Another long lie today. Hotels. Alan Partridge.

Because every hotel has the same layout pretty much, you begin to feel like it?s been the same hotel you?ve been staying in for a whole tour.

The hotel we?re in while on the Glasgow leg is the Radisson, situated next to Glasgow?s Central Station, the main train station. The area is pretty ropey.

While sitting in the bar downstairs last night I counted 6 police cars and 4 ambulances going past. The local prostitute area is also nearby. 100 yards down the street is the place where I auditioned for Glass Onion 13 years ago.

Glass Onion was a local Glasgow band that had been doing the rounds of clubs and bars. Andy played guitar for Glass Onion, Neilly played drums for Glass Onion and two brothers, Chris and Geoff Martyn, played bass and keyboards for the group GLASS ONION!

They had a girl singer who sung for them but when the time came to get a new singer, Neil, who was working in a bar in Glasgow called The Horseshoe bar, asked Fran (me) who was drinking in this bar, if he?d like to audition.

Well actually he called my house while I was away on an art course, in July 1991. When I got back my mum said that someone called Neil had called. ?Neil Who?? I asked. She said that he hadn?t said. ?What did he want?? She told me he just said ?Tell him I called.? Ahhh Neilly, the man of few words. Haha!

So I was in the bar a month later and he asks me if I got his message. What message! ? I wondered if you wanted to audition for the band.? ?OK?

I arrived a week later, 100 yards from the Radisson, which wasn?t built at that point, and sat patiently for Glass Onion to appear. They came in eventually and I introduced myself.

Neilly hadn?t arrived yet. It quickly became apparent that Neil hadn?t told them I was coming and that another guy was lined up to audition that night. It was his second call up and they all looked like they were pretty set on this guy. His name was Malcom.

So Neilly turned up and said he was sorry. I asked if I could sit in and watch the audition, thinking I might get a chance. I didn?t.

I sat there at the back of the room and listened to Malcom, singing some of their own compositions. The band were tight. Really professional sounding. Malcom, I thought was letting the side down but they seemed pretty excited about his vocal acrobatics.

I leaned over to the keyboard player and asked if I was gonna get a chance to have a go. He said that they were pretty set on this guy and that he didn?t think it would be possible. I said that I thought I could do better, but it was no good. They took a break and that?s when I made my exit.

Before I left they said that they would give me a call. They were going to Cornwall for three weeks and might let me try out then. 3 weeks!! Anyways, I wandered home and forgot about it.

They called before they went on holiday and said that I could come and do an audition when they got back. I remembered some of the songs that they played and remember singing afew lines in the bathroom during this three week period, seeing if my voice was up to it.

So 3 weeks later I went back to the same place, 100 yards from the point where the Radisson hadn?t yet been built, and sung for Glass Onion.

The audition went good I thought. I had gone over to the mix desk thing and turned my vocal up. I think they thought this was nicely cheeky.

I got home and lay on my bed in the dark watching The Thornbirds. The phone went and it was Neilly.

?Awright, man. I just wanted to tell you that we?re sorry?? my heart sunk?they were crazy not to think I wasn?t better than that guy Malcom, he was pants, well it was their loss. IDIOTS. Bloody lot of them???you got into the band!!? Neilly?aaarrrgggh!! I got off the phone and ran told my mum.

So we drove past this place today on the way to the second night of the SEEC shows. It?s where it all began for me in the band. The SECC is about 400 yards away from here. A nice round trip.

The show tonight was another cracker. We love you GLASGOW. You are the greatest fans a band could ever wish for.

Ok it was a while ago, and my memory of gigs is usually pretty hazy immediately afterwards, nevermind months later! I can however supply a setlist with thanks to Aylwyn (Glasgow Guy) who posted it up immediately after the gigIt started brilliantly with my favourite Travis song of all time and finished with the now traditional Happy after the singalong session that is Why Does It Always Rain On Me? The stuff inbetween wasn't half bad either!
Travis in their hometown with a set like that...... it doesn't get any better!
Andy

One of the best starts to a gig ever: More Than Us! It's one of my favourite songs anyway, but the way it was performed on that night was beautiful. First Fran the man comes on playing the song on his own, and is then joined by Dougie after the first verse, Andy after the first Chorus, the Neil put the percussion in soon after! started off as a acoustic solo, finished as the fuller version we here on our Good Feeling album. As was the rest of the gig! As if all travis' amazing songs weren't enough, we got to see andy's climbing skills aswell. Scaling the dizzy heights of the amps while continuing his amazing solos, what a guy! Amazing gig! Keane were pretty good too!

This was my first ever Travis concert and it won't be the last!!It was well better than i expected!I was over the moon when they played U16 girls, All I Want To Do Is Rock and Love Will Come Through.Fran, Andy, Dougie and Neil were AMAZING and so was the new guy Adam!Keane were good as well and now i am a big fan of theirs!Thanks Travis for a brilliant night that i won't forget!

Well what a gig!! It was my first travis gig, after nearly seeing them on the Invisible band tour. I arrived early with a sitting ticket, how annoyed was I? well I sat and watched Keane, who I have to say were pretty good. My friend Linda arrived and got me into the standing area using one of her mates tickets.More than Us opened the night, and what a start, each member coming on in perfect timing and everything, I had the biggest grin on my face! Wearing my new tour tshirt, i felt right in there!singing along to every song, jumping around like a maddy, air guitaring most songs, inc made up solos. Talking about solos, what is that Andy Dunlop like, any chance to get up on the speakers! What a show, its not all about the music, its the performance that Travis put on is an integral part of the experience. When Fran came back on to do Flowers In The Window "for Victoria" (I think) it was amazing, and when one of the strings broke, he kept on going, still sounding great, refusing (polietly) the offer of a new guitar. Dougie's song was great, something that I was looking forward to was a Dougie song and he didnt disappoint. And Andy's stage antics, spinning around, kicks, jumps, it was great. Neil was awesome as well, not a hint of the terrible accident. I really want Andy's tshirt, just a quality piece of clothing, but I now know where to get one!yas!
Sorry this is such a garbled post, but it was a great night, I'm sure I still have my ticket somewhere, if I do, I'll post it up.
All in all, thanks guys for an amazing night!