream, but with soya cream, so everyone was happy but they didn’t know why…
Tuesday woke up in Southend in a seaside hotel. We were given a variety of houses to share. Ours was a semi-detached converted into hotel rooms, complete with the tea tray and cinder toffee on a plate covered in cling film. Jim said it was great and had to put it in the bin to stop himself eating it.
We went for a walk on the Esplanade beside the sea picking up fossil-like shell things. Then it was time to go to Bournemouth (French onion with optional cheesed croutons). We listened to Sun Ra and his Arkestra singing and playing Disney, hi ho hi ho….its off to work we go…and pink elephants on parade.
Met two fans who travelled from St. Louis to see James. They are making the most of it and doing three shows while they are here. They must win the prize for the furthest travelled…
Bournemouth Academy
13th April 2010 | Larry
