We loaded the van that night and set off early on Saturday morning. The journey was a good one, no crazy traffic or road rage metalness ( which we seem to attract )!
We arrive at 3.30pm, unload the gear ( up 3 flights of concrete stairs ) into the main school hall.
The PA guys seem cool, as does Chrissi, the promoter, and her team. We are plied with tea/coffee and set up begins.
Sound check goes well.
This is my time now, the art of 'setting up the merch'. I find it strangely comforting and agreeable. We have upgraded our merch boxes to 3 second hand suitcases from the 1960's, provided by Mikey ( well....his mum's charity shop anyway ). We need a backdrop thing that we can hang stuff from and attach lights to. I'm gonna make one!!
Haydon Spencely ( support act ) arrives at about 5pm for his sound check.
Everyone goes for food, I stay behind to find a moment to focus on what I think God wants me to say tonight and just spend a few moments praying. I find a wooden horse, gymnastics thing back stage, I lay down on it, start praying, fall asleep and fall off the wooded horse.....ouch!
There is a manic DJ at the start, which is busting my ear drums....I hate loud music!!
Good crowd in 150ish, Haydon does a good job. Gig goes well, 1 hour set, we play 9/10 of the new songs from the new album, they all go down well.
I preach the gospel at the end and the night is a success.
After the gig a methodist pastor tells me about a family that they had been praying for, they came to the gig, God really spoke to them through it and they spoke to the pastor after the event and told him they wanted to start coming back to church again, after about a year away, starting the next day....thank you God!
We leave about midnight, Mikey drives the first bit and we talk and laugh about our various trips to the USA....we have so many great stories from across the pond!
Get home about 5.45am!
