A JOURNEY TO THE UNITED KINGDOM
Entry Nine

Talk about unconfirmed details… We show up Thursday morning for the one show that started this whole “European idea of a tour” and they still think that we are to play in the little classroom. Someone talked to someone else who didn’t talk to the host who didn’t hire the tech team needed to run the upstairs auditorium. We have all the right conclusions for them- we happened to have brought the soundman (Troy) and the tech director (Mat) from Woodcrest which is an even bigger capacity venue than this one. We even have someone (Kim) who can run the computer graphics that have the lyrics that we can throw up on the screen for people to sing along- that we happened to bring along with us as well. Oh, but you still want us to have it down here… because of the size of the crowd. We then bring up the volume issues and the inadequate sound system down in the classroom and on and on. It came down to us saying it would be best if we did not play at all- than to compromise with the crappy sound not to mention the brutal acoustics of the room with the snare thing happening. I can still imagine the blinking and twitching going on. Whatever happens- happens… the host left the room for about 20min and came back with the idea of having the guest speakers talk downstairs for the morning session- break for lunch and everyone meet upstairs where we will be set up ready to have a mini afternoon concert followed up with the rest of the sessions downstairs. YES!!! It works. We are thankful for him stepping up and fixing something that would have been a very big letdown for a lot of people back home - and us. There are people who raised thousands of dollars to send us over here with this one show being the “Biggie”. At the close of the morning session each member gets a free cd of ours so they are pumped up for the concert. It is awesome, we kick in and they know the songs (the cover songs- that is) and are singing along. Next time they will know our tunes because they now have the album. The sound system sounds wonderful and the light show is great. They even had Intel lights like we have at home but could not afford to bring. We have a wonderful time. I tell the guys it reminds me of when I was little and a benchwarmer on my softball team. It felt like one of those rare chances when I would actually get to play. Our Piet that was leading the teaching sessions downstairs announces at the end if anyone was interested in having us at their own events next year, they should give us their contact info. We now have about 10 contacts. We also want to get involved with a youth movement happening in London called “The Gathering”. I don’t know anything about it but the name itself is intriguing. We’ll have to start saving our pennies NOW. I tell Mat we just need to get booked on a cruise ship where we can get paid to perform while we travel our way over here. That way we won’t have to stress about guitar amps on conveyer belts. He says he will get right on it. We are on a good high for the rest of the day. We get together with the whole gang to eat at a wonderful French restaurant. I already have my eye on dessert so I am going to eat something small. I get a yummy French baguette bread that is toasted and is spread with hummus and layered with roasted red bell peppers. OK… the dessert I was holding out for is crème Brule and it is not a letdown. I have the kit to make it at home and I am feeling like I can handle the torch flame thing after this delectable experience. We enjoy the walk back to the hotel. The flowers are incredible here and it is October!! They have made a spiral tree about ten feet tall out of petunia plants. I want to try to figure out how to do a mini version of that at home. It is so packed with plants I can’t tell what the frame looks like that they must be planted in. We then walk by an arrangement of flowers on a slope that is in the design of a sheet of music with the Staff and notes and everything. I make myself look up from time to time- the streets are loaded with intricate designs in the brickwork. It’s really a beautiful city. Too bad we have to leave tomorrow. We are off to Nottingham- Robin Hood country. I want to dig up something from Sherwood Forest and plant it in my backyard. We’ll see if there’s time and how to manage a small tree on the plane- another reason to come by ship next time!!
We hate to say goodbye to Birmingham but we are looking forward to our last show of the tour. The rest of the group will not be able to make this gig because they are taking the train to Paris where we will meet back up to fly home. It’s not too bad leaving the city. We have a time booking a hotel for tonight. We even debate whether to just drive on to where we will catch the ferry after we finish tonight but we will be shot and so we go ahead and fork over $100 - that’s the cheapest we can find on the internet. OUCH!!! We can’t wait to get back to our normal stuff- we really take for granted how easy it is to travel back home- the interstates are so helpful with their brilliantly lit perfectly placed signs and convenience stores are everywhere- open a true 24hrs!!! We did stop at a service area like you see on the toll roads back home that have the gas stations and fast food places combined. We discovered Marcs and Spencer, which we immediately nickname Troyville. It is awesome. It is truly a whole foods bonanza. It is a market that is super fresh- out of date is like… two days from now! They have gourmet sandwiches with weird things like avocado slices on them. That‘s quite a change from Break Time‘s dashboard deli sandwiches back home. They have a ton of salads, and gourmet meal-starts that you can take home and prepare very speedily. Well about an hour later we drag Troy away from his obsessive-label reading and prepare for the line and the bill. We think not too bad… then we remember… oh yeah, we are paying in pounds. So basically double the bill and you’ll be about right. We finally make it to the hotel and get checked in. Mat pays to get on the internet to get directions and find out some more details about the show. Well, we are playing tonight but we don’t know when sound check is or a million other things that we continually nag him about so we decide to go on and find the club early. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for Sherwood Forest. It takes forever to find the club as usual. We decide that none of the cities we have been in are on grids, if you want to turn around you can’t just turn, turn, turn, and you’re back to where you started. No, you are somewhere else entirely and good luck finding a street sign. Remember to look up on the sides of the buildings as well as you whiz by. I see a sign for Sherwood Forest but there will be no time for digging. We pass by the club- I think Shannon spots it first.