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Day 265 - Feb 13 - London

Posted by Dave Rat on

Come on everyone, we're streaking! Well actually we are headed to the Brit Awards and it is way too cold here to run around outside naked but upon arrival in London I found out great news!

Comforted, I let the wave of joy run through me because up to this glorious information came my way, I was afraid it might be cold and rainy while I hacked through a grueling TV show while denying jet lag a grip on my body. So with a glowing smile I gathered my bag, clustered with my fellow roadies and was promptly carted to the frogger hotel for a 30 minute layover before lobby call had packed and shipped off to the illustrious and beautiful Earl's Court. I don't know who this Earl guy was but check out his court, oooohh!

Well, some days are just filled with excitement and what few doubts I had lingering about this being a joy filled excursion are now completely gone once I spotted the party train, my heart pounds just imagining the thrill. Ohhh, should I do it, so nervous, I hope I don't chicken out

Ahhhh, it all comes back in a rush, the vast chasm, the endless echo, the exact antithesis of an 'optimum acoustic environment' ladies and gentlemen, I present you the Court that belongs to Earl. Looking upwards we can see what is left of the false ceiling

And if we could see below the floor we would find a huge empty swimming pool. So acoustically the audience stands afloat mid chasm in a beautified presentation as today's Brit Awards face lift does a fine job of putting lipstick on an acoustic pig

Nostalgia shmostalgia, hey, there were great shows here in the past and just like having a clunky old car that runs like shit and breaks down when ever you need it but you had some great times in it 'back in the day,' take some pictures of it and let it fade in to it's place in history rather than continuing to torture the current generation with this outdated acoustic nightmare. Or fix it!

*** End Mini-Tanti ***

Wow, that felt good, my rant is over and just know that I am smiling the whole time and it aint really that bad, except for the sound of the room part, and it is just a challenge and challenges are the opposite of boring, Hurray! I am gonna rock some good sound for the Brit Awards and if it for some reason does not work out that way, well at least it will be entertaining watching me try.

And looking out back it is easy to let my mind drift to a 'what if.' What if I just climbed down there and hid on a train just to see where I ended up?

And then the reality of the fact that I forgot where I put my sweater sets in and that I bet I would get hungry and climb back up before anything fun happened.

The deciding to stay close to the roadie herd,

Dave Rat

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Susanne on :

I love London. It used to be my home for 3 years. Have a good time in London. I remember going to an Iggy Pop show at Earls Court. Good luck for the sound at the Brits.

Simon on :

Wow, you guys have had some rough venues over here - first the Roundhouse and now this! I have never heard decent sound at Earls Court, so good luck!

Bobbsy on :

Earls Court has some of the worst possible acoustics...yet I've seen a couple of my favourite ever concerts there...both Pink Floyd. (The Wall and the Division Bell tour BTW) Good luck!

Don on :

Bah! I missed you by a day, I suspect i was in hotel frogger or one of the neighbours the day before you loaded into town. I have the delights of a corporate show in an old hanger in the midlands, makes Earls court sound like my livingroom :-)

Janine on :

Well you could have come over to me and I would have given you a tour of the nicer parts of London! There are some you know... OK not many... but the sound in my local pub is quite good.... go on ask the boys if they'd come and do a gig here... they'll enjoy it :) really, and I make a mean cup of tea! Hope all goes well tonight! Can't wait; I'll be way up high in the very back :( , but I'll be shouting the loudest. Janine x

Phil on :

Hi Dave, been following the blog since about the last time you were in the UK doing the tour proper (July??) really good to see a touring pro who is not afraid to open up the "secrets" and is not scared that if he does everyone else will try to nick his gig (c'mon that's really why most other ars so aloof!), Thanks. Question: Can you possibly shed some light on the logistics of the awards shows? Most guys on the circuit don't get to do them as let's face it our acts are never gonna reach that status. How much different is it to regular gigs i.e do you supply a tech rider ala tour spec?, do you carry any equipment? Do you get a soundcheck? Who does the broadcast mix and do you trust them? Hope you can find time between sleeping to answer, Thanks and regards Phil Ps are you doing Glastonbury this year?

Dave Rat on :

Phil, OK, I tried to cover your questions in the next post!

Nathan on :

"Lipstick on an acoustic pig." Ha, I love it!

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