chrisg's Tour Diary

I'm sick. Ugh. Realizing that I'm going to be sniffly and feverish and cranky all day, I decide to spare everyone my company and hop off into town. I buy more drugs at Boots, drink caffeine (although it's not doing an ounce of good), write more postcards, and wander around until it's time to head off to Leicestershire.

Adrienne has thankfully been stowing tissue in her bag, and offers me sheet after sheet on our ride North. Our show is in the town of Hinckley, just outside of Leicestershire. After an hour spent looking for the venue, we finally show up to Beavers Bar. The theme of the room appears to be America. There's a large mural behind the stage of the Manhattan cityscape. For the first time that we've seen, Budweiser is offered on tap. There's even a parking lot, which is probably the most American thing of all.

Blakfish are the other band playing for the night, and they are a lot of fun to watch. Music is a little mathy, very loud, and the guitarists make the most of their long leads by moving all over the place. The main guitarist/singer seems to be powered by gyroscopes, never falling despite the several times I'm sure he's about to. My head clears up for a few minutes, just enough time to play our set. And then just as quickly, my nose begins running like mad, only a minute after our last song.

That night, we stay in Nottingham with our friends from St. Joan (with whom we played in Brixton). Adrienne rushes out of the car to make the closing time of the curry shop across the street. We talk with Ellen and Matthew about various band things, and Matthew gives me a Barraca (sp?), which is an effervescent tablet chock-full of vitamins that you drop into water. It has the taste of Tang, but it's allegedly good for you, which is confusing.