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Tour news!
Cardiff
The club was half empty, or half full as you might like to see it, but the people who were there seemed to enjoy the films and the banter between songs. After two days rehearsing in Brighton it was time to get on with the show. Ella Edmondson opened up for us and I met her Dad who came along to support her, and carry her guitars. He enjoyed the show and had some great comments to make. Dorie was lovely and JB played lovely too. We had a nice curry before the gig and all in all it went well for a first night. I was busy watching the screen to see if we were in time with the films so my nerves were a little shot by the end of the evening. Afterwards we drove, radio three on loud, on to Hurst House for some fine bacon sandwiches and a night cap before bed. And what a bed, the size of two large swimming pools.
Hurst House West Wales.
We played a set that was dogged by people looking at us like we were on display, the table in front of the stage were collectively about 300 years old. The hotel is wonderful and we were well looked after, we had a lovely time just being, what more can you ask. It was good to play to Keri and Gregor who run the hotel, they liked the show and for me that was good enough. Nice food, nice people, nice bed. And a surprise guest, Harry who first gave Squeeze its live badges by letting us play at his Dad’s pub in Greenwich in 1975/6, three nights a week for hours on end.
Cannock
The club was set at the end of a long road full of what seemed to be council houses, this once fine social club was now a home for local covers bands. Think Floyd, U2 me, Twin Lizzy, that sort of thing. Run by chain smoking chap with big belly and braces over a Jucy Lucy t shirt. Our set ran well enough until I knocked the size of the dressing room, a cupboard at best. The tubby one finished us all off with a very loud Labelled with Love through the PA. We leapt in the car and drove home. Tonight another curry.
Leicester
Up at eight, pick up dry cleaning and drop off suit for alterations. Nip over to the bank, drive over to guitar shop to pick up some money for sold guitar. Back home to do three interviews on the phone. In the car with JB, up to London for another this time live on air interview with Robert Elms. Meet chap to swap over the hire projector in high street car park. Drive to Leicester. Arrive in time to set up and eat curry at the side of the stage. Great show tonight, people seemed happy with the films and the show, really great applause. Settle up with promoter. Confused. Drive to York arrive one thirty in the morning, people falling about coming home from clubs, in bed by 2, single bed over high street, its cold and the covers are not very warm. I float rather than sleep.
York
What a lovely city, so grand to walk around, JB and I had lunch and walked between the castle walls and high streets, the cobbled lanes and walk ways, we were looking for velvet, for the stage, and some knickers for his wife. No joy. The show was in a basement club, dark and airless, there were pews in front of the stage and by the time we went on we had a small congregation to play to. I played like a tosser as my mind was elsewhere, on the films I think. We still need to rehearse some more, not sure but I feel there is something missing from the set. Back at the hotel another small bed and next door a loud TV, so I complain, make tea and go to bed while the world winds down around me. No driving tonight.
Stourbridge
A lovely spring day, could this be our summer. A drive from York to Stourbridge down the very slow M1 and across the country to this part of the world that I never seem to stop in, but pass by. The pub is tucked away at the bottom of a hill, the club is below the pub in a cold cellar, the room is long and small like a railway carriage, and on stage we are all squashed in against the walls to make sure everyone the screen can be seen by the people in the carriage. Its cold in here and we are not on stage for hours, it’s the long wait. The long wait is the story of my life, its either being in dressing rooms or in the car, I wait and then I sleep, then I wait again. I sit around and be the waiter, months of my life have been spent waiting. Another curry and more waiting this time in the bare dressing room, like most others we have been in it seems that owners of clubs don’t really care about the travelling musician. You get a kettle if you are lucky a jar of coffee and some tea bags, a cold white light and some seats that have been just thrown together. Joy. Elton has his own dressing room wherever he goes in the world, I would like to aspire to this but I'm afraid I cant get it all in the boot of my car. Ella writes a set on her hand, Dorie and Emily are on stage playing. John is on the texting in his overcoat. Nice show, good people and a good set it seems that all the hard work for sorting out the edits on the videos is paying off. Someone came up to me and thanked me for putting so much effort in to the show. Drove home a reminisced with JB about our early lives in music, our first festivals and our first bands, music to my ears.
Canterbury.
I feel let down with myself, the night was ruined by people talking at the bar, much like last night, I wonder if these venues are right for this kind of show. We are playing pubs where bands do covers, where people enjoy the tributes of the dead. For me this show is alive maybe better suited to the arts centres where people come to enjoy and listen to music. After all the hard work we have put into this show it would be such a shame for it to be wasted on a few ignorant people who come to a club to talk and drink and not to participate in the world of live music. Many seem to enjoy the night and that’s great and we love them for turning up, but for six hours and more in the car each day, some rough old food and tired bones I wonder, is it worth it. We worked out the other night I took home the minimum wage for my days work, £6 an hour. I love what I do and I love the people I work with but tonight left me furious and close to walking off stage. If this is where the waterline of reality reaches the plimsoll of stability then I must be sailing in the wrong ship. Poor Dorie can’t be seen, or heard, JB is sideways on as am i. Anyway mustn’t grumble, what else would I be doing sitting on the prom in the sunshine breathing in the day with all of its growth and glory. One day.
Bungay
An odd sounding place for a gig but how chalk and cheese can you have two days be, tonight’s show was lovely, really nice people great back stage, full house, they were all ears. Especially a young kid in the front row who amused us with his tales of how his Dad used to have brown hair. You had to be there. The drive there and back was made exciting by hearing that Man U had lost to Fulham. Dories Dad played on Take me, I first saw him play in Van Der Graff Generator back in 1972, way before Dorie was born, the days of afternoon shows at the Lyceum in London. Afternoons hopping off school to see Genesis and Steam Hammer. I went to bed completely shattered but I think in a good way. Its about now that we all need a day off, Dorie is on the verge of losing her voice.
Worchester
Meanwhile back in the reality of it all, I just managed to get myself together for this one and almost stayed in bed. I met Melvin by chance for breakfast and it was so good to see him, in fact without seeing him I may have gone back to bed. Three hours later and some good radio news, Liverpool won at home. The Marrs Bar is a sticky floor kind of hole in the wall where a sign reads no dancing while holding beer glasses. Another curry and we are back in the flow of it all, the dressing room is so repulsive we all debark to the balcony. A cat has lived home alone for about a week and the smell of piss is disgusting. Dorie has tooth ache. Ella writes on her hand, JB sleeps in the darkness. A nice small crowd who listened and seemed to enjoy the show, the curry sits on the back of my throat during the set but I soldier on. At the end a woman came up to me with four scones with fresh cream and homemade jam. I didn’t know what to make of the offering. I think they are still there on the top of the PA. I'm home now its about 2am. My arms are strong like Popeye but only from holding the steering wheel, not lifting weights.
Birmingham
Up and out the door, breakfast with Emma and then on to the Providence centre in Bournemouth for a quick set of songs and some sharing with fellow addicts. Then on to Birmingham for a gig in a garden centre, a small café with a lovely felling about it, we eat curry for a change, and sit in the dressing room, its sold out and the atmosphere is pretty good. A day off looms and I'm excited, but for now its time to rock the garden centre, the last time I played a garden it was owned by Mr Madison. And what a great night we had, so much fun such nice people I felt really loved and happy. JB played well, he seems to be more settled, and Dorie is wonderful. A good team. Back home by 2am. No change there then. I have turned into an owl here at my desk, writing into the early hours, tired but now more settled myself with the set and the tour. What a fist week that has been, a full on heads down no nonsense marathon up and down the M40 and the M25. Sleep buster.
St Albans
A pub on a corner by a railway station. A curry house on the adjacent corner. The worst dressing room of the tour award. A great show though with some nice people and someone who had a wonderful laugh, it was very uplifting. I enjoyed the show and the penis drawings on the dressing room wall, which I am now collecting. Works of art indeed. In 1975 Squeeze played with Curved Air here in St Albans, it was a very long time ago when a below 30 waist was the norm.
Southend
Steve who runs the venue is ever so nice to us, we turned up late for the sound check but it all went according to plan. The show itself was ok without being top of the pops, I think they had seen it all before. We played well enough and as usual I made it home by about 1 am in time for my wind down hour, mint tea, some emails and some internet. Good CD sales tonight, I think the best on the tour so far. During the day various meetings in London and Radio two with Jonathan Ross. A great time was had by all, he called Dorie the vocal parachute, you must listen to it on the listen again, 22 minutes if prime radio, thank you Andy and the BBC. Garden centres here we come!
London
A full day of in the car, a master class in songwriting and a look around the shops at Brent Cross, what fun. The master class was lovely, I was tired but the people were so nice it kept me on my feet. I met my agent for the first time, Harry who looks like Tin Tin, seems like a nice fella. Face in a blackberry. The gig in Kilburn was lovingly attended by Ian our promoter who is so thoughtful and the best of the tour thus far. The show was ok without being amazing, not sure why. I stayed at Home House as a treat. I was beyond tired I was almost in a comer. Or is that a full stop.
Petersfield
Across country in the A8 to the lovely small and well turned out Petersfield, where oddly Emma’s Dad has an Indian restaurant. And guess what we had for our tea! Lovely. Ella came with her dog Dave, who loves to lick people, he was cute and I loved being licked. The show was fun and I hit the delirious button mid way through the set forgetting words and telling silly jokes and laughing with our Dorie. John played really well tonight, I'm so lucky to have such nice people on the tour, and Emily is fantastic too. David Bailey, Squeeze wizard of Oz came all the way from Devon to see the show it was so great of him, what a nice chap. Em had some great feedback about the show, we drove home and that was that. Another day over, another curry under the belt.
Watford.
Enthusiastically run by Denis Cook who did a great job of looking after us all, a nice small stage and a full pub, with what I thought looked more like Glenn’s fans. Whatever they look like. Our show was fun and to my surprise my manager Matt arrived to watch the show, it was good to see him. Chips and sandwich tonight. Pubs that have live music are rare these days, at least ones like this, it has a sparkle of care about it and that made everyone seem relaxed. In a pub kind of a way. On the drives to these shows I'm seeing the trees coming into colour and the sky growing larger, its slow but so fantastic to see, the year is spinning around to the summer months, very welcome to us all I'm sure.
Aldershot
I think the best show of the tour so far, the edited films worked better and the people who run the gig were so nice, great sound lovely curry. Posters of Glenn everywhere. My brother turned up as did Emma’s Ma and Pa. Lovely to see familiar faces and friends. Its all beginning to flow a little better, as you would expect after all of these days on the road. This morning I was dragged up to London to see a run through of the musical workshop in the basement of the Cambridge theatre, two hours that flew by in a wink. From the last run through things seemed clearer, but not totally in focus. It’s a long old process this one. I took the train into town and enjoyed the ride, the joy of being with other people and hearing them talk on mobile phones, I tried to look out of the window but zoned out on my I pod. A full day of information faces words sounds and thoughts. Not al of them invited. Bed seems like a place where I'm not wanted, I feel rejected by my own pillows but not my own dreams. Dreams of long days and nights basking in the flab of own being.
Derby
6 hours in the car and the worst dressing room so far, orange walls, bright white light, hard seats and a door that drafted from the street the cold night air. A curry that hit an all time low, it looked like chicken but I doubt weather it was a bird at all. The gig itself was ok without being wonderful, I was feeling tired and sidetracked by the negative. Our audience seemed to enjoy the show although the films seemed so out of time tonight, can’t fathom out why. Must have been me. Back in the car and home in record time, we left at 11.45 and got into brighton at 1.45, 300 miles behind us as JB slept nose in the air oblivious to my formula one driving skills. Two days off now so no car, no guitar no dodgy dressing rooms. No curry either.
Liverpool.
Its always so great to play in Liverpool people are so wonderful and they enjoy music so much, its in the blood. It was great to see some old faces and friends, we played in the Cavern which is dark and friendly and full of Japanese people and tourists taking pictures. We had Pizza for a change. The set worked well and there was even dancing, in a shuffle kind of a way. Well worth the drive. Ella is a real sport and never seems to be down on her day, she is lovely person, this tour must be nuts for her but she always smiles and plays a great show.
The three Ronnie’s, London.
Three nights supporting the wonderful Paul Carrack at a venue that is so made for music, it was perfect all three nights and in different ways. Paul’s band are so great really lovely people and the sound they got was so great, this is what being on the road is all about being with people who are not complicated and who have grown into their music in a mature fashion. All three nights were good for us, although on night two I wore a suit that had short arms and I felt all at sea, nice suit just not finished. Being in and around London was nice, a good change from snug dressing rooms covered in cock drawings and riders that mean nothing. More of these shows everyday. Nick Lowe came to one of the shows looking so refined and every bit the gentleman, his cardigan made me jealous, its comes to this I'm afraid. In the post a letter from the Police, I had jumped a red light, but on a day off, so I hope it wont count. Sod it, another three points on top of the three I already have, not the end of the world.
Glasgow.
A new venue for me, the ABC is a clean and tidy place with the best PA mix we have had so far, and we were really looked after well by the staff, a nice curry and water in the fridge, no cock drawings anywhere to be seen. Sadly the audience seemed luke warm to our show, at best a ripple of applause, they sat way back from the stage and enjoyed the films but seemed detached from the music. Not like Glasgow at all. The drive to Glasgow started after the last nights Ronnie’s show in London, some Defune sushi then in the car with JB, six hours and two closed motorways later and we got to our hotel up by the lakes. Then on in the morning to the venue. A very long night, a very tired old hector. Radio Scotland and an interview about stammering, a first for me, I once stammered badly, its better now. The tour goes on and on, its getting so amazing, Cornwall and my resting place is a few weeks away, a nice small beech hut and some silent rays. Meditation and a good long think about myself, a retune.
Lathones
The Inn is right on the main road, Dorie can walk from her room into the passing traffic, but its tidy. Not much by way of a PA but we don’t mind, we solider on and on. A small crowd of about 16 people who sat through our show with grins and smiles, it was worth it to play under a poster of Glenn, in big words SOLD OUT across it. After the show we hung out in the bar, a rare treat for us, it’s the norm to jump in the car and drive off. It’s a lovely place, nice food nice people and a small but friendly venue, even if it was good Friday and only 16 people came to the show, I sold two CD’s. My hand was sore after the show, my bone throbbing from all those Tilbrook chords, I must get it fixed up after this tour. Off to bed and dreams of being skinny and handsome.
Night two. More people than last night, much nicer and I find myself dreaming in the set, I'm away far away on a hill looking down upon a small town, there is a spire. In the town I can see a search light revolving in the night sky, I walk down the hill to the high street, to the light, and there I see myself on a small stage singing surrounded by a handful of people. Dry ice covers the green stage and all of its lights. I sign autographs and wax lyrical about myself, its hard work. Leaving the town behind me I walk back up the hill to see the light has now gone out and darkness is falling around me. I'm happy.
Night 3. 8 people showed up, but it was ok because we had a walk up of 2, meaning there was ten in all. Dave the promoter was nervous about how I would react, how could I react in any other way than with the onwards and upwards vibe. We went on, cut the set by one song and rattled through the songs, then in the car for a marathon drive back to Hove, 552 miles. We left at 11 and got back at 5 am. John was snoring like a duck with a lisp. The hours flew by, World Service, people plashing lights at me for passing them too quickly, news, more news and more news. Sweets more sweets and more sweets. Life is good if not trying sometimes, I'm sure one day it will all make sense.
time for a shower!
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