20th July to the 24th july
Oh my giddy aunt! I guess you're all wondering with pin pricked ears as to the events of our French Tour 2006, in all it's glory, in all it's mayhem! Here's what happened:
Thursday 20th July
5.30am I'm out side the flat, bag on my shoulder, felt like the first day of school.....quick smoke before we go......Roy turns up, and away we go.
The ferry was quite a posh one by my standards, I've been on some sh!t holes. Had a fry up which was over priced and small portioned (but who was I to complain, starvin!). Out the other side of the ferry we commenced out 550 odd mile jouney to Rochechouart.
Took us 7.5 hours in total, quite a drive. Listened to nearly every CD that roy had in in his car....restless, tried not to sleep, but blimey, I nearly did it but flaked out a couple of hours before the end of the journey! Typical!
Went straight to Les and Tracey's house. Fantastic looking place. I never really knew what to expect with the whole french thing, and an eye opener for sure. The beauty there (no puns intended) was phenominal..... They gave us the tour of the place, and the Kennels they have opened (www.putlinkhere.fr)
Had a couple of beers and then went out for a meal in Rochechouart. It was a restaurant called 'The Metorite'. Real typical looking french restuaurant and we sat ourside on their courtyard section. Had a steak and gizard for starters (very strange). After that we popped into a bar for a couple of beers just to see where we were playing on saturday night. This was called the 'Roc De Bouf' Wonderful building, restored very nicely.
Came back from there back to Les and Tracey's where we carried on drinking. Out came the acoustic guitars, Tracey went to bed (don't blame her!) and we started wailing and playing songs. Roy and I made a song, or the basis for a 'never grew up' track, but I can't remember it for the life of me, can you roy?
Gave up drinking about 4.30, and decided that bed was the best option, all smoked out, all over drunk, I could get used to this!
Friday 21th July
I could hear some scuffling noises around me, I feared it might be a dog or one of the cats come to harass me, so I kept my eyes tightly closed, just incase they thought the oportunity to lick me! Sit up to realize, that 'cor blimey' my head hurts like a bugger. Nasty.... staggered round for a bit and went outside. Roy surfaced too with the same pained look on his face.
Having a jam in the morning to cure a hangover? Never going to happen is it!
Les must have been a bit more used to the whole thing, as he didn't look so bad!! The cheek! hehe. As a true gent, he made a full english breakie for us, fan-flippin-tastic....was a proper sized meal which kept me happy for the day - need something to soak up the alcohol!
Thought we'd take a drive into where the other bar was we were playing that night 'les salle'. On route we had to check Roy into his Gite (spelling) where he and his wife and friends were going to be staying for the month - they weren't turning up until saturday though.
Back to the house after that, and it was relax and pool time.....wonderful! So just floated, laid, slept and tried to shift the hangover!
Heard the rest of the band were getting ever nearer, so said we'd meet them at their hotel, 'Hotel de France'. I was supposed to be staying there, but thought I'd be cheeky, save a few euro's and crash at Les and Tracey's place (aren't they kind to me!)
Bob (bass), gary (drums), ian (guitar), and the infamous Mark Palmer 'we needed a roadie so bad' were outside the bar, looking rather chilled. Joined them for a wee drink and then went to 'les salle'.
Very strange set up for this gig. There was I guess like a T junction area in the road surrounded by old french houses, and they closed the road off and we set up in the middle of this square. The setting was fantastic. Unfortunatly, due to rushing no-one remembered a camera (my fault I know!) but I think we got a couple on mark P's camera phone.
The gig itself went really well. The sound from Les's Pa and micing up the drums etc sounded wonderful, was impressed! Les had brought all his lights, lazers and smoke machines etc with him and looked very cool in the square with these lights bouncing off the buildings.
5 beers and a Vodka for the poof........ahem! A phrase which didn't get missed by anyone.....I am now the mincer of the band! Gee thanks! Bet you didn't think it'd have an adverse effect though eh - hehe. The deal with the gigs were we were paid a fee and then our drinks were free for the rest of the night (UK venues who hire us, please take note!). Our glasses were never empty unless you are either bob or myself.....bob thought it appropriate to bat his glasses of wine everywhere with the head of his bass...maybe just playing the bass was too easy....and I managed to knock a vodka over on the bass bin - whoops - but it sounded very nice after that!!
The gig started at 10pm, and we had a few breaks inbetween and finished at 2.20am....one hell of a long time, but we were all pretty pleased with the whole affair, great stuff. Now the horrible bit, packing up, didn't do too badly really, all trying to rush, cause well, more drinking to be had.
We got into the bar afterwards and drank until, well, think it was about 5am. Met some wonderfully friendly people there... louise, fran, Linda and Dave, ben and Rachel.......might have been more, but the vodka effect had consumed my by this point!
Gave up about 5 or just after and decided home was where we were all headed. Said out goodbyes which took an age (not that I'm complaining obviously!) and then off we went.
Great first gig night, can't believe how much they drink here....can't believe how much we drank there!!!!!
Saturday 22th July
Woke up with a cat on me this time........at least someone loves me! hehe. The hang over feeling I was expecting, wasn't actually as bad as I thought, was well impressed...... a-ha, mabye I'm climatising to vodka in my veins!
Had breakfast, and then people had to sort out a few things. Les had to go pick up a car, Roy and Tracey went shopping.....they kinda roped me into doing some acoustic songs in the afternoon at the bar - so thought it'd be okay...and as everyone was gone thought it would be a good oportunity to see if I could still sing!!!
Hangover starting to kick in, vodka/blood ratio obviously not right, and I start flagging.....keep going....
Got to the Roc de Bouf at 4.30pm. Set up all the band inside the bar as worried incase we got a storm. Set up a speaker, mic and chair for me outside where I was going to do my acoustic set.
People started eating about 6pm maybe and that's where I kicked off my ten tracks. Can't remember what I played to be honest, but think it went down okay.....me singing expelled some toxins I'm hoping as I didn't feel quite so bad afterwards......
Hair of the dog or whatever, we all started drinking again, thought I'd better join in, would be fine.....ach......so once more 5 beers and a vodka for the poof! Even the staff (some of them) started to believe it!
Gig started about 8.30 I think! Felt a little spaced out with the vodka thing and wasn't on the planet so to speak...I had a little friendly moral support though which was great! The gig went well, but I think we struggled a fraction....nothing too bad....apart from:
1. Les lost his voice in the first song! Not good and then thought drinking port by the galon would make it better (hehe)
2. I lost my voice by the second set and had probably too much to drink cause I made the shortest version in the world of mustang sally and refused to the greenday song cause my voice was shagged....doh - sorry about that guys
3. Ian's acoustic wasn't coming out the PA - not sure why
4. Gary got a bit upset with les (and probably me!) (the funniest thing to see hehe)
Other than that I think we pulled it off okay (no thanks to me!) After the gig, packed up everything, had a lock in and drank for quite some time.
Driving home, had a little mishap in the van, another car decided to bounce off us driving back to the house - almighty thud! doh....although, it wasn't as bad as we thought - and turned out we knew the other people in the car (what are the chances of that!!)
Some piccies taken outside the bar after it'd all finished!
Sunday 23rd July
Woke up, felt kinda poo yet again but the hangover feeling is subsiding. Bob and gary decided to go home that day and me, Ian and Mark decided to stay on for another day (what a shame!).
I'll divert slightly to what I heard about bob and gary getting home.....they nearly ran out of petrol somewhere - running on empty! Then there was a mix up at the ferry and where our 'roadie-so-bad' Mark P had run and changed the ferry date to the monday, they had changed both ferry crossing dates! So Bob and Gary had to stay at a hotel in calais! This makes me even more glad I stayed another day!!
Took Fran to work in a bar called the 'Casa Nat' and we all tagged along. We were deciding what we were going to do that day which didn't involve drinking too much...hmm, had a few beers whilst deciding, and then put some tunes on the stereo and sang to the classics. A few more beers pondering what we were going to do and then the girls went back to the house to walk the dogs - we drank and pondered for the days activities.....
7.5 hours later still hadn't decided and had drunk an impressive amount of alcohol - whoops!
7.30pm we all went for a meal - Fran and her family joined us too which was nice and we went back to the restaurant we ate in the first night (The Metorite - I'm sure Les wanted to go there to see his french girlfriend!!!). Was all great fun.....15 of us in total.
About midnight, some of us went back to the house and a few others went drinking........ I heard through the grape vine that Les ended up sharing a bed with Mark P, think he was changing religion, not sure Mark P approved! hehe
Monday 24th July
7.45am.....Ian and Mark P turn up to collect me......I'm going home. Never had such a sinking feeling of having to leave this random life I had discovered. Been searching for something like this for years, and I found it, only to have to leave.......I slept in the truck on the way home whilst Ian and Mark played country songs and changed all the words, just for me!!!!
Got home about 7pm I think......tired, smelly, hungover, and with a bemused look on my face...back to my reality again....for now...
This was an experience like no other, true tour stylee I feel....got more french gigs lined up for sure, looking forward to it....
Thank you guys, for an unforgettable few days! Memories made will never be forgotton!
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