We're in a huge sandy car park-cum-camping site alongside a large river just outside Aschaffenburg. I can see a small castle on a hill the other side of the river, and we are very much in the countryside. I decide to walk down to the river's edge and take a closer look. I decide some Count or other must have lived in the castle, and I almost expect to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang racing along the road. Some lads are at one end of the car park with a souped-up trial bike, and it doesn't take long before the Politzi come along and 'ave a word. I go back to the bus before they decide to ask what I'm up to as well, as I must look a little out of place in shorts, t-shirt and Pumas without socks.

Tommy and Olly are up, so I have a chat. Gradually more people start wandering about - Dave, Al, Nick, Kate, and Andreas the lighting guy, who has been doing a fantastic job with what the venues have to offer. This can vary immensely from a full set of lights and a nice desk to a few white lights with broken gel covers and a desk that doesn't work. The stock answer when telling certain places that something doesn't work is, "Oh yeah that needs fixing". You know you could go back years later and it won't have changed. Luckily we haven't been to many places like that.

Around midday our bus makes its way to the venue. This is not as easy as you would think. The town is made up of old cobbled streets, and we have to get down one of the narrow pedestrianised ones. We go past two gates into the walled city, and find our way to the small brewery where we park and have access to the back of the gig. The load-in commences and I go upstairs to find the dressing rooms. We have a nice room with the shower down the end of the corridor. (Am I obsessed with showers?) I decide to go and find a music shop, and am told there is one down the street. It's turning out to be a lovely afternoon and I walk past Al sitting on a bench reading his book, and I also spy John Beck up and about catching some rays. Funny how everyone has notice the abundance of young women walking about. This is definitely a college town, and a fairly wealthy one by the look of the restoration of the architecture. A lot of towns in Britain would have knocked it all down in the Sixties and built something more practical out of concrete. I find a small music shop but they can't help me with my quest so I settle for an ice cream and wander back to the venue. When I tell Paddy and John about this, I find out I went to the wrong music shop, so I head back to the other shop. The guy is really helpful when I ask about a Warwick machine head. 'What year' he asks, as they changed from Schaller to some cheaper make a few years ago. As mine is from a 1985 thumb bass they have nothing in stock so I thank him and leave empty handed again and walk back to the venue.

Spock's are just about to soundcheck as I go back to the dressing room to find John, Jimmy, Kate and Eleanor (who does our website, and came out to see a couple of shows and help Kate with the merch). I grab a Diet Coke and go down the corridor to the office so I can get online to catch up on email, and visit the Kino site as we have lots of good feedback from the gigs so far. I answer a couple of things, read lots of favourable postings, then go off as Nick wants to do the same thing. There is always a queue for these things. This was turning out to be a really relaxed day when everything was going well and we were all getting on particularly well.

I watched Spock's go through their stuff, and then it was our soundcheck which was a good one. As this venue has a fairly small stage we're going to do the usual set which means no acoustic guitar for me. After soundchecking we eat, and then just relax in the dressing room till it's time to get ready. As it has been a warm day, the venue starts to warm up with all the people inside. We play a pretty good set I think. It is sounding more and more convincing as the days go by. It's really hot on stage and lots of water is drunk between songs. John's pre song banter is also getting better, and again we went down really well. We come off stage dripping in sweat, but feeling like it was a good day's work (well 45 minutes anyway). After cooling down and having a second shower of the day (luxury) I make my way back downstairs to watch Spock's set. The place is well packed and it's pretty difficult to see the stage as the only logical place really is at the back of the hall by the entrance corridor, unless I want to get in amongst the crowd. Something I don't mind doing but then you get into talking to people and signing stuff and I feel it takes something away from the main band. I stand at the back to make sure I catch the drum solo from Nick and Jimmy which is pretty impressive stuff. In fact the whole Spock's set is impressive to say the least. Al and Rio are on form and Rio tells his joke in Japanese. This without translation is pretty funny. I think you have to be there to get the full effect though.

After the gig, the venue takes on a different vibe and all the young beautiful people we have been watching walking around all day seem to be falling over themselves to get into the nightclub that has sprung in to life from nowhere. People are dancing, moving about, looking really daft or just hanging in the corridor to see how many people it takes to block the stairs. It seems that the coatcheck area is halfway up the stairs, an interesting place for it to be situated. So as well as the 50 or so trying to sit on the stairs being cool and aloof, there is an ever-increasing amount of people trying to go up and down from the coat place. This madness seems to go on all evening, what is left of it.

I eventually take my stuff from the dressing room and struggle my way past everyone and out to the bus. Home Sweet Home. I get myself comfy and go to see what's going on in the lounges. Rob has been on his laptop doing some work - I think most people have laptops and everyone has a phone so powerpoints get taken pretty quick on these buses. Luckily I have a powerpoint in the cupboard just above my bunk. I phoned home earlier, as I usually do. I have been using my phone a lot this week and it needs a good charge. I plug it in and get myself off to bed.