Don't know if global warming is starting to effect, but the weather on my drives so far has been distinctly weird and changeable even for England. Yesterday as I approached Bath it seemed that certain fields had been snowed on whilst their neighbours remained untouched and tonight as I crawled my way up the A1 there was more changeable weather, at one point I hit such a flurry of snow that I thought I might not get home tonight - which obviously I needed to as I had another 6Music show in the morning.
I got to the venue no problem and there was an enthusiastic and excited team of people waiting for me. It was one of the first gigs they had put on in this venue and they had none of the detached cynicism of the normal theatre employees. We did a brief sound check and then I was shown to my dressing room, which was the smallest I think I have ever seen and was closer to being a cupboard with a chair in it. But I don't need much space to sit and play Conquest. Thankfully the toilet next door had plenty of toilet paper and there was an orange in my rider, so I could, had I felt like it, continued the show tradition of a curious orange blocking the bowl.
I didn't though.
Which proves it wasn't me who did it yesterday.
Though I rarely eat oranges these days, they were the staple fruit of my childhood and I respect them too much to desecrate them.
The Peterborough crowd were really lovely and seemed genuinely grateful that I had made the effort to visit their town. I don't think the political message of the show has been greeted so enthusiastically anywhere else and it seemed everyone in the crowd wanted their programme signed. And the team all gathered around me or lay across me to get their photo taken, which was flattering and fun. Enthusiasm and excitement are good qualities.
Peterborough might have been the perfect gig. But alas the multi-storey charge me £1.50 to park there after 6, so it's not a patch on Luton. This tour it's all about the parking fees!
Luckily the snow did not settle and I was home by 12.20, but drank a couple of beers and ate some pizza with my girlfriend and some of her friends so wasn't in bed until 2. I would have to be up for work before 8, but for the moment it was all about having fun and letting the morning look after itself.
