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THE PINK PRINCESS and BORAT……….
12th April 2010 | Juliet
Today is Monday… watching Borat on the bus.
On the way to Southend. Looking forward to some sea air. It’s a bit cloudy.
Yesterday went to Jamie’s Italian (here you can buy the books and other memorabilia, including napkins that look like glass cloths). There was no queue tonight. The puddings were good as was the organic red wine. Pumpkin risotto was a bit overdone, soup-like even, and the clam spaghetti had somehow mislaid all but four of its molluscs. Jamie, what’s going on? Where are you? Your kitchen needs you.
Larry has instructed less about food, so here’s what else happened on Day Off in Cambridge. The London people had gone home. But back in Cambridge there was a trip to Alice in Wonderland (Tim and Dave) and a walk round the bookshops of Cambridge by Jim. I went and got some Japanese acupuncture from Michael from Ely. He went for the Kidney Mu point. The sun shone all day.
Tour Manager Thomas used to tour manage Amy Winehouse. Now he’s got Mia and her family (including Saul) and deals with the big and small things that matter. Here’s an emergency that came through from London:
“Hi Juliet. Hope you are enjoying the day in Cambridge! Mia is really upset because we forgot her pink princess bag and plastic bag from Boots with pink nail varnish and make up products in the production office. Do you know if the crew or Thomas saw it and brought it? Love from us all. Ana xx” (Mia’s PA/Mother)
Thomas got it. Crisis over.
Driving along the seafront of Southend there’s the Las Vegas Grill, Circus Circus, Wimpy (retro or what) Sunspot Amusements, a fish ‘n noodle bar (?), and Kim’s Tattoos & Piercing… so much to do and see. There’s a big funfair out on the water, and the pier, and the Breakwater Café…there’s palm trees, the sea is grey..the sky is blue. Everyone is excited to see the sea.
Reunited with her pink princess bag, Mia and her entourage head for the sandy beach. James are doing a soundcheck. She kicks off her pink shoes and leaves them by the pink princess bag before running carefree towards the sea. A creative session of hectic sandcastle building ensues, before she returns to her P.A. for a wet wipe. With a busy evening ahead, Mia knows it’s important to keep her blood sugar levels up, so she leads the group towards Rossi’s ice cream and refreshment bar where she takes a few pink and white straws to play with while she waits for the lady to serve her a pink ice cream. She has it in the tub with the cornet upturned as a garnish. She heads back to the venue to listen to the soundcheck. She passes through security without needing to show her pass. She lost it somewhere a few gigs back. It doesn’t matter. Everyone knows her. Wearing Freddie’s lime green headphones… Enough of that, it’s time for a movie. She heads back to the tour bus where she takes over the whole of the back lounge reclining on the leather seats to watch Night At the Museum. It’s about monkeys and dinosaurs and she loves it.
Southend-on-Sea Cliffs Pavilion
12th April 2010 | Larry
It is Sunday and the sun is shining
11th April 2010 | Juliet
Cambridge.
It is Sunday and the sun is shining.
It’s Day Off day today.
Tim lost his virginity today in Cambridge… today he watched his first full episode, or thereabouts, of American Idol. “I’d previously snatched ten minutes and reacted to it in the way that Christopher Lee reacts to crucifixes, but this time I made myself watch the whole thing. I get the appeal, how you end up liking one or two of the contestants, identifying with them and then are drawn into the contest. But the impact that these shows have had upon the music culture is pretty appalling, as Simon Cowell said (ironically i keep calling him Simon Callow), ‘It’s a short cut to fame.’
“Making music to become famous is a pretty poor substititute for making music because you have to, because you have to express yourself, your place in the universe or you’ll go crazy. Obviously many people have made music with the motivation of becoming famous, but now it seems to be the only reason, and one that is justified and accepted by the culture. Simon Callow [sic] has done to music what Rupert Murdoch did to newspapers. ”
Now Tim and his mate Steve have gone off to walk round Cambridge and watch Alice in Wonderland…the sun is still shining.
Cambridge Corn Exchange
10th April 2010 | Larry
To Cambridge from the North
10th April 2010 | Juliet
Saturday’s day trip to Cambridge from the North. Mary Hopkins is singing, “Those were the days, my friend,” as breakfast happens; it’s early start today. Pink and white confetti on the drive. Early swim or last minute rush. We’re leaving at 10:00. Long drive to Cambridge.
Boaters and punting on the river as the big bus pulls into Cambridge and its gleaming spires. The sun is shining, as are the people. Cambridge Corn Exchange has a floor that isn’t sticky, perfect for a foxtrot. The McDonald’s is disguised as a bistro down a delightful street off the square… Jamie’s Italian is across the road. But catering has worked miracles again, starting with a carrot and ginger soup. A beetroot and orange salad with horseradish… And there is gnocchi or mussels etc. Chocolate mousse frenzy.
Soundcheck is done and it’s time to get ready. Jim and I take the fresh airs, a quick walk along the river. Bicycles come in “sit up and beg” upright style. We discuss how Cambridge square differs from Market street Manchester…compare and contrast….
Chippies ‘n takeaways
9th April 2010 | Juliet
Today is Friday. We are on the bus pulling into Preston, boarded up houses, chippies ‘n takeaways out the window. Just came in from Sheffield. Bit of snoozing, cups of tea and M&S snacks. They do a good pot of Greek salad.
Magically we have arrived an hour early. Soup is not ready so we are off to the hotel to check in and gather ourselves before soup and soundcheck. It’s mushroom. No wheat no dairy.
Unkle Bob did a fantastic set with their beautiful harmonies and clear sound. Chloe, the bass player, looked like a tango dancer tonight.
“Sit Down, take the weight off your brains,” said Mel, telling Larry to help with this blog…
- Larry’s long lost cousins turned up who he hasn’t seen for a long time which was nice..
- On the kicking ‘k’ of ‘comes’ in Laid, Larry felt in a cabaret mood and took to slinging his guitar on his hip and doing a new dance.
- There was an aftershow with loads of guests and party people from Manchester.
- Back at the hotel there were the last few songs of a wedding party. They were playing “Oh What A night” when I got back, but by 12.30 it had all gone quiet, much to Larry’s displeasure ‘cos he was in the mood for a hokey cokey.
The set changes every night. Tonight added Top of the World with the mirrorball taking its moment. Good spirits all round.
Preston Guild Hall
9th April 2010 | Larry
That was the beginning
8th April 2010 | Juliet
Sheffield soup was Minestrone.
The dance floor is so sticky its like someone washed it in golden syrup. Gig started in the balcony. Tim climbed off the edge and Larry got lost with his guitar in the crowd. In the end there was a little dance party in the small bar at the back with Larry and a few of the crowd. “I lost Tim,” said Larry. That was the beginning.
The set had less new songs tonight. Tim said, “It was the first of the gigs that fully landed. The first two were still discovering edges and solid ground and trying to get the balance between originality and playing what a lot of the audience want to hear. At the Sheffield gig I felt it fully come together, whereas in the first two we were discovering our way.”
Sheffield Academy
8th April 2010 | Larry
Alan Partridge, formica, and functional
7th April 2010 | Juliet
Wednesday is day off. Unfortunately the “boutique hotel” doesn’t have a gym so it’s a bit of a walk to workout. Breakfast scenes are a bit Alan Partridge, formica and functional. Scrambled eggs rubberising alongside pink sausages glistening under golden sun lamps. There are no dried apricots or grapefruit segments. More of a minimalist approach.
Larry missed breakfast and popped home to Manchester and had a big dinner with old friends. Tim went to the Peak District heading for the hills with his family up near Derwent. It was a beautiful day. Drum tech Nick went to the gym and after a workout ended up doing bindirobics, a form of Bollywood workout. (This sounds the most exciting.) Dave went shopping. Mark went to eat fantastic Indian food.
