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My son Max is a lucky bugger. He took the Eurostar to Paris, met me, watched us play there, then went on to Brussels and Amsterdam with us, and home with me on the crew bus, not a bad 3 days, huh?
We played at La Cigalle, in Clichy, near Pigalle, choice area I can tell you, great old theatre, only 1200 capacity, we could have done 3 or 4 nights there, but it was mainly for Heavy Traffic promotion. Always great to be on a stage where they've all been, Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Johnny Halliday, I can't think of many more French stars, so Brian Poole at les Tremeloes, there's another one who's been there. Did you know his daughters are the band called Alisha's Attic? You do now. Boiling hot gig, 1200 French throats (plus a few EC representatives) made a hell of a din, we only did an hour and 20 minutes, then straight on to Brussels. Yeah, that Max, shit life. We had breakfast in Paris up the Eiffel Tower, which was after dinner at Montmartre the night before, then we had Jean-Claude Van Damme at le Grand Place in Brussels for breakfast ( Van Damme-mussels from Brussels, where's that coat?), bit odd though at 11.00 in the morning! Played the Forest National Stadium that night, I think we have over played Belgium a bit lately, and I was proven right, as we only had 5000 billy instead of the usual 8, still, didn't matter, us and you kicked ass, big high cinq to my dinner date Isabelle... Support band in Brussels was Zep Zupiler and the Zibo-somethings... barking mad, all of 'em... but they certainly did a good job entertaining the billy, check their site at www.zepzupiler.be. Was rather crowded on the bus, there were a couple of people from the sizzling soaraway Sun with us for a couple of days, various Porters and Parfitts, still turned into quite a rave up, if that's the word you youngsters use nowadays... course in my time it was a good old cockney knees up, god bless ya guvnor, salt of the earth we were(cont'd p94). 
On to Amsterdam, the American Hotel, poor Max, he just HATES to slum it in places like that... we got chucked out of a coffee shop, and didn't have tulips for breakfast, though when I am on the keyboard I like to have tulips on my organ (arf arf) Played at the Heineken Arena that night, the place where the Dutch Nutters seem to buy 2 beers at a time, one to drink, and one to throw around the gig, strange custom that, just PLEASE give me the alcohol franchise... Usual great gig, though a couple of people did get rather too tired and emotional, and at times I thought it was all going to go off, but luckily it didn't. We even (even us, real rock gods that we are) got some beer chucked at us, doesn't bother me... That's not to say let's make it a habit, by the way!! Check out these pics that one of our Dutch fans 'Headbang Animal' Hans sent me... is this the biggest Quo Tattoo ever? I think so... Geeser! Afterwards, went home on the crew bus. They are the mad ones, let me tell you folks, but they let us off lightly, as they'd had a right old whing ding the night before, luckily. Rest of band, Dublin, 3 days. Me... home 3 days. Me? ... Gardening, rubbish dump, ironing washing, cleaning. Smell of burning martyr I know, but I actually like doing the daily drudge, school run etc, gets you back to reality v. quick. Rest of band. Completely chilled. Me... Not. Arrive Dublin. Band on other planet. Me like other planet. Me get back in bubble pronto. Loveleeee!!! 
Did a late show telly, then played The Point, one of the great gigs, I think it was 4 years ago we played there, hope it's less than that the next time. Complete cross section of billy, all ages, from headsdownnononsensemindlessboogiers to sixtysomethings, but they all had one thing in common. They know how to REALLY enjoy themselves. It's always a joyous experience playing Dublin (gosh, I'm sounding a bit emotional now), the people are really great, which is amazing as it's always raining!! Don't think I've ever been to Dublin when it hasn't been. Still, I'm English, we do seem to get more than our fair share of the wet stuff.. Talking of which, Guinness rules! A lovely stay, next time we've 3 days off, I know where I'll be.. On then to Belfast, guess what? It was raining. Went for a pint at class="b">The Crown, most amazing pub in Ireland, then popped next door to Robinson's bar, where I bumped into Mr. A Bown, keyboardist and lay preacher at the church of Quo. We agreed that the Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways, as we were there independently of each other, and it was a fair old walk from the hotel. So, we celebrated the miracle of the bar, as it has now become known, with imbibement of SKAG (sacramentknownasguinness) and eating of WANC (walkersaeratedonoincrisps-no such thing-I know).Saw some of those Orange marching bands parading, they were getting soooo wet. Funny I thought, funny... Why is there all the crap going on here? I know I'm being simplistic, but why can't everybody live together? It's a beautiful part of the world, with lovely people (including my wife), but it's forever being overshadowed by entrenched attitudes. Wish I could work it out. Anyway on to the gig, Belfast Waterfront, new one to me. By the way, we had a really good support on the Irish dates. Payola is the name, We met up with them backstage at the Waterfront after the gig, and found out that Phillip the singer is a huge Quo fan, and they were made up at being able to support us. Great guys, they were telling us how difficult it is to make it in Northern Ireland, keep it up, check them on the web at www.payolarock.com. Ah yes, the show... We could have done 2 or 3 there, great demand, and I'd love to go and do 2 or 3, acoustics great, big dressing rooms, good catering facilities etc, it all makes the day that bit better if everything about the venue is good. Although not at Bridlington, everything about the backstage is crap, as is the stage, but what a gig!!! By the way, anyone going to Brid. I am, see you there, can't wait... we did Burning Bridges here if I remember, then overnight to Manchester, partied with the crew on the way over, WRONG! Did I feel shit the next day. 
Liverpool, rainy day, plush auditorium with pinky velvet seats, all v. polite, the venue is home to the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, imagine a few bodies must be turning in their graves when we play there, Little Egypt (www.littleegypt.co.uk) arrived, they're opening for the first half of the tour before Hurricane Party take over. I'm writing this about 14 gigs into Little Egypt's stint with us, they've got soooo much better since they started in the 'Pool that night, they looked very hesitant, not now they don't.. Them and Hurricane Party are both doing Wembley and Birmingham, should be good... By the way, we have a new front of house sound engineer, Andy May, by all accounts he's doing a great job, and it's well punchy and loud. Sounds good to me. Had enough, gtg,imho,fu,rhno 
49 and one half of one year young.
Rick by Barry Colquhoun Headbang Animal Hans by Johan. Rhino in Brussels by Frank Abbeloos, courtesy of Patrick Cusse (Zep Zupiler and the Ziboflateurs) The Three Rossi's; (LtoR) Nick, Kieran and Francis, by Barry Colquhoun |
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