a'right a'right calm down calm down

"what it is it", the bassist asks, his voice shifting as he speaks, "about liverpool? as soon as you hear a scouse accent you have an uncontrollable desire to imitate it?" if there were a city with a reputation that lends one not desiring to piss off the locals, this is it.

so, greetings from liverpool. yesterday was an off day. the crew headed home, we (the crew) slept on the bus overnight on thursday in the car park of the roundhouse and left around 8. i woke somewhere on the M6. i drank my tea and read my first guardian in a week (wearing my friday reveiw section smile) while one of the back line crew watch the Poseiden remake at base thumping loud level. no amount of hints from fellow travellers led to it being turned down so coats were put up over the speakers to (excuse the pun) drown out the screams and explosions.

i spent yesterday afternoon at the Tate Liverpool where i saw some surprisingly inspiring new realsit artwork including a warhol and a klein. i am regretting not noting down the names of the other artists. i got to see the work of Perry, the guy who one the turner with his big it was a refreshing break to get some time to myself and after my first meal this week requiring a full set of cutlery, italian, accompanied by reading a fab book on contemprary art i purchased in the shop, i returned to my room and looked forward to watching the duke on jools holland. but alas i fell asleep before newsnight review had even started and awoke at 3am still fully dressed on top of my bed with the tv on. i clearly needed the rest. so, after a nice hot bath this morning and repacking my bags i am sitting in the lounge of the thistle hotel on wireless, wondering at what point the coffee bar is going to be opened, or rather, staffed.

i am surround by a sea of red and white scarfs and shirts, which tells me there's a football match on today. and i've deduced that even without coffee.

::

this is a very interesting experience, this touring lark. the other other woman on the bus is lucy the violinist and she has been commuting to the gigs this past week. claire, pete's tour manager, is on the other bus, so i am surrounded by men in their mid to late forties...
i find myself negotiating many a moment and am learning so much... as pete noted the other night, watching the roundhouse gig, being on a tour bus is rather like being on big brother. (but with less space and more drugs.)

got to see the lovely JJ at the roundhouse, which was a treat. saw paul weller too, who was very tanned.

right, time to head to liverpool academy. this is working day after all. i don;t need to really get working till after 4 so i'll head to the venue and then go find a proper cup of coffee. pronto.

hope this finds you all well, thanx for the messages posted here and texts. you keep me rooted.

love,
LB,x