About last weekend..... (I'll have band reviews later, and pics even later)...
My first time overseas was a both a blur and tedious. Tedious in the way that I was very concerned about a lot of things....keeping an eye on my bags, making sure I didn't lose my lunch on the flights, the interminable waiting in the airports and other places.
First the challenges....the flight in went surprisingly well. I have terrible motion sickness to the point I can't ride on most vehicles that travel long distances. I can go out in a small boat, but big boats..forget it. So I was ecstatic when I handled the flight in. Spent 2.5 hrs at the airport having a quiet dinner, George Carlin (book) and me. Just took it all in. Plane landed 40 minutes early, overnight to Heathrow, the 40 minutes negated by the 20 minute bus wait and 20 minutes in the terminal waiting for Keith, who was yards away the whole time
Other challenges - space in the UK is at a premium..took me a while to get used to it. Maybe it's the weather, but I missed the sun and people about...everyone seemed to be on trains and indoors. Of course I was only over several days. And in Bilston, everyone seemed to be inside...
Keith's hospitality was first rate. His computer and cell phone were my only connections to home. It was interesting being without that for the weekend...I got to sleep off the flight before we got snookered in Soho. Later that evening (5 hrs later for my mind) we watched a hilarious top 10 Prog sendup. Top 3 was Floyd, Genesis, and moodies, more were Camel, Hawkwind, Rush, Crimson,Yes,Tull..damn one other can't remember. Mortis stayed over. Regretted missing Pam in the morning. I usually wake up early but couldn't get up prior to 10 AM that day.
Took the trains to Bilston, long ride but fun....met up with Vax and Martha who stayed the first night at the Haven where we were. Lots of beer (and dinner) and we split before the karaoke (aaaahhh)......I think we went to the Robin (the venue) for more later beers. I drank so much I wasn't buzzed after that evening...and I never seen anyone drink beer as fast as Keith...
Time just flew along, by that time I think I emptied out the joke reservior...much to Mortis' delight (that I was done)!
Saturday was a long long day, and happy to have it so. I was able to spend some quality time with Steve, Bob, and the rest of Strangefish. I'd been communicating with them for awhile, and it was my main musical reason to come to the UK. We had a blast. Rosfest is booked for 2007, and getting them to Nearfest is difficult with the competition. I've put in my word with Nearfest, so we'll see. They really want to come over, and are a band that just gets it. Prog is in damn good hands.
I'll tell more about Strangefish in the review section. But I wanted to mention how comfortable they made me feel, a big thanks to Jonathan, the band's "manager".
Saturday was in general fun...we had so much alcohol, food, and fun that is was criminal. the Indian food for dinner was outstanding, the brews were also so (although I should have gone for more variety)..but combining them killed my stomach. And I know Keith was hurting. I left 3/4 of the way through Pendragon...and although I stated my intention, Keith missed the memo. Rogor came back about an hour later, no Keith. Turns out he walked home a bit later in the pouring rain. The skies opened just after Rogor returned...and that big British rat was PISSED! In more ways than one. As usual, I was the recipient of the wrath
....but after a tense 15 minutes or so, we got Keith comfy and he got out of those soaked things. The makeup sex was great...just wish Mortis would have participated more....(ok that was a joke....really!). Though Jam Forte would show, but he couldn't do it.
Sunday I was ready for some more good music and a hot shower, after the previous day's 20 minute iceberg shower fiasco. I NEVER had a shower that cold. I just kept thinking.."cold water rinses better"...but this morning the shower was great. And the Fairy soap helped....that's the name really...
Met some great people at the show. Frode from Norway, who I'd seen at Rosfest, was there (in his American Football jersey). He's also a frequent Salem Hill Yahoo contributor. Met two more people from Norway...who didn't know Magic Pie! I extolled the virtues of the band and Aural Moon...spread the Moon gospel as often as I could.
Made some friends at the vendor tables...amazing how many UK people have been to Florida...I haven't yet. No thanks to the asshole who spilled beer down my leg and generally made the middle of the floor unsafe for others.
Tried to chat up the bands as I could...but mainly there for the camraderie of my Moon buddies Keithie and Mortis, who spent the whole weekend lame from his infection.
Glad Keith called the cab that day (Keith was a star in securing transportation, etc). I only slept three hours, woke up at 4:15 (Keith overslept, was to get up with me)..I made enough noise to have Keith and Rogor get up so I could say goodbye. Cab was late, waiting a while outside, and I got to Dudley about 5:15. There I promptly got addled. My bus was NOT on the board, and only 5 people were in the station. Nobody on duty, and a dozen depots to check. No cell phone, no communication. I had three heavy bags, and was getting increasingly frantic. Finally, the final depot had a nice 60 yr old couple who was using the same bus. They were very nice, we talked for some time. It was near where the cab dropped me off, but the final place I looked. It was 5 minutes before the bus was due.. Very lucky, but my arms were jello.
Now the bus is 15 minues late....and a bit later we had a 30 minute delay because the bus interior lights were stuck. Feeling a bit nauseous, I took my pills in a sandwich that the hotel made the day before (bless them). But since 11PM the night before I had nothing to drink, and I would not until 11AM that day. Fortunately I fell asleep for almost 3 hrs of the 3.5 hr bus ride,even missing being awake through the Birmingham airport stop. That's hard to do. When we got to Heathrow it was about 10 AM. Felt really tired, still not enough sleep...
Decided not to hit the bathroom, just wanted to get to the right place...glad I did. Waited a few minutes for the plane info to post, and high-tailed it down to the area, to find a LONG line, maybe 150 deep. Standing, pushing bags with my feet, probably about 30 minutes. The only really unbearable part was listening to a guy say "give me 5 minutes and I'll have this mess straight"..(yeah right asshole)...a woman looking like the Weakest Link lady barking out orders, and the man behind me pushing his giant suitcase into my heels every time we moved. A British custom is to say "sorry" at every possible turn, even when they don't mean it...I used to worked with an Irish lady who said it 100 times a day..after even saying the wrong word..
After that I still had two hours so lunch and some duty-free shopping. I felt like the old Wheel of Fortune shows where I had to spend my money to zero "I'll have the gold-plated putters for $500, Pat". Now I had an additional bag..uh oh, more strain. But I managed to right myself a bit before the flight back. I was armed with two newer Paul Weller CD's I just bought for cheap plus my 6-7 discs I brought. There was always the Mortis disc he made, which I didn't listen to until I did some today (how'd you get 8 hrs of music on one disc?).
Only slept a half-hour on the 8.5 ride home, and drove 30 miles home and stayed up until midnight... so basically I was up 4AM to 5AM Monday, with 6.5 hrs of transportation sleep inbetween. So I got up 5.5 hrs later and ran and went to work. A bit ragged this week I should say.
So next time I try this I will promise to pack lighter, spend more cash, and enjoy myself more...but I'm damned glad I did it, and was wonderful to meet Keith, Rogor and some new friends. And always nice to see Martha and Vax.
As Keith would say, "too right man"......