Saturday July 31st

Six and a half weeks. Twenty five shows. Five thousand miles or more driven up and down the highways of the UK.
I wouldn't have missed it for the world. There was a distinct possibility that I might have done. Soon after last year's tour I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocitic Leukaemia and I was to have six courses of chemotherapy over six months. In the event I had a couple of spells in hospital following complications and other minor niggles meant that I'd only had four courses by the beginning of May.
When I was told that I had to have two more within weeks of the tour beginning I feared that I'd be too ill to play.
In the event the fifth course went without a hitch and I declared myself fit enough to play. It meant that I had to take it easy and rest as much as possible. My son Chris drove the van and looked after the PA and tuning Nicki's mandolin (she really strums it hard!)and with everyone's help we got through.

Tonight we join up with Barbary Coast once more. Nicki and Bob are due to play an acoustic set during the evening. They then head off to Heathrow before flying out on Sunday.
Plans are afoot for two tours in 2011, one in July and the other in September.

I have my sixth and hopefully final course of chemo on Monday.
God willing, I'll be raring to go come next July.

Nicki Gillis, Rocking your (and our)country!

Great North part three

Each song was well received, but Nicki's little red dress drew a lot of applause and wolf whistles. The audience joined in and sang along (and also banged tambourines- but the less said about that the better!)

The hour flew by. Suddenly we were playing our final song. As the song ended the crowd raised the roof and Nicki left the stage to rapturous applause.
We had time for one encore and that was it.
Our last full show of the tour. We cleared the stage and the next band set up.
Nicki went to meet and greet the crowd and spent a lot of time chatting and posing for photos.
Once everyone was rounded up we loaded up and set off home, arriving back in Northampton at about 1.00. We dropped everyone off and got home about 45 minutes later.

Friday July 30th- Great North Part Two

We were the first band of three on the evening bill. I like the Great North's policy of only having bands or artists that don't use backing tracks. That way you can be sure that what you're seeing and what you're hearing are one and the same thing. The downside is the amount of setting up that needs to be done. Luckily Cozy and Bob had already set up earlier, so we were ready to go almost immediately.
There were a lot of people taking pictures, and we had a lot of fun posing, as this was our last Festival spot of the tour. We were determined to have a good time.

Bob bought a new jacket, and he looked very fetching in it.

Friday July 30th- Great North Part One

We got to bed about 2.00 am and the alarm went off at about 7. We had an early start in order to drive the 200 plus miles up to Castle Barnard in County Durham and the Great North Festival.
Nicki made a great impression on her debut last year and we were looking forward to meeting old friends and performing during the evening.
Before that, Barbary Coast would be playing in the afternoon, hence the early start.
Cozy and Bob both played in Barbary Coast in the 80s, when they were Frank Ifield's backing band, and Bob's coming to the UK with Nicki gave the band the opportunity to play a reunion show or three.
Bass player Bugsy would be travelling with us, while Robbo and John Roche would make their own way.
Bob was first up and through the shower. I followed soon after and made some sandwiches for the journey while Chris managed to drag himself out of bed.
We set off for Wellingborough and picked Cozy up as pre-arranged, then collcted Bugsy from his house.
We then had 200 miles to travel up the A1. Luckily the traffic was behaving itself. we stopped at Boroughbridge for diesel and drinks and arrived soon after one o'clock.
Barbary Coast took to the stage mid afternoon and played a blinding set to an enthusiastic audience.

There was a break before we needed to set up, so we enjoyed some food that was kindly provided for us.
We set up the guitars and had a quick sound check.
Now it was our turn.

Thursday 29th July- Stevenage

We set off to Northampton during the afternoon to collect Cozy, who'd just flown in after playing some European festivals. He loaded a different drum kit, a black and white Premier kit that used to belong to Hot Chocolate back in the 70s.
We made our way through the traffic from Northampton to Bedford, where we queued at traffic lights for ages, then drove past the huge airship hangars where the R101 was built and flown. We joined the A1 and drove south to Stevenage.
The venue is situated down a narrow access. Chris tried to take the van all the way down, but he saw how much the passageway narrowed and decided against proceeding further. We loaded in and left the van out in the street.
This was our last full club show on the tour. There was a good turnout, including a family from Witney in Oxfordshire, who'd seen us at Dumbleton and made the journey (which took them four hours) across to see Nicki one more time. The audience were happy to sit and listen, and warmed to Nicki straight away.
Bob's friends also made the journey up from London and I was pleased to spend time chatting, as we'd not met for over a year.

All too soon the evening came to an end. Nicki received a standing ovation for her performance. We retired to the dressing romm while the club performed the "Flag" ceremony, then packed up the kit. Chris backed the van in and we soon got loaded.
Bob stayed the night with us as we had an early start the next morning.

Thursday 29th July

Today's the last of our "rest" days. Later this afternoon we collect Cozy and his drums and drive down to Stevenage. Once the show is finished we will return with Bob as well, drop off Cozy and try and get some sleep before our early start tomorrow.
Here's another picture from Sunday's show at Norwich

Tuesday 27th July

Another welcome rest day before the final leg of the tour.
Cozy is on duty with another band somewhere in Europe. He flies back on Thursday.
Bob is visiting friends and family in the London area and will join us in Stevenage.
Chris is stripping down his new drum kit and getting it ready to play.
Nicki and Tracy have been meeting a journalist today.
I spent yesterday updating this blog, and today catching up with the programmes I recorded on Sky+.

Here's a picture of the band from last Saturday at Wolvestock

Sunday 25th July- Norwich Country Music festival

I'm pretty convinced that I know where the hottest temperature in the UK was to be found on Sunday afternoon. It was on the stage of the Norwich Country Music Festival when Nicki and the band were playing.

But first, we had to be on the road before 9.00 in order to get to the festival in time. Although I'd only gone to bed at 2.00, I woke at 6 and got up at seven for some breakfast. We managed to get Chris up and out on time and we had an easy drive to Norwich, arriving at 11.30 or so. Cozy was already there, along with his driver. Nicki and her party had got up for breakfast and then gone back to bed for an hour or two, but arrived in good time.
We were the second band on the afternoon bill, and I met up with Dave the soundman to sort out the D.I. instruments and checking that the back line was OK. After that all we had to do was unload the guitars and guitar stands.

Before we knew it it was our turn to entertain the crowds. Nicki came out in a floor length coat that covered her red dress. Would she have worn it if she knew how hot it would be?

Whether it was the heat (it was very hot in that shed and under those lights)or for another reason, the audience were content to sit and listen to Nicki and the band as we played our customary festival set.

In the picture above you can see the transparent roof panels that cause the building to really heat up. The show has evolved over the weeks, and now includes Bob's duck walk during one of his solos. It made Nicki laugh anyway.

The show ended to rapturous applause and we made our way outside to get some air. We quickly packed the guitars away and loaded the van before sitting and enjoying a cup of tea with a couple of Bob's relatives who'd driven over from the Midlands to watch the show. They've seen us three times on this tour and it's good to get feedback from them. They're looking forward to a trip to Australia in a couple of month's time where they will go and see Bob and Nicki play a show. They've even put in their request for their favourite songs to be played.
Cozy left in a cloud of dust as he had a deadline to meet, and we decided to find some food. Bob was being picked up at the gates, so he said farewell as we headed off for a baked potato (anything but chips!), a cup of tea and an ice-cream.

Then it was our turn to say goodbye as we headed off home along the A47. I don't recall any of the journey home as I slept almost all the way to Peterborough.

We got home just as Sue was serving up a meal. What timing! And home cooking definitely tastes better. We have three days off before the final leg of the tour.

Saturday Night- The marathon continues

I had a chance to listen to a few songs from the Western Commanders, a really great western swing band featuring three female multi-instrumentalists who sing in a very convincing Andrews Sisters style. They looked great and sounded great. I wish I could have stayed a bit longer, but we still had one more show to play.
That's right, three shows in 24 hours, and over 400 miles separating them.

First of all we dropped Cozy and his drumkit off. He had a busy weekend of his own, with two festivals to play on the Sunday, one with us in Norwich, and another in Rutland with another band. He'd arranged a friend to transport him and his kit to both venues on the Sunday, so we'd meet him agian the next day.

We drove home and dropped off our dirty washing, said hello to my wife, and set off for a local village where Chris was playing at a garden party with his band Iziggy and Some Weird Sinners. We tagged along because there were some music industry people there to see Chris' band and they'd invited Nicki to play a short showcase set as well.
We arrived as it was getting dark. being a garden party, there was some lack of organisation, but eventually we loaded our back line and Chris' drumkit onto the stage which was set up at the end of a long garden on the edge of the village. There were fields all around and the stage was open to the elements, but luckily it didn't rain.
Chris has been driving and doing our sound all tour, so he was quite familiar with the music although he hadn't sat behind a kit since the "Help for Heroes" charity show earlier in the month. Nicki chose a rocking set list and we played for about 30 minutes. Nicki and Tracy then went off to make contact with one of the promoters and Chris and I packed away the guitars and got the stage ready for Iziggy.
I declined an invite to squeeze into Tracy's already crowded car for a lift home, but stayed to watch Iziggy's show, which was very punchy and entertaining, and a vast improvement on the previous outing. I'm afraid the vegetable patch got a bit trashed as it became the mosh pit, but the party goers loved the band.
We then loaded out in almost total blackness, and I finally got to bed at about 2 o'clock with another early start the next morning.
At least I got some sleep. Nicki's party had real difficulty finding any accomodation in the Northampton area because of the World Superbike Championship at Silverstone and the Bug Jam at Santa Pod. We fixed a couple of rooms in a town center pub in Kettering, but parking was a problem and it was very noisy so they decided to drive on to Norwich.
They eventually found a hotel room at 3.30 in the morning.

Saturday July 24th- Wolvestock

I have to say that this was one of the highlights of our tour so far. The Wolvestock festival has been running for many years and is one of the best organised (and well attended) festivals we've played. What's more, it's free!
You may question the wisdom of the local Council paying money to host freebies for the population, but it's still miles cheaper than the multi-million makeover of our old market place, complete with fountains shooting up from the pavement, and an "arena" that is supposed to be for outdoor entertainment but is absolutely useless, being badly thought out and totally impractible. The kids can't even use the steps for skateboarding as they've placed steel bands on the steps and installed speakers which emit a buzzing that can only be heard by young ears. I can't hear it at all, but it drives my son crazy.

Back to Wolvestock. The organiser was on hand to welcome us and made us very welcome. We listened as the local dignitaries welcomed everybody at the opening ceremony and I had a wander around the site, which was packed with families out enjoying the live music interspersed with line dancing lessons. Being a free festival in a public park, there were very few people dressed in period costume, or dressed as gunslingers or indians, and I believe the festival was all the better for it. These festivals are about music aren't they?

As usual, there was a back line and drum kit available, so we were able to set up quickly and soon got into our stride. I swear I could hear an audible gasp of appreciation amid the applause as Nicki took to the stage.

There was some light drizzle as we started, but that soon eased and we entertained the considerable crowd to an hour of country tinged rock.

There is always a large space in front of the stage for the dancers. Most of the time the people were happy to sit and listen, but occasionally they got up and danced when we played a familiar song. As you know, Nicki is a talented singer/songwriter and we feature many of her own songs in our set. Occasionally we see people singing along because they've bought her CDs previously, and I always scan the crowd to see if people are paying attention and joining in. Without giving away any details (you have to see the show for yourself)there are a couple of places where we get a reaction, and I noticed quite a few smiles on the faces of the nearest people as they saw what we were doing. All good.
The PA was quite loud, and it's a great power trip to play a note on the bass guitar and feel the stage vibrate. I want more!

All too soon the show came to an end and we left the stage to a standing ovation. It was a good 'un. I hope we get invited back next year.

Loading out was straight forward. We set off for Northampton and the next stage of our marathon.

Saturday- the marathon continues

It was almost two before we got off to sleep and the alarm went off at seven. We absolutely had to be on the road at eight o'clock if we were to make it to the next Festival in time. There was no time for breakfast, just a quick wash, vacate the room, wake up Chris and head off.
When on the road we keep in contact with Nicki and Tracy by text, and we worked out that they were about twenty minutes behind us on the road. We pulled into the services on the M74 and queued for breakfast (and paid almost double what it would cost in Morrisons restaurant). I bought a paper (the Scottish Daily Mail)which contained the usual Mail-like rants, only involving Scottish stories. Even the sports pages were about Rangers and Celtic. When we toured Scotland last year with the Patsy Cline Concert we entered a pub quiz on a night off and did well except for the sports questions. No I don't know who Celtic's all time leading goal scorer is. Mind you, I don't know any of the Premier League stats either, but I can have a guess.
As we finished our breakfast Tracy, Bob and Nicki arrived and we received our vehicle pass for the Wolvestock Festival. That meant we could crack on with our journey.
I sat in the front, reading the paper as we drove down through Scotland and into England. I looked up as we drove over Shap and caught a tantalising glimpse of a steam train working hard up the gradient towards Carlisle.

Our next port of call was in Manchester. Chris had successfully bid on a Hayman drum kit (to match his existing one) and we diverted into Salford to pay for it and load it into the van.
I've not been into this part of Manchester before, but it looked just like every other dockside development, with token momentoes of an industrial past (in the shape of a pair of redundant cranes), plus trendy transport- in this case- trams.

We found the address quickly, Chris paid the seller and we set off again, this time with Cozy sharing the back seats with a drum kit.

We were soon on the M6 again and arrived at the venue in Wolverhampton at about 3 in the afternoon.
We had just enough time to sit with a cup of tea and have a look at the festival site before getting ready for our spot.

Friday night- Polmont Golf Club

Our only Scottish show was hosted by a lovely lady by the name of Christine. We arrived at the venue which was high on the hillside overlooking Polmont and Grangemouth, with the mountains on the other side of the Forth making a great backdrop. We soon loaded in and were ready to play.
But first, something to eat.
We noticed a parade of shops including a Chinese takeaway and a chip shop back in the town, so we drove back down again.
We arrived as two policemen were trying to disperse a group of teenagers who were hanging around the parade of shops. I looked at the desperate lack of any kind of facilities and realised that that was all there was- hanging around getting drunk and, in the case of the girls, pregnant.
The scene is replicated all over the country. There are places in our town where you could see exactly the same thing- even our parade of shops has its share of bored youth just hanging around.
We ordered our fish and chips and I went and sat in the van. As Chris arrived with the food, it all kicked off around us.
A foolhardy fifteen-year-old youth attempted to light up a cigarette in front of the officers and was told to put it out, because he was under age. He attempted to argue that his mother said it was OK and began to struggle with one of the officers. Soon a crowd gathered around our van which was parked next to the police car. Then an adult drove up and added his two pennyworth, followed by the boy's older brother who was on a short fuse and wanted to wade in with fists flying. He had to be restrained by his friends as the boy was driven away in handcuffs.

Another typical Friday night in the urban desolation that is post-industrial Lowland Scotland. No work. No hope of work, ever.

After all that excitement we drove back to the golf club and played to a small but very vocal audience, mostly women, who danced beautifully to our songs. The men were drinking in the other bar. (It's a cultural thing I think)
It was one of those nights when we could have done with a backdrop. You can see what I mean here-

It would have been ideal to have had an early finish, considering the distance we had to travel the next day, but it was not to be. Our last set finished at about midnight, and we had to pack up all the kit ready for a long day on the road.
We got back to the hotel just before 1 in the morning.

Friday- the marathon begins

We had to be up and away early in order to drive up to Falkirk in Scotland for our only Scottish show. There were a number of dates booked but a clash of dates with major festivals meant that they had to be cancelled. I do question the wisdom of one isolated show involving hundreds of extra miles travelling, with very early starts, but I'm not booking the tour, just playing the bass. We were booked into a Metro Inn near Falkirk, just a few miles from the booking and we arrived mid afternoon after a trip up the A1 through Northumberland. The sun was shining (why does it never shine on our days off?) and the countryside was beautiful.

This was all unfamiliar territory to me but Chris had driven the route a few times and pointed places he'd visited along the way.
When we arrived at our hotel it looked familiar. It was formerly a Formule One hotel, where the accomodation is basic to say the least. There are no en-suite facilities (not that that worries me), but the WC and showers are placed at the ends of the corridors and remind me of caravan holidays. There's even that slight rocking as if you're in a caravan. Ah well, it's only one night and we have an early start in the morning.

In the picture the bag is on the double bed. There is a bunk bed at right angles above it. There is a sink in one corner and a TV in the other. That's it. No bedside cabinets, en-suite, phone, fridge or room service.
Need a drink? There's a vending machine in the lobby. Something to eat? Vending machine. You can, however, get wi-fi and there are toasters and microwaves in the lobby area. No chairs, just stools. This is cheap but very basic accomodation.
When we arrived back after the show it was almost 1 in the morning and we were looking forward to some tea and toast. The toasters were cordoned off. Closed.

Never mind. We were on the ground floor so we opened the window and passed the coolbox and tea making equipment through. We sat eating ham sandwiches and drinking tea before turning in.
Chris slept in the van. Not because there was no room, but because we can wake him easier if he's already in the van.
And we had a very early start the next day.

Thursday- Billingham

It's getting a bit blurred. While we've been here we've had a good look around both Darlington and Stockton. I can't remember which town we visited each day. I know that one day we walked around Stockton where there is a lovely street market, and I bought a book for Nicki in a flea market.But which day? Never mind.

Our show was in Billingham and it was hosted by a character named Johnny Ringo. We first met him at the Great North Festival last year, and we played a show at his club in Billingham. We caught up with him again at the Americana Festival, so it was very much a return to familiar territory.
Last year we had an unpleasant incident where we went looking for somewhere to sit while the bingo was on. (There is an hour between the first and second sets.) We walked into an adjacent bar and were waved on into another bar- that is, all except Nicki. It was a men only bar.
We spent an hour sitting on the floor in the corridor waiting for the bingo to end.

This time we stayed in the changing room and drank tea.
The show was well received. Nicki wore her red dress and wowed the crowds.

This is a nicely laid out club, with a good sized stage, good lighting and acoustics and an appreciative crowd. It's a shame about the incident with the men only bar last year.
We said goodbye to Johnny and look forward to seeing him again at the Great North, our last big show of the tour.

Wednesday- day off again

We stayed one night at the B&B in Middlesborough. Cozy had some appointments in the city centre so Chris and I did some exploring. First stop was the Transporter Bridge

We drove up to the bridge and travelled across, then headed to Stockton where there were some music shops. I bought a new guitar strap for my bass at one, then headed into town where we spent some time chatting to the owner of Mad Dog Music, a shop for drummers. (I suppose the name says it all).
We collected Cozy then headed into Darlington to look at, you guessed it, some music shops before dropping off our bags at the caravan, our home for the next two days.
It used to be relatively easy to find paid work on a Wednesday, but the current economic climate means that clubs will only pay for a duo. Our agent was unwilling to set a precedent by putting us into a club for a fee that would just about cover our hotel bills, so we had the night off.
We drove up to Durham and spent the evening with Nicki and Tracy in a Weatherspoons.
The weather was very changeable. It didn't rain hard like it had on Tuesday, but it was hardly beach weather either. I was glad for the company, as I could sense the onset of cabin fever.
Ah well, another show tomorrow.

Tour Update- Tues. Stockton July 20th

It's almost a week since I've been able to blog, so I'll try and remember all that has happened to date. If I recall, we set off at lunctime to drive to Middlesbrough where we were staying for one night.As we drove along the A19 and nearing our destination the sky to the west was looking ever stormy and dark. It was about to rain- hard.
But not yet. We arrived at our digs and got installed, then, as we had some time to spare, Chris and I walked into town to look at the music shops. We then walked into a shopping mall as it it began to rain. I looked out the doors and it was as if someone had turned on a fire hose. The rain was torrential.
Eventually it eased off and we decided to walk back to the B&B. We got about half way before it started raining again and by time we arrived I was soaked to the skin. My tour jacket, my jeans, my trainers- all waterlogged.
We hung them up to dry and got ready for the evening show in Stockton.
We'd played there last year, so it was easy finding the venue. We loaded in and I went out to buy some milk for our tea (how very Rock 'n Roll!) and met Tracy, Nicki and Bob as they arrived from Durham.
After a welcome cuppa we finished setting up and got ready for the performance.
I don't remember the acoustics being a problem last year, but this year the sound was difficult to get right. The room had some strange characteristics. In some parts of the room we were loud and boomy, and in others very quiet, like a transistor radio. Moving a few feet away from the axis of the PA made a huge difference to our sound.
The converse was that the audience sounded very loud when we were on stage. Unfortunately there were some there who didn't appear interested in the music and were chatting loudly and it was very offputting to say the least.
Nicki has blogged about this.
http://web.me.com/tracydann/Nicki_UK_Tour_2010/Blog/Entries/2010/7/21_Malleable_Social_Club.html

We don't mind the chatter. Sometimes it's all we have to remind us that there is an audience at all. We don't play excessively loudly. Trying to drown out the chatter is pointless because the louder we play, the louder they chat until it's a cacophany of noise. All we ask is that chatter be kept to a minimum when we're playing.
What capped the evening for us was when the organisers started taking down the flags and decorations before we'd finished. That is rude. There is no excuse for that.
We didn't play an encore, despite the wishes of the rest of the audience who enjoyed Nicki's singing. As far as we were concerned, the chatter and the actions of some of the organisers said it all.
Cozy had a different drum kit and had an issue with the tomtom and cymbal holders that couldn't be put right on the night despite our best efforts.If you look carefully at the photo you'll see the tomtom on the floor by my amp.
Ah well, it was one of THOSE nights.

Tuesday 20th July

We're heading back to the North East after our rest day yesterday. The next few days are probably the most arduous so far. We have three days in the North East, then travel up to Scotland for one show. Then we drive down to Wolverhampton before finishing up at the Norwich Festival on Sunday.
Here's Nicki's video for her song "Remember me".



I don't think I'll be posting until we get back in a few days.

Sunday 18th July- Welshpool festival

We arrived late, despite having the least distance to travel. Ain't that always the way? However, we soon got set up and sound checked and were ready to play our first set at 10.30.

The Festival has been running for many years and is well organised. Four curtainside trailers were parked in a way to provide two stages side by side. Each stage being two trailers deep meant that each act was able to set up in their own space without encroaching on the other bands and without having to keep moving equipment.

We set up our kit, miking up the amps and drums and then giving a feed to the main PA system, which was loud enough for everyone on the site to hear, despite the strong wind blowing.

Our first set went without a hitch although Chris covered some miles runing back and forth between the stage and the arena. Eventually he was satisfied with the sound and took some photos. After the first set we had a wait of about five hours before we took to the stage again so we had a good look at the sales stands and had a very tasty pork, apple sauce and crackling filled roll for lunch.

The afternoon session started with a presentation of the bands to the crowd. Nicky was presented with a nice bouquet of flowers and a commemorative plaque by the organisers.

Soon after that it was our turn to play again. Once again Nicki showed the crowd why she is so highly rated as a singer and entertainer. All too soon the set was over and we busied ourselves clearing the stage while Nicki went to meet and greet the appreciative crowd. I joined her and Tracy and heard many people come up to say how much they appreciated her. More than one fan said that she was the best act they'd heard in years.

Before we knew it it was time to leave and drive back home. On the way out we saw this, and had to stop and take a picture. Is this what they mean by portaloo?

Monday is a rest day. The next stage of the tour will cover the most miles.

Saturday 17th July- rest & travel

No show tonight, so it was a chance to catch up on sleep and get ready for the show on Sunday at the Welshpool C & W festival.
Tracy had difficluty finding accomodation in Welshpool and eventually booked a weekend at a lock keeper's cottage on the Montgomery Canal near Welshpool. It meant that there were some extra beds, so we decided to drive over on Saturday evening to save an early start on the Sunday.
We found the place and it was very nice, just off the beaten track and very peaceful
We had a cup of tea and a chat before Cozy and Chris went off to explore the local pub about half a mile down the road.
Chris and stayed the night in a brand new barn conversion that was being finished off. It was spartan (it was still a building site) but the eco-friendly heating system based on pipes laid in trenches in the field next door) worked well and supplied hot water and kept us warm.
We had to be out early in order to arrive at the festival site by eight. Chris slept in. We were a little late but had set up and sound checked before the doors opened to allow several thousand country music fans on site.
More later.

Friday July 16th- Sacriston

After a late night eating takeaways, we had a lie in and a late start into town to Morrison's for breakfast. After that we drove to the city centre and had a walk around the music shops. Then we went on to Durham to meet up with Nicki, Tracy and Bob at their hotel. Soon it was time to head off to Sacriston, a short drive away.
We arrived in very good time and loaded in and sound checked. Then we visited the local takeaways for our evening meal.
Chris and I had fish and chips, Bob and had an Indian, while Nicki and Tracy had chinese.
Soon it was time to start the show. Despite the fact that a significant portion of the crowd had gone to a show at the Sage in Gateshead, those that remained had a great time and were dancing from the first song. There were a few who had seen us at other clubs so it was like playing to friends.
All too soon the show ended and we loaded up the van ready for the long drive home.
There were hugs and kisses all round, and yet another rebooking for next year.
Chris drove the 200+ miles home, stopping at Woodall services for tea and refreshments.
We dropped Cozy off at about 4.30 and arrived home at about 5.00
Today is a rest day, time to sort the washing out, pick up some bits and pieces, change some guitar strings and get ready for tomorrow's show at Welshpool.
We need to be there early, so Tracy has booked a cottage to stay in and we'll go over there tonight to save an impossibly early start in the morning.

Thursday July 15th -Part two- Hardwick WMC

The weather had brightened up considerably and it was quite warm but windy when we arived at the club to set up. Loading in was very straightforward and we were soon set up and ready to go.
It was a great show. Whatever was missing the night before was back and we played well,and the crowd had a great night. Even the dancers enjoyed themselves. One dancer told me that the bands who play there tend to cover the latest hits, with a couple of dozen songs that tend to be played by every band every week. New songs meant a chance to try new dances so they were happy.
Nicki sings a lot of her own material so our shows are bound to be different. The audience warmed to her, and one person told me after the show that she was the best artiste to have appeared at the club in over eighteen months, bearing out our view that Wednesday night was a one off.

After the show we loaded up and returned to our accomodation. On the way we phoned a takeaway that had been recommended to us by Eddie. We arrived at the caravan, followed soon afterwards by the man delivering the takeaway. How about that for service? I had a portion of chips which hardly made a dent on the amount of food that had been delivered and I went off to sleep, leaving Chris and Cozy to eat the kebab, pizza and chicken parmesan

Thursday July 15th- Part one

After the show at Peterlee we drove into town and found an all night drive-in MacDonalds. I'd bought some pasta earlier so I ate that while Chris and Cozy had burgers. We then drove home and bedded down in the caravan parked on the drive next to our host's house. I got off to sleep right away and slept right through.

After our morning ablutions we went into town and found a Morrison's supermarket where we parked up and availed ourselves of an all-day breakfast of bacon, eggs, beans, etc from the in-store restaurant. I bought some pasta and tuna for later.
We had a few hours free before the evening show in Stockton, so I persuaded Chris and Cozy to take a trip to Shildon to visit the Railway Museum.
It's a good afternoon out, with a bright new exhibition hall packed full of giant steam and diesel locomotives- and entry is free!

When we left there it was a short drive to Stockton and we arrived in good time to prepare for that evening's show.

Wednesday- Peterlee

We were back on the road again and heading up to Peterlee in the North East. Cozy had arranged accomodation for us in Darlington, so we called in there first to say hello and drop our bags off.
Our hosts Eddie & Dee had seen us playing at the Americana festival the previous weekend and they'd been involved in country music for many years. They now organise an annual festival locally and run a club on Sunday evenings. It's people like these who keep country music going and I'm indebted to them for their hospitality.

Eddie kindly gave us clear instructions on how to get to the booking and we promptly set off in the opposite direction! However, it's not far from one town to another so we soon arrived at the venue- just as it started raining heavily.
We've been blessed with good weather so far, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. We unloaded the van in the rain.
The venue itself had an odd shaped stage in one corner and try as we might, we couldn't get a good sound. Maybe it was one of those nights, maybe it was the miles we'd travelled or just a let-down after the highs of Americana, but the show seemed a bit flat.
We also had equipment problems when one of the amplifiers, fresh from repair was found to have the same fault that caused us to send it in! That will need to be sorted on our next day off.
The people were great and had a good evening. All the little niggles and various indefinable things meant that we didn't.
Sorry Peterlee, but this was one to forget.

Tuesday 13th

Two days rest has got the ache out of my back and we're ready to go again. We've three days in the North East before coming home again. On Sunday we're playing a country music festival in Welshpool.
The weather has broken and it's quite a bit cooler now.
I found this video of our performance of "Wall of Death" at last year's Great North Festival. It's a great song so I make no excuses to post it again.

Americana- Part Three- The Wall of Death

After the show we had another wander around the site, listening to Heggy (George Hamilton V) play his set of country rock. He was followed onstage by Paul Overstreet. What a treat! He wrote (among many other songs) "When you say nothing at all" and "Love will build a bridge". Mark (son of John D) Loudermilk played lead guitar and Gail Davies' band provided the backing. A perfect Saturday evening's entertainment.


I'd mentioned that there was a Wall of Death on the site, so Nicki, Tracy and Bob walked down to take some photos. Unfortunately it was in between shows but they very kindly allowed us access.

They even allowed us access inside the track, which is made of wood.

"Let me ride on the wall of death one more time
Let me ride on the wall of death one more time
You can waste your time on the other rides
But this is the nearest to being alive
Let me take my chances on the Wall of Death"
Words by Richard Thompson.

It was getting late by now, so we said our farewells and headed home. Cozy was staying overnight as he was playing again the next morning. We will all meet again on Wednesday in Peterlee.

We have a couple of days to recover before it all kicks off again.

Americana- Part Two

Pretty soon it was our turn to go on. The band that were on stage before us cleared their guitars and then we went on to prepare. Cozy had his own helper on the drums- his son Sonny.

They provide a whole array of amplifiers for the bands and I had a very nice Ampeg and 4x10 cabinet. We plugged in and tested all the instruments, then checked that everything was working. Once that was done we began our show.

We looked out over the crowd and I noticed a few familiar faces. It was apparent that a few of them knew Nicki's songs and were singing along. This is a good sign. The stage was huge and we made good use of it. It was also like an oven.
Chris had spoken to the sound engineer, asking him to mix the sound like a rock band and the result was a punchy, pleasing sound that made the most of the instrumentation and Nicki's powerful voice.

The time flew by. The band played out of its skin and won the crowd over. All too soon it was time for the last song and then a well deserved encore. It was a great debut.
We cleared the stage but Cozy stayed on as he was playing drums for George Hamilton V. We packed the guitars away and made for the hospitality area for a well earned cuppa. While we were there Tracy was approached by Chris Jackson, the organiser, who confirmed that he'd like Nicki to play the festival again next year. All in all, a good day.
Now where is Michael Eavis' number?

A good shot of Nicki and Bob.

Not forgetting Cozy & Dave

Americana- Part One

I woke in good time and got myself ready, all the time speaking to Chris, trying to wake him. His alarm went off and he switched it off and resumed his slumbers. I continued packing and realised that I didn't have my glasses. I managed to wake Chris and we searched the room before someone said that my glasses were in the bathroom. Doh!
Anyway the result was that Chris was up and ready in time for the short trip to the ferry terminal. We met up with Bob, Nicki and Tracy and were loaded on an earlier ferry again. We drove up to Winchester where we stocked up on food, filled up with diesel and Chris bought some shorts. yes, it was another hot day.
The trip up to Newark was punctuated by a stop at Leicester Forest East services. Cozy met up with his wife and son and they continued to the festival together, Nicki Bob & Tracy stopped for lunch and the free wi-fi, so Chris and I continued to the venue alone.
We got checked in and almost the first person I met was George Hamilton IV. We hadn't met since the Whitby Gospel Music Convention in May, and he then introduced me to singer Gail Davies. George and his guitarist Colin (a member of Live Issue and a friend from Whitby) were singing a duet with Gail during her set.
I went out front to watch her band perform and they were excellent, a real treat. The area in front of the stage was packed with people sitting in folding chairs listening to their favourite music and soaking up the sun. We listened to George, Gail and Colin and the band as they sang one of Gail's songs together and then wandered around the showground to look at the stalls and the exhibits.

The Americana Festival is huge, with two live music arenas, one for Rock and Roll and the other for country music. There were big trucks, Winnebagos and classic cars everywhere. There was an exhibition shed full of Harley Davidson bikes.
In the far corner, past the funfair, there was a Wall of Death.......
We returned to the backstage area and after a cup or two of tea, got ready for our performance.

The Isle of Wight

We were late leaving for the Isle of Wight but still made the ferry terminal on time and even got loaded onto an earlier one. That should tell you that the roads were clear all the way, even though we had to use the MI, M25 and M3 rather than the A43 and A34. The A43 was closed to through traffic because of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The reason we were late leaving? Chris can sleep through a hurricane. I spoke to him several times trying to wake him. He even had two phone conversations but has no recollection of any of that. When he did eventually wake up it was all systems go, arriving at Northampton a hour late to load Cozy's drums.
Depending on the turnout, Tracy had asked Cozy to bring his full drum kit and his lights so that he could play his feature solo, so we had extra drums and boxes, plus a huge gong and stand to load in the van.
As I mentioned, the journey was uneventful and the crossing was very flat.

Once we had disembarked we drove the short distance to where Nicki and Tracy were staying and enjoyed a cup of tea and freshly picked strawberries before heading off to the venue, a Community Hall and Sports Centre in Cowes. We crossed the river from East Cowes by chain ferry and arrived at the venue in plenty of time to set up.

The evening was a joint promotion and a fundraiser for the local scouts, who were hoping to raise funds for a trip to Sweden. Nicki and Bob (who'd caught a nasty cold) had been on the BBC Radio Solent to publicise it, and it had been widely publicised. Nicki's friends and Tracy's friends and family had all played their part in publicising the event, so it was a real dissapointment that the turnout was lower than anticipated.
Was it the weather? The football? The economic climate? Who knows.
However, the show must go on and the show we played was a run through of our set for Americana, plus some extra goodies.

One of our friends rang a photographer for the local paper who came and took pictures of Nicki during the interval. As luck would have it, all the media attention was focussed on a possible woman overboard on the Cowes- Southampton ferry. Just our luck.

Chris and I stayed with members of Tracy's family. We sat out on the patio drinking tea (in my case) and a cool lager for Chris until it was time to turn in. We had an early ferry to catch, and a long run up to Newark for the Americana Festival.

Getting ready to rock again

We've had our mid-tour break and we're back on stage tomorrow on the Isle of Wight. We'll have to be up early on Saturday morning to catch the ferry and drive up to Newark for the Americana festival in the evening.
I expect we'll play this Richard Thompson song- I hope so, because RT is my all time favourite singer/songwriter.

Nicki & Bob at the BBC last week

Father & son

Normally Chris is in charge of the camera and he takes 100s of pictures of each show. On Sunday he was playing drums so he couldn't. Sue had the camera and was snapping away, but never got a close up shot of Chris & me.
I saw this photo on Nicki's blog and "borrowed" it. It's a bit grainy but does the job.
Here it is- Nicki Gillis, Chris and Dave Clemo.

Help for Heroes Sunday July 4th

Today we made a special guest appearance at a charity event near Wellingborough in aid of the Help for Heroes charity. We only heard about it a few days ago and Robbo kindly added us to a very varied lineup of artists.
Unfortunately Cozy had a prior engagement and was unable to make it, but fortunately my son Chris, who has been driving and roadying for us is also a drummer and was able to step in. It did mean that he had to listen to some of our performances rather than sleep in the van in order to learn the songs, and in the event he put in a fine and assured performance. He can always catch up on his sleep another time.
A prior engagement (a radio interview on BBC Radio Kent) meant that Nicki had to be on the road by 2.30 in the afternoon, so we were the second act to take the stage, following John F's set of good time country music.
The stage was a 40 foot curtainside trailer and to save time and space we used the drums and amplifiers that were on stage. It meant an unconventional looking line-up but it still sounded as good.

Once again the crowd responded to Nicki's performance with enthusiasm and all too soon it was over. As we said goodbye to Nicki and Tracy a second world war aeroplane flew overhead, filling the sky with the unmistakeable sound of a classic warbird. It was very apt, as Nicki had sung "White Cliffs of Dover", her excellent tribute to Vera Lynn a few minutes before.

Sue Chris and I then spent an hour or so wandering around the exhibits, meeting and chatting to old friends. I had very good comments regarding Nicki's performance, with some people preferring it to Friday's at Earls Barton. Both shows were organised by Robbo and we look forward to our final show at the end of the month when we will be at Little Harrowden WMC, once again as guests of Barbary Coast.

We now take a few day's break from touring. We will all meet up again on Friday when we play a concert on the Isle of Wight.

Rugby Homecoming July 3rd

Saturday night was a special night for Bob. He was born and lived in Rugby before emigrating with his mother to Australia in the late 60s. His late father was a regular at Hillmorton Ex-Serviceman's Club and so it was fitting that his UK family and friends should organise a show at this club.
The trip from Northampton to Rugby was uneventful although Chris' insect bite on his leg was giving him some discomfort. Luckily Sue was with us and dispensed motherly care and concern and antiseptic cream in equal measures.
Bob's extended family almost filled the room. Most of them had never seen him sing or play and each song was greeted with warm applause. We were due to play 2x45 minute sets plus a 30 minute middle set, but the meeting and greeting and photographing ate into the interval time. At one stage Bob was photographing the crowd mid-song. It was great, a real family reunion.

But what about the show? Nicki and the band performed to their usual high standard and Nicki treated us to a welcome return of her little red dress.

Once again the audience took over Nicki's rendition of the "Australian Trilogy" and sang the first chorus of "Waltzing matilda" unaccompanied. This is proving to be a popular show closer. Loud and prolongued calls for an encore were followed by Nicki singing "Simply the best" to a crowded dance floor.
Although the music had stopped, the show went on as Nicki and Bob posed for photos and chatted to the crowd while Chris organised the packing away and loading up of the gear.
We drove back to Northampton where we unloaded Cozy's drums. He's away on tour in Europe until Thursday as we have a few day's break before meeting up again on the Isle of Wight.

Earls Barton July 2nd

Last night Nicki was special guest at a Barbary Coast reunion show at Earls Barton WMC. As you may know, both Cozy and Bob were members of Barbary Coast back in the 80s when they were Frank Ifield's backing group.
Robbo organised the booking and Bugsy, Basil and Queenie joined Robbo, Cozy and Bob to play a couple of sets to a full house at this small club in a Northants village. Nicki played a 40 minute showcase between their sets. It was a lovely summer's evening and a good time was had by all.
I hadn't played the club since the late 70s when my band Conspiracy used to play there a couple of times a year. It hadn't changed much, but I'm glad they got an extension to the stage, because it was just as cramped as I remember it. I even recognised some faces among the crowd.
Nicki, Bob & Tracy found a chinese takeaway and ate it sitting in the van before the show started.

The show started with a set from Robbo and the boys and they sounded very smooth and polished, despite the years and miles since their last performance. Then it was Nicki's turn. We've been using a radio mike for her shows so she was able to make her entrance through the crowd as we played her opening number "Lucy Jordan". The rest of the set were mostly her own songs, and despite the unfamiliarity of the material she won the crowd over with an electric performance.
All too soon it was over and I went outside, put on my tour jacket and slowly cooled down as we chatted to friends. It was a great evening. Both bands sounded great and the hundred or so people who packed into this tiny club had an evening to remember.
Chris enjoyed his first pint of Guinness so much he had a second, so I drove the van home. It was only a few miles and it was the least I could do. We've got a lot of miles to cover in the next few weeks.
Tonight we're playing a show in Bob's home town of Rugby. I'm looking forward to that.