We board the tour bus in Manchester for what has become a typical early departure time. Whilst most of England sleeps we head southbound to France en-route to Malmo, Sweden.

The British winter has once again arrived fashionably late, bringing with it what is best described as ‘Dick Turpin’ weather. Camouflaged countryside submerged in a lazy mischievous mist that seems to browse amongst the trees and fields like a pickpocket on market day. (more…)

We finally depart Edinburgh around 4 a.m. and begin our overnight journey to Belgium. Fortunately, we are travelling in extreme comfort and style. Tour buses are incredible machines, some containing every luxury possible for a hard working touring musician or even the most pampered Roman emperor. But due to the late addition of the Belgium and Croatia gigs coupled with the fact that it’s festival season very few buses are available and our destiny is again in the lap of the gods. But like Athena looking down upon Odysseus and his troops a certain god unbeknown to us is smiling in our direction.

The Chilli peppers cancel last minute and decide to fly during their U.K. tour leaving a magnificent and luxurious bus available for our leisure, pleasure, travel…. and oh work as well. Parquet flooring, plasma TV’s, 2 lounges, 2 bathrooms, queen size bunks with individual TV’s and Bang & Olufsen music systems, and a state of the art kitchen all of which wouldn’t be out of place in a Manhattan loft apartment. Suddenly the 30-hour drive back from Croatia doesn’t seem so daunting? (more…)

We eventually depart Manchester around 9.30pm. Our designated pick up point is a car park close to the rehearsal room that is large enough to accommodate a big tour bus. Fortunately, (or unfortunately) the said car park also happened to belong to a famous Stockport Public House. This accompanied by the fact we are suddenly and surprisingly embracing an almost posthumous summer and also eagerly greeting the advent of an August bank holiday, we indulge in a “few” drinks. The wine and beer tasting continues for some individuals en-route until we eventually reached our hotel in the deserted highlands. Julie even manages to get drunk twice in one evening, once at the pub and then again on the tour bus…groundbreaking! (more…)