Day 4 - Home Sweet Home (18.10.15)Only managing a couple of hours sleep I was delighted to find Scott awake and ready to cook again, what a hero. I got a call from Sally and during our conversation realised that I’m glad these tours come in short spurts for the SB, 3-days, 4-days (next time 5-days), because I was already missing her and Evelyn too much. Home is always where my heart is.
A card trick (my only one) and some interesting talks about the industry with Jordy preceded the trip to Eibergen for the last gig of this part of the ‘Mainstream Tour’. The journey was pleasant with many sights to behold, Jordy informed us that AC/DCs Angus Young lived in castle near Eibergen as he had married a Dutch woman who didn’t want to leave her home, it was easy to see why.
Before we knew it we’d reached our destination. An Irish pub called 'Home' in a very clean and modernised pedestrian area. Inside it was back to the
usual NL treatment; free drinks, allowed to smoke and a meal being cooked for pre-gig sustenance. Our American friends rolled in, fresh off a storming show the night before, 12 days into their tour they were all in good spirits and we picked up where we'd left off. All sat down at a long table for a delightful two-course meal, I couldn’t tell you what it was (pork, rice and some other extra tasty stuff) but it was delicious. I got to know the locals and then got ready for the stage.We were thankful to have no sound guy after the previous night. It was the first time I’d ever took on the role and I levelled it pretty good. The owner said the drums needed turning down which amused, they weren’t even mic’d up. We opened our set with Black Chariot (booting Tornado in what seemed like the first time in forever) and then got stuck into a nice feel-good rocking set. There were maybe twenty plus people when we started but the place filled and filled… and filled - I guess it's a rarity Eibergen gets and English and American band dropping in on a Sunday night. By the end there was a real strong crowd all cheering us hard. After the finish we got encored and hit them with the ‘Jackals’ to a rapturous applause. It was a sweet way to end the trip.
Off stage the feedback was generous, more CDs signed, we made lots of new friends. Kal and Damo went on a mad merch mission and all being told we clocked 350 Euros from the 4 dates, for an unknown band making our first trip to NL and taking in three smaller town shows – safe to say we were extremely pleased. After rocking out to the Shapeshifters we bid our US and Dutch friends farewell and headed back to the lodge for our final night in Arnhem. Not before the night took an even more awesome turn…Stopping for a piss, we all made our way across a patch of grass. Scott
exclaimed “I wouldn’t walk any further ma…”Too late, Damo slipped down a grassy verge directly into a stream. Nettles and mud held him in position. All of us erupted. No one helped. In the laughter I couldn’t get my camera out of my pocket quick enough. He eventually levered himself out, clown shoes caked in mud. Back to the van the ‘sailing down the main-stream/Dame-stream’ puns began. Made my tour. It was all worth it just for that. Best friends ay.
Unfortunately, due to stream-boy banging the fire on full to dry his stuff I got a patchy few hours’ sleep. Then it was no sleep ‘til Bispham. Up at 5am - on the road to Amsterdam by 6. A smooth ride listening to Aerosmith’s first record ensued. Arriving in good time it was ‘goodbye for now’ to Jordy. A real pleasure to spend time with, he has the patience of a thousand saints, truly.With an easy check-in we still ended up running for our flight. Let’s just say I would have made it – had we needed to run… which we didn’t, cheers Scott. Flight-mode back to Manchester, we rolled home in high spirits. The ladies were so happy to see me and Ev was much better than I’d regrettably left her. I dished out the presents and sat back. Work looming on the Tuesday it made me reflect on what a crazy life I lead. Amongst the pondering I decided… I wouldn’t change a thing.