I haven’t updated in a while.

Just recently been on a tour with Twi the Humble Feather. A little memento of our recent tour put together by Bryan from Twi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLbqrVVFa24

A varied week and a half which mostly provided good times for all involved… First I finish work on Thursday 17th and run to St Pancreas International. Scan my ticket and enter the departures lounge – espresso and chocolate cake – put my glasses on to sit and stare into the distance for a while – advise an old lady that her train boarding time will be announced when they’re ready for her. I get on the train and sit and we leave and we go into the chunnel – here we stop and wait for an hour and a half for the broken down train in front to be fixed. I have no way of telling anyone where I am and a girl is crying because she can’t tell her Dutch boyfriend she’ll be late.

When we finally get to Lille i get picked up and taken to the little venue – greeted by a glass of wine and a slice of quiche. See how I got on HERE. The show is sweaty and noisy (no change there).

The next morning we are seen off by the promotors – we go to Paris – Gare du Nord – we have to find the venue, and do, and wait for sound checking.

Thanks be to William and Melanie for being there and for Josh and West Country Girl for their hospitality. I’m pretty much all crepe’d out (until next time I’m in Paris). Karine deserves thanks for tolerating the mess in her flower shop ‘Sol Y Flor’.

More about this:www.bastienleblanc.com
…and again (bastien.tribuleblanc.com)
…and some more at www.adecouvrirabsolument.com

Following that… we narrowly escaped missing the eurostar back to UK. LeBron safely reunited with passport, Doring with blue folder and me with Twi. The next bugger was getting the van for the rest of the tour. At least one of us had to rest in a sealed box during the journey (cue Bryan).

After getting lost in Edmonton/Tottenham we speed up to Norwich to arrive just in time to play – the Playhouse Bar – a free show. Noisy and I was tired but that’s what you get. The people were real nice, Russel ‘throw the frisbee at the girl’s head’ Wickwar, Benji ‘did the sound’ Fox, John ‘chicken stock ice cream’ Hirst etc. and I wasn’t kept awake too long by the singing (i remember Summertime, Agga-do and ‘the end of the road’ by Boys II Men). The next journey of Twi? music for the crap childhood memories of flakey British twenty (and thirty) somethings.

After plenty of toast, care of Roz (thanks for the sea themed compilation), we journey to Leeds. This was to be a lull – subdued evening – musically I think it was the best show I done in a long time so it’s a shame you weren’t there. At least we know that Leaf won’t put my records out!

Thanks mum and dad.

Next we drive to Scotland – thanks go to the best services in England – Westmorland – And so we play the Captain’s Resticles. Points go to one of our favourite supports (indeed the first support of the UK tour): Richard (myspace).
Our saviour tonight was the kind barman who has a lovely sofa in his flat and a whiskey for weary travellers who have no accommodation sorted. Anthony and me indulge in waffle and fresh fruit (hope she liked the cookbook Anthony).

Onward to Edinburgh. This time there is time to time to look around. we all know it’s a lovely city, sneaky pete’s on the other hand, no sneaky pete’s was real cosy. They lapped it up. a comfy bed in a hostel topped the night off. After a kind round of whiskies with some decent scots. Good sleep needed for the drive to Londres.

Speeding down the M6. Over 200 people paid a tenner to see me play at the ICA and now I want to give it back. Before you ask, no, I don’t mean it. But yeah. A lot of dark emotion was in the room that night. Some people seemed to pick up on it. Lucy ‘ripped off’ Jones at the Telegraph

I picked up with the help of a comfortable night in my own bed.

Bristol next – not many of you there. I cleared a few people out of the Folkhouse too. This was a lot more loose and improvised than most of the tour….actually no wait – Manchester, The Deaf Institute. This was a good show (photos). Support from Holly Throsby, Stills, Nash and Young. She and her percussionist etc, Bree, was very good. Much respect etc to bernie for the hospitality (Bernie, the rental place said nothing about the scratch – my driving is atrocious when it comes to turning into a drive).

We rounded things off with a show in Nottingham – the turn out was good and we had the pleasure of an opening from Patrick Farmer and David Thomas as ‘A Cup of Tea’. Powerful drum/feedback fun.

Speeding back to London that night. We make it in the wee hours to deposit the van and get to bed…oh no, I got to bed, Twi had to go straight to the Heathrow to wait for a morning flight. Farewell Twi the Humble Feather.