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PETE'S TOUR JOURNAL PART FIVE - Thursday 17 March, Essen Germany Sleeping on a moving bus is easier than sleeping on a stationary one, or so it seems to me. I think my best hours of sleep were during the hop up the road to Essen. We arrived at midday and parked on a wasteground-cum-parking area for what looked like a dead ringer for Schindler's old factory in that famous film, surrounded by industrial buildings in various states of disrepair. We were playing in a hall inside a massive old warehouse with various rooms and cafe areas inside. My first impression on walking in was it was drafty and basic with stackable chairs and bench tables contributing to the old school vibe. Nick from Spock's was inside, clutching a hanky and looking a bit red round the eyes and nose. Oh dear, the tour cold had snuck on board and it would only be a matter of time before one or more of us would go down with it as well. I asked Nick if he would be OK for the shows ahead. He said he had various medicines with him and but might have to vary some of the vocal melodies. I had seen him using throat sprays a couple of times on the tour and was impressed that his voice was holding out so well with this gruelling schedule, particularly as Spock's aren't known for shortchanging a crowd and normally do a two and a half hour set at least. I needed to fix one of my Warwick basses as I discovered yesterday that a machine head had broken. I had to just wrap the string round as tight as I could and hope it didn't slip. It worked for last night but I didn't want to tempt fate and needed a replacement. Plus I wanted some new heavier gauge strings as we were tuned down a semitone - that old 'save the voice' trick. It works fine but means that guitars with standard gauge strings can sound a little 'thin and twangy' or a bit too 'light bluey pink', needing more of a 'darker green' (technical terms I have picked up over the years). So after showering, I asked the promoter where the nearest music shop was. He also needed to get fuses for Al's amp, so found someone to take me there. The town was not that near, but I followed this tall lanky fellow through the car park, across a major road junction, down an alley, through a local district of shops, to the Underground station. Oh dear not the tube. I followed Lanky Larry down to the platform to buy two tickets. As he was working out what to pay, the train pulled in and I sort of made the point we should get on before it leaves, so we jumped on and rode the rails for free. I had that carefree feeling and an Ocean Colour Scene song on my mind after a couple of stops, it occurred to me that our soundcheck would be comin' at me before to long and I wouldn't be in a fit state or place to do much about it. I asked my chap how long a journey it was to wherever it was we were going, and he nodded that it was the right direction. Ah yes, just the time for my schoolboy German to let me down. I inquired again and he held up 4 fingers. So was that 4 stations or four hours - I wasn't sure. I should have guessed of course - eight stops later we got out at Essen Maine. It was up the stairs at a run and over the road across the street up a bit left I think then there was my music shop. We went in and asked 'Sprecken sie English, bitte'? A young lady came forward and I explained what I needed. Heads shook, they didn't have the strings I needed. We left the shop and I followed Longlegs up the road where he mentioned fuses and pointed to another underground station, then walked off in a different direction. I was on my own to find my way back to, what was it called, er Essen something-or-other? I looked at the station map - I was one stop back on the route I had come along so I decided which way I should go and went to the ticket machine. This is easy I thought, I remember being in Barcelona with the family and Callum my oldest bought our tickets after finding the English button on the machine. I scanned the buttons - all German. The train came in, helping my decision to just jump on and hope for the best. After all what's the worst that can happen? Over the seven stops and with a sudden rise in my temperature, I thought of some pretty good ones but luckily for me no attendants, eager citizens or armed rail police came on board and I walked out a free man with two free rides under my belt. All I had to do now was remember the way back to, er... the venue name wasn't even remotely on the tip of my tongue, and I had no idea which way to go. I realised I'd entered the station from a different entrance, so I went back and traced my journey in from the other platform and it all started to come back to me and at last I found my way home. Well, to the car park, the bus and the old buildings. I walked in to find that things were coming on nicely and I hadn't needed to rush back. I did an interview with three guys from Scandinavia (I think - sorry if I got it wrong, I know I was impressed with the distance travelled anyway). So I settled down with John Mitchell and we talked through the whole Kino story. We've done lots of these between us now but it's a lot easier when people have a CD they can relate to and some feedback from live gigs. They liked the band and were looking forward to the show. I must say I was as well - it was a big hall and looked good from the front of house. I watched Spock's soundcheck while I sorted out my gear and Paddy got the keyboards together. Bob was sorting his cymbals and sticks, and John and John were backstage relaxing. We then did a fairly long soundcheck - my sound was good and I was looking forward to playing. My finger and its plastic skin had held up, although Rio and Jimmy were keeping me topped up with the stuff. It seemed everyone on the tour had a well-stocked medicine box - seasoned pros. We then went through our routines to create the right mood for a show. Paddy lit John M's joss sticks - an integral part of the proceedings. It calms John down and he never goes onstage without them. The set is starting gel together now and apart from a few oddities, I feel in a position to add more feeling to my performance. Again we start with Leave A Light On. I always enjoy Perfect Tense and Swimming, and this evening, Letting Go was really good for me, as Bob and I have really got the groove going. John plays another mindblowing faultless set on guitar and Swimming is again the main event as the anthemic chorus cuts through. Losers' Day still comes and goes, and we could do with more time to soundcheck and play through it really. Sadly we all know this is not going to happen - the frustrations of being a support band. After our slot, we do the mingling thing and people seem very excited about our set. I think John and John would both agree with me that the songs were more important than any other ingredient brought to the album. I have said many times in interviews that we cut great musical passages and solos out of the arrangements to keep the songs strong and the melodies in the mind. It all seems to work live as well as on the recording. Over at Kate's merchandise stall where we always end up hanging, there are lots of CDs being sold and autographs to be signed. We pose for a few photos, have a few drinks from the bar, the journalists who interviewed us earlier are still excited about our performance which is good. They were so fired up earlier I thought they might find it a little flat after putting us on such a high pedestal. No, we were much better than expected so it seems. It's great when loads of people tell you how good you are and how long they have waited for an album like this. At the end of the show I decide to head to the bus although there were still loads of people hanging around, taking pictures and chatting even though the gear is packed and we are about to leave. John, John and Bob have a last fag, as the engine starts and we wave to the strangers and pull away into the night. I didn't get to see much of the Spock's set but it seems that Nick's voice held out pretty well but the talk of the lower deck is Nick and Jimmy's ferocious drum solos which I seem to have missed most nights. It must be when I have a shower! They are both incredible players but tonight was one of those special ones by all accounts. Jimmy comes up to our lounge upstairs and we watch some comedy thing on DVD, and compliment him on his performance tonight. I make a mental note to watch it in future. Just watching the two drummers together is pretty far out anyway. Jimmy and Bob start chatting about teaching as they both do a bit of that at various schools of music. They talk about what styles they teach and what they say to students who want to get into rock music. It's the same as at school, I'm afraid kids. Learn the basics, you have to understand them, before you can start breaking the rules. I find this dead interesting as that has always been what I was told and in fact what I have said to kids when asked. This is a good bus full of musicians to hang around with - there is always something good, funny or just too weird going on. It's like having all the best TV channels but in real life. Eventually though the conversation dies down so I tootle off to bed. I don't know what the time is or where we're going but it doesn't matter anyway. Tomorrow as they say is another day.
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