As the clock strikes midnight and Sunday night becomes Monday morning when all Good Good people should be tucked up safely in bed, the Embrace Autumn of Love Tour 2000 effectively comes to an end, not with a whimper but with a bang! The gear’s packed snugly in the trucks with loving care by Mr Burgess and Mr Steve (Big Pete G’s stand in) and whisked off down the Motorway to appear again at the final extra Brixton show on Friday. Even before the truck doors are closed and before Big John sings his customary lullaby to the PA Cabs before switching off the trailer lights, the band and crew are in full on party mode. Now, the crew can really get to grips with what they do best, which is having a good time, all the time! Upon entering the dressing room I have a Slippery Nipple thrust into my face, which is always a favourite of mine, and when I’ve done with it I set out to find another one to go with it, mmnnn ma ma. I should possibly explain at this point that this is a cocktail made (I think) from Zambuca and Baileys and puts me in a right good mood and no mistake. Lots of laughter and hugging and kissing and that sort of stuff goes on as we part company from the Leeds posse who are going home on the band bus leaving us the London posse to brave the leaky tub that has been returned unfixed but with another new driver Steve, who drives as if he’s making love to a beautiful woman. He is our 4th driver this tour as the others all drowned in the forward torpedo tubes.
Slipping gently out of Glasgow with it’s precious cargo, the Love Bus heads South and for home. The party gets in full swing with a soundtrack provided by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, their wonderful crooning drowned out by raucous but enthusiastic singing by everyone present regardless of whether they know the words. I personally am overwhelmed by the music and sense of cameraderie and feel much love for everyone present. Apparently I then proceed to constantly tell everyone this in between bouts of waltzing and twisting up and down the aisle of the bus with Susie C, only falling over once or twice as far as I remember, which is not very much. After more of the same I look around to find that one by one people have disappeared off to their bunks leaving a hard core of three left up. Thing is, I can’t recall who the other two were, although one of them may have been Danny. This seems like a good time to do the sensible thing and go to bed myself, which after banging my head once more on the roof of the bus just for old times sake, is exactly what I do.
As I attempt to negotiate my way upstairs to my bunk and the promise of sleep, I pause for a moment, and as I do the immortal words of Dean Martin come to mind “You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without hanging on”. I decide to put this to the test and can now declare to one and all that I went to bed sober as a judge and therefore did not have a hangover in the morning, honest! |
