"Oh I do like to be beside the sea side"

My alarm went off at 8am this morning. I?d gotten to bed at a crazy hour the night before. 3am I think, which believe it or not is early for me.

I?d retrieved 4 big boxes of personal stuff a day earlier from our lockup. The boxes had sat there for 7 years. It was so amazing looking through all the stuff. Letters and demo tapes, diaries and drawings. I kind of lost track of time.

So the alarm went off and I switched it off immediately. Nora is in Berlin. She usually gets me up if I have anything to do. The sleep that followed was of a high quality, deep and incredibly dreamful, like having extra pudding if you?re a fat bastard, you know you shouldn?t, and this is what makes it taste so much better.

I am a lazy bastard, so this morning's extra portion of sleep was divine. Alberto the driver buzzed me at 9am, the time we were supposed to be leaving. I hadn?t packed my case or anything!! Dobber.

Ran about the house, the cat freaking out, and running through my legs at any opportunity, tripping me up as I ran up and down the stairs like a twat.

I arrived at the tourbus half an hour late, but it was cool. Pete, our beautiful tour manager got me a breakfast sandwich from some caf? and then we were off.

Today is the first day of our UK tour. We begin at 9pm tonight in The Empress Ballroom in Blackpool.

Blackpool, for anyone outside the UK, is a seaside town. It was one of the most popular summer holiday destinations (summer vacation) up until the European package holiday blitz in the 80?s.

I went there as a child many times for my summer holidays. I was 3 years old when our family hired a mini bus and we all went en masse to some caravan site. Nana, Granda, Auntie Chrissie, Auntie Eda, Mum, Uncle Bill, Auntie Babs, me, Lisa my cousin, Auntie Cissie, Uncle Jimmy, we all got on the wee bus and had the coolest holiday. It was so sunny.

The last time I went was the summer of 1985, with Auntie Babs, Uncle Bill, and Lisa. It was the summer of Madonna, the summer I fell in love for the first time, the summer we went on a mad school trip to Scarborourgh, the summer that a 16 year old Boris Becker won Wimbledon, we watched the first part of LIVE AID before we made the journey back to Glasgow. It was the summer before I went to secondary school. I was 12. I remember thinking at the time it would be a hard summer to top. And it was! Ahhhh ?I digress. I?m all dewy eyed.

So Blackpool has a big place in my heart and to be playing there tonight was a thrilling prospect, as a million memories flooded back while we wandered around the empty venue before soundcheck.

KEANE. I am not easily fooled by the hype machine, I do believe that we live in a time that is so full of hype and not much substance. I like what I like. I like Keane. I think that I haven?t heard a band as good in years. Finally a guy that can sing. And the lyrics are heartfelt, have some depth, mean something. What a voice! So sweet. 3 men on a stage. No guitarist. No bassist. It shouldn?t work but does.

Tonight?s show was magic. We are playing a slightly longer set. 1 hour 50. It?ll change throughout the tour, songs will move around till we get the right flow.

I had to get oxygen administered by a medic. I totally ran out of breath. That extra 20 minutes knocked it out of me. Afterwards we hung out and chatted with Keane. Then it was bus, and food.

We travelled to Manchester tonight and I?m now sitting in bed writing to reach you. It?s 2.49am. Radio 2 just played Love Will Come Through.

Alles gut. Guten nacht.

Ah my first Travis gig...actually my only Travis gig lol, but I'm sure I'll see them again soon.

Please don't make Blackpool a one-off Travis! I really hope to see you over here again! :)

This was my 2nd Travis concert & I loved every second of it! To start off Keane were just fantastic, but when Travis came on it was electric!
Fran was obviously on top form cause he chatted loads, about Blackpool memories, etc, & the whole band seemed really happy to be there.
Had a fantastic view of the band, even though the really tall people were everywhere trying their hardest to not let me see!! (how is it that in my day to day life being 5'7" is tall, but when you go to a concert everyone seems to grow & be at least 6'5"!!)
My biggest highlight was when Fran came on alone & did an acoustic FLOWERS IN THE WINDOW, because it was the first time I'd heard it live.
The floor was amazing as it bounced along with the audience during ALL I WANNA DO IS ROCK & HAPPY & made us all lift even more off the floor.
A totally wonderful night.
Had to run all the way to train station with seconds to spare when the set finished as Fran didn't want the evening to end (neither did I) & he just kept on singing.

NEVER STOP SINGING FRAN!

Best night so far, thanks ladsx