Edinburgh and Cardiff

  We, the band, had an enjoyable journey by train up to Scotland heading north via the East Coast route. We followed the sea for many miles bypassing many interesting villages around many estuaries. One of the villages was Berwick-upon-Tweed that is near the border. Eventually we turned west at Burnmouth and headed for Glasgow.

 The shows were fueled by people singing along and making the stage their own. There's nothing like a British tour. Edinburgh was much the same at the Usher Hall and we found ourselves trying to balance the set list for the venues and audiences. Not an easy balance at all.
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 It was in the evening of the day off in Edinburgh that I followed my feelings into a Hard Rock Café. It's not the sort of place I go into to be honest, but something tugged me and it wasn't just boredom. I thought there might be a guitar on the wall that I would know. 

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After a short talk with the manager about a warehouse full of celebrity guitars, I wondered why I was in this lonely place. Then I saw it.
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It was me old mucker Pete Farndon's pink Hamer bass confirmed by the words below:

Pete Farndon. The Pretenders. 
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Oddly enough it moved me back into the early eighties and it bothered me. Why? I'm not really sure. But I wasn't there long.

  Nottingham was an odd show but a lot of fun. Chrissie likened the show to playing on a cruise ship. We all agreed it was an accurate description a combination of the venue and the shape of the set list. A friend of mine who was in his mid twenties saw the show and said it was the best thing he had ever seen! Mind you, it was the first music show he had ever been to. Yeah, I know.
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 Next we played Cardiff in Wales, the home town of Carwyn Ellis. Cardiff is only an hour and a bit away from my home. Late at night, that is. For the show, I wore the red Doc Martens and the red Mott the Hoople 'Brain Capers' T shirt. Red for the dragon of Wales, but also for Verden Allen (Mott the Hoople's keyboard player, Hammond C3) who was in attendance that night. 
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Note of interest: Verden was in a band with Jimmy Cliff in the early 60's. When crossing the Alps in a van, Jimmy shouted for the drive to pull over and stop. Jimmy got out and rolled and danced in the snow. He had never seen snow before! Great, huh?
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A lot of memories hit me on this tour and the whole band felt quite exhausted as we headed to Hammersmith in London. Remember, James Walbourne was doing the opening spot as well with The Rails! Quality.

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M.D.C.