Blog

Today is Tuesday.

6th April 2010 | Juliet

We travelled after the show to Newcastle and woke up near the river overlooking the big silver building that glistens in the sun. Architectural marvels of the north.

Went to Viv Westwood’s and Tim got kitted out with Thai-style fisherman trews, black and tailored and funky; great staff.

Gig at Newcastle Academy, leek and potato with a few carrots in the mix. Got to get dinner over quick before the fans come in as the main bar is our dining room. Watched Unkle Bob, great support. Lots of space, banjo, bass. Newcastle audience were as joyful and patient with all the new stuff. Jim forgot how to play Shine. Larry says in almost 30 years of playing with him he’s never known Jimmy to have a mental block on a tune. Now back on the bus heading to Sheffield, back lounge full with Mark’s sound system, lots of big love tunes from the old days, singing along to Dusty, Roy Orbison, James Brown, Temptations, Doobie Brothers. Larry is editing his photo blog as we speak. Till later.

Newcastle Academy

6th April 2010 | Larry

Jules’ soupcheck

5th April 2010 | Juliet

So far we are in Edinburgh in this blog. We stayed at a mental asylum that had been done up into a posh hotel, it had a smoking bothy with a gas fire and leather arm chairs outside in the courtyard which made Larry very happy. Inside there was a whisky lounge which was a great venue to meet Billy Sloan, Scotland’s John Peel, to do the interview. Later at the gig a streaker rose up out of the crowd wearing just camouflage undies, surfing across peoples heads towards the stage, legs akimbo, thumbs up and a mad grin on his face, he looked very happy…Soup was tomato, spicy and fine. The first time playing the new songs, but started acoustically with Tim and Larry doing Sit Down.

We are back doing this tour bus thing. Zooming across the UK in the night. Listening to Mark’s iPod tunes blasting in the back lounge, drinking Rioja, and talking about sounds and space and things that happened in the gig, randomly eating baked potatoes heated up with mayonnaise and taco chips with salsa by Orla and Wilf, our on the road chefs. We have Thomas in charge this time, and I am giving out the sheets that tell us where we are, what day it is and what is happening when. Just given Larry his Thursday and yet it’s only Tuesday; this is because he is going away tomorrow. So if he doesn’t know what is happening Thursday, so be it.