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Category: Music
The Rhythm section met the musical section in a classified rendezvous in Maidstone (We can’t reveal our meeting place: for fear of being mobbed in a couple of weeks when we meet there again and also Jim might have to tax the car) Swapping vehicles and loading into the new improved “Oily Rag Mobile” for the remainder of the journey, we hit the tunnel and the beer saying goodbye to the Albion and setting off for foreign lands. It was dark by the time we emerged in France for a quick stop at the petrol station to fill up with essential supplies: Diesel and Marlborough Red and the journey begins in earnest. Roadie Joe slept as we proceeded through France, Belgium, and Holland before finally waking in Germany as we board the ferry to Denmark. Denmark to Sweden via a series of bridges and islands in the morning mist we finally arrive in Sweden. For those of you who have not been to Sweden firstly it is a beautiful country, secondly the roads are excellent, thirdly there’s hardly any cars. Tony, totally wired by lack of sleep, led the discussions of which race track Sweden reminds him of and proceeded to show us the racing line at every corner past Malmo. The SatNav was totally exhausted by this point and asked to be booked into the Priory when we return as the ETA tumbled by the minute before finally reaching our destination - Emmaboda. After a quick spot of lunch at the hotel (why no KFC in Sweden??) we headed for the festival site, the first venue on the tour - a secret gig at the Rassle Punk festival – in fact it was so secret we all changed our names, changed the name of the band, played with others not normally in LTS and didn’t do any Long Tall Shorty songs. – Immediately we embraced the local hospitality on account of the extortionate price of beer in Sweden - £6 in the Hotel!! It went down a scream with beer cans being hurled at the stage (unfortunately empty) and the kids attempting to climb on stage to join us for the encore. Afterwards we chatted with the locals and Roadie Joe, bolstered by his mammoth sleeping effort through four countries, fraternised at the side of the stage and continued to do his bit for Anglo-Swedish relations until 7am in the morning. Up at 8 for a quick breakfast and then off to Germany. We arrived at the venue – Schokoladen in Berlin – the paint peeling from the façade reveals the words “Tsar’s Chocolates” hinting at this run-down building’s past, but what a great venue. Meeting up with The Not Amused we drank beer, washed, changed, sound-checked and ate pizza (Why no KFC in Berlin??) before rocking the kids with Shine on Me, Ain’t Done Wrong, Blitzkrieg Bop, Win or Lose, That Ain’t All, Born to Lose, Marvin’s Gaye, Ships in the Night, to name but a few. The venue was packed and the kids moshed and pogo’d with until the sweat dripped off the walls. What a first gig in Germany!! One of the kids, who was jumping around and singing all the songs right down the front, tells us that he was from East Berlin and at great danger had the records smuggled in from the west in a secret compartment in the boot of a car – Long Tall Shorty subversive punk!! Off to a bar afterwards for more beer, kebab then some well deserved sleep. Roadie Jo fraternised with the locals until 7am before retiring only to be woken at 9am to hit the road again. No wonder he sleeps all day! Special thanks have to go out to Kidnap and the rest of the lads and lasses from The Not Amused for bringing us over to Berlin – what a gas! We really enjoyed it Berlin Rocks and we hope to be back soon. Next Stop Bad Breisig for the 2 Men From L.I.N.Z Mod and Sixties Weekender. Bad Breisig is a quiet, picturesque spa town on the banks of the river Rhine – but it won’t be quiet for long. Checked into the hotel, drank beer, washed, changed, sound-checked and ate steak (Why no KFC in Bad Breisig??) before hitting the stage in the early hours of the morning – it has to be said it was the best dressed audience we’ve played in front of in a long time. The kids loved it and danced their way through a blistering set they even screamed out for Born to Lose (may be they have got wind of the future Johnny Thunders EP which should be available later in the year). The Germans really know how to enjoy themselves. Finally back to the motor and the solace of the autobahn for the journey back to Calais. Special thanks to Michael Wink for organising the gig, hotels, food and pushing his way through the crowd mid set with four Steins of larger mid set. Hopefully see you soon Michael. More next week with the first of the UK dates Fiddlers Elbow Camden (We know where the KFC is!!) with Russell Hasting of From the Jam and the fabulous Teenbeats, before heading back to Hamburg, Antwerp the weekend after then the final date on the tour at the 100 Club with the Purple Hearts. Somebody has posted some clips on youtube of the Berlin gig – thanks – links below
7:30 PM
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