June 11th, 2013
OK. First off. Let’s get this out of the way. I am writing today’s blog with a MASSIVE hangover. So you will have to excuse the fact that it won’t necessarily be as scintillating, witty or informative as usual (assuming you thought any of those things in the first place). However, please keep in mind that I am sitting in my room at the Malmaison Hotel in Edinburgh typing this, with the bed behind me just crying out for me to climb in, assume the foetal position and go to sleep for a couple of hours before the soundcheck.
Yes, I’m afraid I got hijacked by one of Mickey’s mates last night, which set me up for a monster night which unfortunately ended quite messily.
“Come over to the pub” said Mick……. “and meet my mate Big Ian”
Why not? I thought. In any event, I just had to go to a pub called Plonkers, if only out of curiosity. Only in York…..
Well, let me tell you. Big Ian is quite a character.
Big Ian with yours truly and Mickey (pre-damage)
To be fair to him and his wife, they weren’t really to blame but the break in my normal pre-show routine was to prove costly some hours later.
You see, I’m a creature of habit and I always observe pretty much the same routine before every show. Show clothes on at T minus 1 hour, toilet stops every 20 minutes, with the last one just before we go on etc etc.
Part of that routine involves the commencement of the drinking with pin point accuracy. You don’t want to start too soon or you won’t play your best. But, by the same token, you need to have had a little livener to put you in the showbiz mood.
Now, after all these years I’ve got it down to a fine art. One drink of the current favourite (Vodka and Red Bull is in the chair at the moment) and I’m raring to go.
And then Mickey says come and say hi to Big Ian.
Before the show was fine actually. OK, I had a couple more than I usually would but I’ve never, ever gone on stage tipsy in 30 years and I’m not about to start now.
It was after the show when it all went horribly wrong. Big Ian was such a nice lad that I went back over to Plonkers to meet him after the show and when Lisa & Ian and some of their friends joined us, we were set for the night.
When I finally got back to the hotel I had to wait for the bed to go around a good 5 or 6 times before I managed to jump on to it. And when I woke up this morning, someone had broken into my room, thrown my clothes all over the place, put the clocks forward an hour and taken all the money out of my wallet!
I’m NEVER drinking again!
As far as the show was concerned, we all had an amazing night. The Opera House is a beautiful little theatre with great acoustics and incredibly helpful and friendly staff. Oh, and they even serve Beechdean Ice Cream – the finest ice cream in the world!!
Even after a break in the tour, everyone was on form and everything went according to plan. For those of you who are coming to any of the shows coming up, you are in for a treat as Lisa gets better and better as the tour goes on.
So, here we are in Edinburgh after driving up this morning and I’ve just got time to grab an hour’s sleep before the soundcheck in a desperate attempt to try to get myself feeling vaguely normal again.
Now, did I pack the Resolve?………..