The second half of the Consortium tour.. this time west going east and back a bit.... The first stop was London .. kind of local(ish) for me, and the prospect of getting back to my own bed really appealed..The thought of driving around the M25 on Friday night whilst the world was heading out to their country estates and second homes did not appeal and I quickly found out that I could get a cheap parking ticket at Gatwick and ride the train/ underground - even better the tube station was less than 50m from the venue. .... Sorted.
Sue and I cruised up tot eh long term parking, caught the bus almost immediately and then the train was on time a few mins after we arrived on the platform. Train journeys are not fun, but my way of coping is to plug in the electronic pipes and get lost in some serious practice - not good for your companions, but it gets me through the time. Before long we pulled into Victoria, and were fighting the crowds to the tube station (this just reminds me why I don't work or live in London).
At Highbury & Islington tube station it was chucking it down ... we hovered in the foyer for it to slow down a bit, and then did a big circle to find venue. As the rain came on heavy again, I gave up and looked on the phone, only to find it two doors down.
We waited outside for a few moments before my mind translated the images coming into my brain ... we could not possible load through a door in rush hour when there are red lines on the road... there had to be another door... there was and it was the other side of the building.Gareth, Vinden, Noterminus and Ryan were all there waiting for the van to arrive, and pleasantries were exchanged, before we popped into have a look at the venue ...
Upstairs again in the smaller room (downstairs was being used by Eddie and the Hotrods and Nine below Zero). but again a perfect size for this tour. the room was rectangular, with the toilets to the side of the stage (also the dressing room, which resembled a sauna). The bar was at the back of the room. The stage was comparatively cramped, and we had to put the guitar rack in a cupboard to one side.
Additionally Jay and Paul had given up with the straight DI boxes and brought along speaker cabs, so they were not relying on the monitor mixes. Not sure if it was this or the break, but the boys were really on fire this night with plenty of jumping around.For dinner we raided the local Waitrose city store, you can tell this was London, loads of fancy pastries and Pate, rather than bread and pork pies!!.
Sue manned the merch stall which we placed by the front door made cosy with a washing line and some coat hangers.
Trade was variable, but we did sell some cds to the guitarist from Nine Below Zero before he did his set!!
At the end of the show, we could use the front entrance, which made loading the van easier, and after some quick goodbyes Sue and I headed for the tube. The journey back was memorable only for the drunken loud mouths on the train, with tails I would really rather not have to endure... but it was only for 30 mins. At Gatwick there was a short wait for the bus, but another testament to British society with the scramble for the bus and depositing suitcases everywhere. Before long I was curled up in my bed fast asleep.
Saturday would be spent preparing for the next day and the final date of the tour.
