MILO'S TOUR DIARY

Milo kept a diary of events on the band's recent UK and European Tour.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7 - GLASGOW COTTIER THEATRE

Due to stand-up comedy commitments I couldn't change in Newcastle (and which nearly threatened my future as an Individual!) I missed the first four gigs of our European tour. The stand in on drums was a guy called Pat, who did such a great job that I needed to raise my game very quickly to meet the standards he'd set...

...I got picked up from my hotel in Newcastle at 2am on Sunday morning. The band had been travelling on the tourbus for the whole day and everyone was asleep apart from Tech (tour manager), Robin and Lee. Tech and Robin were trashed on red wine and were at the post-excitable winding down stage of drunkenness, particularly Robin, who'd grown up in Newcastle and not been back for fifteen years. He got emotional and got the piss take out of him mercilessly by Eric, the Mancunian bus driver.

Quick note about Eric - he's one of those bus driver's who's had EVERYONE on his bus and doesn't tire of telling you about them. He was massively amusing, both intentionally and unintentionally, in a 'Phoenix Nights' kind of way.

Anyway, we all hit our bunks at around five and woke in Glasgow at 11am for my first gig of the tour.

I'd just done the three biggest stand-up comedy gigs of my career and stormed them, so I was more than a little cocky. I didn't play the best gig and was pretty soon brought sharply down to earth by the soundman and Lee, who let me know it could have been better. I spent the next day moping around a little.

The others played really well, despite a tough sound. The crowd was a typical Glasgow crowd - rowdy, excitable and energetic and I feel like we did the job. After the gig Robin and I found ourselves sharing some of the backstage beers with a couple of really funny dudes called Mikey and Joe, who inadvertently helped me perfect my Glasgae accent ye bastards.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 8 - LEEDS CITY VARIETIES

Then, back on the bus. Playstation, chat, sleep, Leeds. Lisa went to meet her sister while Tim, Lee, Robin and I went for a greasy spoon (I hate that phrase and the associated imagery, but it's a catch-all, so what the hell) then Robbie and I went for a coffee and talked about girls for a few hours before meandering back to the venue for a soundcheck.

We played SO much better than the night before. After a gig in which I haven't truly done the business I'm not happy until I've got back up and cancelled it out. The attention of the crowd was awesome and Tim's mum being there made it more emotionally resonant for him and then subsequently, for everyone else. At one point he stood on a speaker and reached up into the box she was sitting in and held her hand.

We were all on a high after the gig. Myself, Lisa, Lee, Robin, Lisa's sister and all her mates immediately went out to a dirt cheap student club (80p a drink!) and danced ourselves soaking wet. We were accompanied there by a guy called Graham and his girlfriend, both of them from Durham...I believe he posts on the board as 'Northern Fan'. 

Back on the bus, all of us up talking until around 4am. Tim normally hits the sack early but tonight he had a shiny eyed vitality to him and stayed up with everyone. When we arrived in Manchester at around 5ish Rob and I went for a walk and an explore. We found fuck all and went back to bed.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 9 - MANCHESTER ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC

Next day - Manchester, art gallery, walk around the park, walk around the shops, interview with Dave, meet my scouse mates, gig. My mates from Liverpool are boisterous at the best of times. A practical joke involving one of them telling the security guard that the other had a weapon ended up with all of them arguing, most of them going home and one being thrown out. Great.

Still, the gig was cool. Tim got a dude up to dance on the stage and he had a great time. The crowd were lovely and there was a fantastic moment where a number of people came out of their seats and pooled at the front of the stage.

I had a horrible onstage sound but we played well. We were very tight and were all pleased with the end result. Met some lovely people outside the gig as well, when I was trying to sort out all the probs with my scouser mates.

Nobody wanted to go out apart from Robin and I. Robin has always traditionally been the last man standing on these occasions, most memorably when he jumped in the swimming pool fully clothed (trainers, passport, money, the lot) backstage at Benicassim...

...however, on this tour I was taking the mantle. We went to a karaoke student bar and got hammered with some people who had been at the gig, Hannah and Graham. Interestingly enough they'd actually met whilst going to see the band at the Move festival in Manchester. I think they post on the board too.

Then it was home for a day off.....more to come!!!

AND THE FINAL PART OF THE TOUR