We're now in Lyon just having soundchecked for tonight's show.
After last night in Strasbourg we're all really excited to play... the audience was amazing and everyone was really nice to us. Thank you to the person who left us the message on the pavement outside our van!
Here's what we've been up to so far...
the first date of the tour was Thessaloniki. we got up at 530 am to get to Gatwick, but the flight was cancelled. So we ended up having to change in Munich. We finally got there at 10pm, only to find they'd left emma's drum kit and my bass behind... so we ended up having to go straight to the venue and play with no soundcheck... thank you to support band "dread astaire" for lending us their gear! After the show we all went and ate dinner and slept for a couple of hours before getting up to get another flight to Athens. The show in Athens was great fun, it was lovely to see Maria, the promotor of Gagarin again... we had some delicious food, and all went out dancing after the show. Anni Rossi, who is out with us at the moment, definately wins the prize for best moves on this tour!! I stayed on in Athens with a friend for a couple of days, and finally got to go to the Acropolis.
Then we went to Switzerland via somewhere in the north of France (Chaumont?)... we are 8 people sleeping in a van with 6 bunks and that was when we realised that the heating doesn't work... then the man in the hotel where we had a day room accused Tony (our sound engineer), Anna (our tour manager) and Mia of being prostitutes... so we drove on to Switzerland hoping for better luck there, snow blowing up through the gap in the van door and us all wrapped up like sausage rolls in our duvets.
We arrived in Vevey to amazing hospitality... there were postcards on the rider, and felt tip pens. The audience was lovely and the promotors had got us a hotel (thank you Kevin!) which even had a swimming pool. Zurich was also fun, although very cold, but the themed hotel was interesting... Anni and I had to share a bed in the Carmen room... Emma and Verity had 1001 nights... I got up and had a wander the next day. Everything was shut (it was a Sunday) but it was a really beautiful town.
Strasbourg also was a great place to be... we had a night off so we went out for dinner then Verity and I went to see Auf der anderen Seite at the cinema.
Last night's crowd was really superb... so thank you Strasbourg! I love being back in France, especially for the catering. Getting to play with Anni Rossi every night feels like a real priviledge, she is an amazing performer... and of course being back on the road with Melanie (Tender Forever) is extra fun.