And with that children I shall begin....
Message in an email - James are reforming - eh!
Information sunk in, excitement took over, clammy hands, nausea! This can't be happening!
Must say that I am glad that the remortgage of my house paid off the credit card one week before the Tour Dates are released and tickets go on sale - YAY, Halifax!
Intend on going to all 5 - 5 turned into 13, plans change, soul searching (head agrees with heart) choose 8 and so to number:
1 Hoxton - Brother takes UnKarl and partner along with myself to the pool of pittle that is London. Mooch about outside the venue area - spot the band pre sound check - too nervous to attempt any form of conversation. Sound check whets our appetite, Stripmining, Seven, Play Dead - This gig was special, not because of the sound, that was awful; but the sheer enormity of the importance that everyone that went must have felt. They are James - We are James... Set Highlight - Protect Me (perfection personified)!
2 Dublin - Arrive a day early and drink guiness - enough said. Day of the gig, my partner her friend and my friend go to the Guinness Factory - I walk down to the venue bump into OOTT and we find a nice little *Sunderland* public house and down some Guinness, we then go to the alleged meeting spot and wait, and wait and wait (must intercept myself at this point and thank Dave B for a lovely chat and nice afternoon) then someone came in (sorry can't remember who, but he was an Irish gentile from 'our' board, then takemeanywhere and tinyminx (swearing her head off
)
and they drink more and more - I slink off to wait at the doors. Spot Tim and
Jim but they are accosted by Mexicans, Spaniards, Americans, Dutch (sorry if I
have missed any Country out of the list) so I get a quick picture of Jim (cheeky
grin) and get back to the front of the queue. Gig emotional - band received what
seemed like a five minute ovation after about three songs with the house lights
up. Shout "bass solo" at Jim he doesn't hear but Saul tells him and he laughs
and says "Maybe later"...Set Highlight - Upside (beauty personified)!3 Carlisle - my brutish mate picks me up from Newcastle Airport and we are off to Carlisle, stand at front of queue get in and take my position (infront of Saul, you get interaction from Jim and Saul if you are loud enough), nip to loo before the band come on and luckily I get back to my spot. Subdued audience but thats ok with me, I'm experiencing a band that are feeling 15 years younger playing together and smile broader than mine. Saul asks "Whats emails", I shout "Magic writing", he laughs...Set Highlight - Honest Joe (U2 tried - James perfected, no wonder Eno preferred working with our boys rather than "Your Man Bono)"
4 Glasgow 2nd Night - my brother drives my brutish mate and myself up to the "Gorbels", my mate insists on going in the 'Glaswegian' *shudder*, we eventually get to 'the Palace', meet a guy sell a spare ticket for face value (remember him he makes an appearance later) and then a wee lassie spots my top and lo and behold a friendship blossoms - think her name was Topoftheworld
,
we meet up with Honest Joe, spot OOTT, Superkev, Morti and Pooka, then Folk,
Honest Top and her mate we head up to the gig, I pick my spot and move in, get
said spot and wait, after Twang ask brutish mate to keep my space and nip to the
loo, get back and said 'MATE won't let me back in?? Ask the guy I gave ticket to
(remember him) if he can budge up about an inch so I can get in "Fk off, I've
seen these more times than you, you should of got to the front at the start of
the gig"!, Brutish mate starts being obnoxious - can't take any more, slink off
and stand at the side for rest of gig (Happy 30th Folky)...Set Highlight -
Waltzing Along5 Newcastle - Carl my mate from Bishop and I head off up north to Newcastle *scum* and get lost in a small suburb whose name slips my mind - get to gig, meet up with SfromL and Nredwood and decide to go to 'the Star' across the road - bad idea, the people in there have no teeth or hair and thats just the women - drink pints in 5 seconds and return to the front of the queue. Spotted UnKarl, Blademan, OOTT and Superkev. Gig front - no toilet!! What an experience this gig was, it felt as if they had finally pulled it together by this point...Sweezely and myself have agreed to disagree on the Newcastle thing
.
Set Highlight - 21 songs!6 MEN Arena - Blademan picks me up with his lady friend at 11.15am and we are off (thanks go to Jason - Blade as you were a legend for that lift), we get there at 2ish and I slink off to the 'Can't Get Served For Love Nor Money Under The Water', meet up with (see Lisa's experience for names oh and Mittens and her Man whore) and we have a brilliant afternoon, thank you to everyone. Swapped standing for seated and sat back and let the emotion flow over me like a blanket being pulled off the bad....Set Highlight - Out to Get You, if you were there you will know what I mean, those four old men in a circle lost somewhere between love and hope!
Here are some words, words you can use, Chinese and Jokes, Jack and coke - that was Sunday!
7 HMV - I was happy in the haze of a get up at 4.15am hour, but Heaven Knows I was miserable by 5am - tramps, homeless, hobo's whatever you wish to call them, lined up outside to get wristbands and that is why I admire them - forethought
.
Get the wristbands takemeanywhere - tookmebreakfastways (what a terribly
charming man - that's for you Mike, get it
).
Paul and I wait at freont of queue, but alas where is the darling wife, she's
stuck in traffic due to a small fire, ho hum, people pile in and pile in and
thats it doors are closing and no sign of my lady, but... the guy on the door
says "Go get her and come in the front, I'll let you in that way...huzzah! Gig
was cute (enough said), and to the signing. I asked Gemma to bring down from
home a photo album with loads of old clippings and tickets stuck in, feel a bit
weird incase they call Security when they see it but it raises a few laughs
especially from Saul pointing at pictures of himself from years ago. I move to
Tim and he asks "How many this time then?". I tell him and he rolls his eyes and
smiles. Try to get a picture but Security wont let me Tim tells him off and
tells me to get in the picture, oh and Saul. Dave wasn't there so no autograph
from the Welsh Legend
.8 Manchester Academy - Straight down from HMV to the venue, wait at the doors with Mindy and Lori and we wait and wait and then at 8.40pm we are ushered downstairs, get to the bottom of the stairs and it is like a stampede - get my place, Gem took some really canny photos. Band finally come on stage at about 9.40pm. I know this is the last one for ages so I'm emotional, I see the setlist and I am in heaven, this is going to be monumental - and it was. Asked Jim to get Welshy, welsh welshes autograph in the album, which he does - legend is all I can say about the man, he has weathered the storm for nearly thirty years now and he hasn't got a bloody wrinkle. They throw back my album (I'm hoping there is a backstage pass in - alas not) and finish off their world tour with a bang...I walk past OOTT while leaving and he seems to not be there, tell him that it was the best gig I've seen them do and that is it...roll on the possible Winter Tour.
To end I must say thank you to Oneofthethree without whom none of this would have been possible, Lisa, Mike, Sharon, Paul and Jason for the kindness you have shown me - you will be rewarded - one day
P.S. A special tribute must be sent out from the bottom of my heart to the original bookies pen...you know who you are