Time is so incredibly flexible. Often when I took the dithering train from London up to the Midlands, those 2 ½ hours felt like an eternity. Today I’ve been on this train for about five hours with another three to go and it’s really not bothering me at all… This is probably because I only had about three hours sleep last night and am more than happy to sit here, staring out the window. Yesterday I played a show in Cologne at the lovely Kulturcafe Lichtung (and drank my first Koelsch Beer, which totally has nothing to do with the fact that it was a late night). After a couple of “firsts”, it was really nice to arrive in Cologne; I knew where to go and what to expect. Michael and Michael, who run the venue, are really great hosts and I was looking forward to familiar faces and familiar faces there were many! I think the nicest thing about the show yesterday was that so many of you who saw me play there back in May came along again – it was great to see you all! I also managed to record a wee video session before the show, so look out for that – will post links of course.
A small insight into tour planning, or the lack of.
My Map’s looking crazy! Tour planning has been a wee bit insane, but sometimes these things just can’t be helped – So right now I’m on the way from the far west to the far east. The day before Cologne I played a show in Nürnberg, which is in Bavaria. Next week I’m back in that neck of the woods for a show in Munich, so I’ve managed to travel the lengths and widths of Germany this time around! This next batch of shows are a bit more sensible though – today I’m on my way to Chemnitz (which is further “East” than I’ve ever ventured!), then to Leipzig tomorrow and Magdeburg, which we’ve literally just passed, on Saturday. No matter, at least I get to see lots out the window!
Don’t judge a venue by its truck
Before Nürnberg I played in Bückeburg. Where? Exactly. When I first saw the venue, my mind immediately went to Blues Brothers and I wondered whether I’d be protected by chicken wire. The Schraub Bar (Screw Bar) is a sort of motor-enthusiast’s bar with a truck protruding out of the back of the venue, the front doubles up as the bar itself. It was actually really quite cool, I just had no idea how my music would go down… However, as soon as I started playing, I realised that my songs fell onto fun and attentive ears and it turned out to be a really fun show.
So, back to this mad train ride.. I just realized that it would have taken less time to fly to New York. Oh well, Chemnitz is nice too. See you at Aaltra this evening, show starts at 10pm!