blogfast

28/10/09

news from the Belfast production office… the wheels are starting to roll on our UK tour… with the addition of the fearless Manchester Orchestra, we are now systems-checked and ready to go. Greetings from Belfast.

the wheels are starting to roll on our UK tour… with the addition of the fearless Manchester Orchestra, we are now systems-checked and ready to go.

Manchester Orch, who are onstage as I type this, are worth not only getting down early to watch, but hitting iTunes or HMV before you even leave the house, so you’re familiar with their incredible new record. Their first record is also incredible, but they’re playing more from the new one, so best to start there.

Pulled Apart By Horses are pulling apart venues every night. So much vibe with that band, great guys, and a thrill to watch every night. The maniacs are playing two shows tonight. No idea how the fuck they can muster that sort of energy once, far less twice.

Our production crew are doing 8am – 2am shifts on this tour… Its a fairly mammoth undertaking, as well as the band’s equipment, we are carrying the full PA system, monitors, and a massive lighting system. Plus catering, and a few office cases. It takes two very large trucks to cart it about, and about 20 people to unload and set it up every day. Today in Belfast, we even had to bring the stage in. Although thankfully we don’t need to do that every day.

Unfortunately, there is very little gossip to report this early on. We had a day off last night, but instead of strip clubs, cocktails and class A drugs, we took in the closest restaurant we could find to the hotel (a TGI Fridays if you were interested) and frustrated at lack of draught beers and strawberry daiquiris.
The latter, is a frozen delight, that i near-perfected during the time in Los Angeles, when the band were recording Only Revolutions. If you ever bump into me, and i’ve got ice, strawberries, schnapps, rum and lime, as well as a blender, hold me to a wall until I make you one.

Tomorrow, we go to Dublin. Always a laugh. Slightly soured by the fact that the morning afterwards, we’ve got a 6.45am flight to Dusseldorf, but we’re almost used to that kind of shit by now. I say almost. We’ll never get used to it properly. It is worth it in this instance, to see our friends, old and new, in Germany.

I’m going to start giving away some tickets for the shows again, on the afternoon of each show…

Stay tuned to this blog, for all the pertinent details… Dublin tomorrow is in luck..

big love from all the band…

neil the tour manager.