PAGES: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

We were over half way through the tour and things were running smoothly. The band sounded good and everyone was playing at their very best.My hands were in good shape and I was trying out a few new things in my solo 'Little B'. It takes a few weeks on the road for any musician to get up to scratch with his playing. My solo is built up on a framework of patterns, rhythms and tempos. It has a logical form like any piece of music, or in simple terms, it’s like a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. Within each section of the framework I can improvise, invent and play things that come into my head. It’s something that comes the second you think of it (sometimes!) You don’t practice it, you just do it. You practice your technique and it is that technique that enables you to execute what you want to play. Each tour I try and do something different and on this occasion I thought I’d have some fun with you and get you to join me in some rhythm patterns. I would change down to a slower groove and start with a two bar phrase and invite the crowd to copy it and clap it out. It was hit and miss to start with, until I eventually found the right formula. Its interesting how one city can follow you with ease and 300 miles down the road a deferent audience will not change to the next pattern. Some nights the dynamics from the audience were amazing, starting with the volume so quiet you could hear a pin drop to really loud and full on in your face. When we both got it right, it was as if me and the crowd were in a rhythm section together. I enjoyed doing it and think most of you out front enjoyed being part of it too.

More flights and long coach trips. Five days in Denmark, visiting some beautiful towns. I love it here. Erik was still getting lost at various departure lounges. On Wednesday 4 May we had a day off for the flight to Iceland. We had been here many years before to do a week in a night club. Not, as I recall a particularly memorable week but this certainly made up for it.

I spent the afternoon walking around this colourful town. It was ice cold but the sky was a bright blue. It was good to have a day off and I just slowed down to the easy tempo of the place and inhaled the fresh clean air.

Ice cold in Iceland. Met some fans who had flown for miles to see us and ended up at the Hard Rock Café with Bruce, Griff and Warren. A few drinks back at the hotel which boasts the largest collection of fine whiskies in the world. Also all the rooms had a great selection of original paintings. A good night's sleep with no early morning packing and travelling the next day.

Dinner at the Hard Rock, a rare night off.

<-previous | next ->