Last night we were very brave, according to a diehard Fall fan we spoke to after the show, he was referring to our decision to end the set with a debut version of Virginia Plain. We decided to do this during the soundcheck - normally these are hurried affairs with two or three bands waiting for their turn but now we're professionals (!) soundchecks are a time to try out new things at a leisurely pace.
The Newcastle crowd was receptive to our brand of nonsense and it was good thing there were "no crowdsurfing" signs everywhere to control their enthusiasm. After the show we retired to the hotel and helped Mark E Smith celebrate his 51st birthday. He received four bottles of single malts from various parties and apparently ranked ours the lowest. In our defence we couldn't locate an offie in downtown Newcastle and had to resort to M&S. Anyway, what do you expect from a cheapskate support band?
We're staying at the Jury's Inn near the quayside and we were reminded of the banalities of office life that we have temporarily escaped when overhearing two businessmen in a lift. First businessman said, "What I want to get out of today is a brief outline of a plan to present to the board."
"Great!" came the enthusiastic reply.
Meanwhile we are getting used to the routine of touring; a leisurely breakfast, a nice drive, a new hotel, being well looked after by smiley young students and a chance to watch the Fall for nothing. It beats working for a living.
