tour diary part 6 (the Italian debacle and the train ride to Vienna)

So the past week has pretty much been like a holiday with the occasional gig.. I shouldn't complain really.. Italy is beautiful, and I've been eating the most incredible food... The downside has been because I omitted to fill in a mythical form called an E101, I couldn't get paid for the shows.. AND through someone's masterstroke of scheduling, we had to go onstage 5 minutes after doors, and play to pretty much empty theatres... we were essentially background music while everyone took their seats, with all the house lights on.. which kinda sucked... having said that, the audiences who were in their seats were kind and appreciative..I will just have to call the whole thing a character building exercise.. :-).. I dunno, I've become accustomed to playing packed 1200 seater venues now, and having everyone's attention... maybe I'm just spoiled.. :-)

Yesterday we had a mammoth 12 hour train journey from Rome to Vienna.. Thank god for plugs on trains.. we watched The Wire all the way here.. :-).. and of course admired the incredible view... I love travelling by train.. Relaxing, and pretty much stress free... although for some weird reason the steward in the buffet car refused to heat up a Frankfurter for me so it was Pringles for dinner again.. until of course we got to the Hilton, and I thought what the hell.. let's get room service... I love hotels.. :-)

We're playing at Joe Zawinul's Birdland tonight, which I am so excited about... it's a smaller venue, and it's in the hotel, so I can stay in my pyjamas pretty much all day... yes!!

And it's home time tomorrow...

Trento