Wake up in my own bed mmmmmm, an unusual but lovely experience.
Had a cool day off yesterday, lots of sleeping, making food, reading the papers, then drinking with jonnyboy, andy and nick. Very normal stuff. Very good to do.
Leave the house about 11, to return to the scene of the Turn video for the Ozone. We arrive and are heartily greeted by the very lovely...... oooooh Turn just came on the radio.....and very tall Jamie Theakston.
Every time we do something for the Ozone I cant help thinking of Stuart from Stereophonics farting at Jayne Middlemiss -a truly great televisual moment.
We get interviewed by funky Jamie, then arse about for the cameras. Franny reenacts his enormous physical exertion-oo er- then we are ALL made to do press ups which is less than nice. I think I talk a load of old balls in the interview, but that is nothing new.
We say our goodbyes after about an hour or so and clamber back on board our magic bus. Reading you say?. We get to Reading University and head in for soundcheck. It sounds totally shite, but what can you expect from a big echoey games hall.
There is no smoking backstage allegedly, but everyones mood improves when this rule is roundly ignored.
We do a couple of interviews and then discover the games room. Andy becomes instantly addicted to Star Wars, and I shoot bad men and fight crime with a couple of the students who are hanging about. Showtime is approaching so we head down to the dressing room.
Colin from Radiohead turns up to say hello. Its really lovely to see him again, we drink peppermint tea and he brings us stories from 'Headland. He is a real fan of Remy Zero so we go and watch from sidestage. They are fantastic as ever.
We have just got back to the dressing room when Ross our tour manager comes in and says, in his inimitably calm way, "The police aren't taking it too seriously, but theres been a bomb threat, so maybe we should go and sit in the bus."
Okeydokey, bus it is. What kind of a wanker would put a bomb at a gig anyway? We are men of peace.
The all clear comes and we go back inside. Time gentlemen please. We go on, the good news is the sounds improved massively, the bad news is the crowd are miles away from us. The barrier is too far away from the stage. We play a really good show though.
Coming Around is top. We finish with The Blue Flashing Light, and play it loud. Go back on and do Britney and Happy. All in all pretty good going. Back to London tonight, another night in my own bed? Can't get too used to that.
This was my first ever Travis show way back in the day. Thinking about it brings back very happy memories of my year living in Reading. As with all Travis shows, great energy and some awesome showmanship. Here's to another 8 years of good times. :D
paul_c