Hi!
Just back from Granada – and still trying to recover from the
Piorno Rock experience! The “mañana syndrome” was
never more apparent than on this weekend. A catalogue of hold-ups
starting with the hired equipment arriving a whole day late (resulting
in only 1 day’s rehearsal), missing equipment (one of my own
keyboards had to be couriered in from England at the 11th hour) the
show running an hour and a half behind schedule – no time for
a sound check, and no transport arranged to get us back to the hotel
after the show!
Under those circumstances Andy put on an absolutely sterling performance
– having not played with us for 11 years and having no drum
monitors to mention for the majority of the show! All of us encountered
technical problems so if anyone reading this was witness to the event
– please be a little forgiving, I know it wasn’t the best
performance we’ve ever done but I hope we managed to hold it
together sufficiently to give the audience a decent show.
On a lighter note, it was great
to have Andy back – almost like being reunited with a long-lost
family member. Phil, Andy and I were all on the same flight out and
there was much reminiscence and laughter. The backstage banter was
just like the old days – ruthless repartee ricocheted across
the dressing room – it was every man for himself!
Pete was in good spirits and showed remarkable restraint given the
fact that we were imprisoned in the dressing room for two and a half
hours before our performance with copious amounts of beer and some
strange local brew at our disposal. Vinnie was, as always, the consummate
professional, overcoming jet-lag to put on a blistering performance,
and thanks must also go to one of our incredibly overworked technicians,
Andre, who not only had to look after Vinnie’s guitars but ended
up having to sort out all the problems with Pete’s bass, my
keyboards and Andy's and my monitors, whilst encountering total indifference
from the Spanish in-house crew who must have been direct descendants
of Manuel from “Fawlty Towers”. QUE?!!!
Check out the photos hot off the
press to see Mr Parker at the helm of the tubs once more!
Cheers,
Paul
