Tuesday, October 31
It's a beautiful day - a sunny 24C as I leave Hobart for what is bound to be the quickest UK trip in history, but hopefully the most worthwhile.
One hour to Melbourne where it's a lovely 27C and then onto the flight to Singapore.
That takes in 8 hours, within I spend at least an hour trying to get my audio headset working properly...bloody technical faults!
Naturally late into Singapore (a delightful 33C) sees me directly onto the next leg of 14 hours to Paris...so much for stretching my legs. At least the bookshop at the airport had a new John Sandford novel to keep my occupied.
The next 14 hours moves at snail's pace as I endure the less then enthusiastic service of Singapore Airlines (not recommended!) and eventually touch down for another brief stop over at Paris' Charles De Gaulle airport. At least I can do some duty free shopping and get my fiancée that perfume she wants (and cross something off the shopping list I have been given!)
But thanks to some crappy bureaucratic bull, no transit passengers are welcome here and after all these hours I end up sitting on my ass for another hour waiting to take off again. OK then, no money for you guys...
Thankfully it is only an hour to Manchester by which time it is now 6 or 7 in the morning and I have been gone from home about 28 hours.
Good to be there finally!
Welcome to Manchester....it's wet, overcast and about 2C. Lovely :)
But I didn't come for the weather, I came for the Gods!
I think it's Wednesday now. Yep, got that right at least...
I am met at the airport by Mark Ashton, who it is lovely to meet face to face after nearly 10 years or phone and e-mail conversations and missing each other on previous trips to the UK.
He is much relived to see me, as it turns out much of the world (including my family and friends back home) woke to see a Singapore Airlines Jumbo in flames. No, not me thankfully.
First up it's back to Mark's place as the hotel room won't be ready until this afternoon. It seems they have quite liberal kick out times here. Very civilized...
It's great to sit back in a chair designed to accommodate the entire body, not just midgets or garden gnomes like airline seating.
The new issue of Fireworks magazine has just arrived; so hot off the presses we take a look through the new issue. Nice work guys.
Mark and I take in a traditional English pub lunch and a beer, which is lovely and relaxing, but next time I might ask the kitchen to not quite kill the steak.
Not wanting to rest up or sleep until night is upon me, even though it's something like 2 in the morning tomorrow in my head, Mark drop's me at the Hotel and then I take a wander around downtown Wigan.
Lovely place and a typical English town, which means I have finished looking around within the hour. Bought a few UK papers and magazines and headed back to the Hotel.
Dinner next with Mark and his evil twin Bruce Mee. Again, lovely to meet the mad Scotsman! A good time and a good chat was had over dinner and a beer before calling it a night and getting some much needed sleep.
Thursday November 2
In what was to become a morning ritual, it was off to McDonalds from a couple of Bacon & Egg McMuffin's and a coke for breakfast and a phone call home to my girl (Cathy) and dog (Basil) to see what they had been up to.
Good to hear that they are well. Why am I calling them from McDonalds? Well there were no phone's in the hotel rooms and the one's in the foyer wouldn't allow the free call to access calling cards. Not to worry, this works well enough and I get breakfast too!
Today's plans are a bit blurry, so I make contact with the fabulous Sue and Phil Ashcroft, site regulars and locals to boot.
It seems Phil is off to help Mark and Sue is heading to see Millenium rehearse in the studio - that is Startracks Studios in Manchester (Where Ten record a lot of their albums).
I am pretty keen to see a bit of Manchester itself, so after making plans to meet mid afternoon at the rail station, I head off early to have a shop there.
Being a closet railway anorak, the train journey there goes too fast, but it's good to see another part of the UK after living in Brighton a few years back and several visits already to London.
Of course it's pissing with rain, so my views of Manchester city are a little clouded, but they have a great HMV store with a huge rock/metal section.
I spend a few bucks (sorry, pounds) and walk away happily, and take in a few more stores and sights before meeting with Sue at Liverpool Station.
We make introductions while finding a taxi for the short ride around the back of the station and down the street a little to the studio tucked away beneath a railway arch leading into the station.
A seriously dodgy looking road and suitably shabby looking exterior give way to an immense studio set up. There is so much gear crammed into this little gem of a studio, it's just as well no one outside knows what's in here otherwise it would have been ram raided months ago.
The only one present as we arrive is Millenium guitarist/songwriter/producer Ralph Santolla. Ralph's a good guy, really into his music and somewhat of a perfectionist. Just listen to Millenium Hourglass album. I congratulate him on the record, which I rate as his best yet, but he still thinks it could have been even better. Not sure where Ralph!
Ralph tunes up as the other guys arrive. He's getting impatient to get started and practice more. Like I said, always the perfectionist. It's cool to see.
It's also nice to talk to guitarist Shane French, who is a closet melodicrock.com fan. Thanks dude...
Guest keyboard player Paul Hodson of Hard Rain is here also but is a little worried his van has been broken into and his phone stolen. Not to worry though, as it later turns up underneath his van. Must have dropped it Paul!
Jorn is the only on not here, it seems he is still taking it easy at the hotel. He eventually (like an hour later!) arrives and things look like they are getting underway.
Sure enough, the building begins to shake and the guys rip thru most of the Hourglass album. Almost flawlessly too...Jorn is in great spirits and is fun to chat to. Turns out he is also a huge fan of Aussie pop rocker John Farnham.
The only problem sees to be how to perfect the lead in backing vocals on the track Power To Love.
It seems the consensus of opinion is to have Paul play samples of the lead in backing vocals, but leave some others out during the song. The rest is up to Jorn!
It's getting late and it's time to head off. Sue and I take a train back to Wigan and from there go back to her place to meet up with husband Phil. Great to finally meet him also after passing e-mails over the last several months.
Thanks for the dinner Sue and for the beer Phil.
Friday November 3
Friday already?
After the usual breakfast it is on into the downtown area again. Tonight is my first taste of Maximes with the AOR Night going down and most of the guys from the USA fly in during the day.
But before that happens I have made plans with a few melodic rock loving locals and site regulars to meet and visit the best music store in the district.
So after a little shopping downtown, it's to the Mabs Cross hotel where I am due to meet Phil & Sue, plus Kieren Dargan and his wife from Ireland and fellow Irishman Ian and wife Fiona, plus long time site regular and all round good guy Peter M Beitenholz.
And as things go, everyone is running late, but eventually we hook up somewhere down the road after I began walking about to kill the time.
Sue's off to help with food for the Gods catering and Kieren, myself and Phil head to the bar to wait for Peter, Ian and Fiona to arrive.
So we head into the bar to kill a few minutes and a few brain cells.
It's not long before we are joined by a couple of guests. In walks Bob Catley and his manager/assistant Annie Minnion.
Well I met Bob briefly about 7 years back, but happily reintroduce myself. No, he didn't remember, but that was hardly surprising.
Bob has to be the most laid back rocker I have ever met. Totally unassuming, totally relaxed in the company of anyone and happy to talk to anyone about anything, so long as a pint is grasped firmly in his hand at the time.
After an hour or more wait, Peter arrives and joins in the festivities.
Soon after Millenium arrive enforce and join in the drinking. Somehow we seem to have filled up the bar. It's raining again outside....
Phil has left to collect Ian and Fiona and it isn't until 2 hours later that he calls from the station to come and join them.
Off we go in the rain, to the station...where we find the guys and soon we are on a train to Bolton.
Except one thing....the store isn't far from closing as everyone is running late and Phil suddenly decides that this train doesn't go to Bolton.
Bugger....
OK, emergency plans...off the train at this station and find a taxi. Should work OK. Except....it's now dark, it's pelting with rain and it's a mile to the town center.
Bugger....
With no choice but to walk the hard years to the main street in the rain, we head off. Dedicated melodic rock heads just obsessed with hope of finding something worthwhile at the store to make the journey worth the effort.
Eventually find a mini bus taxi that gets us to the store within 2 minutes of the guys giving up on our arrival and closing the store (Phil had earlier rang ahead).
Done! All in all, the purchases didn't live up to expectations....but I did get one gem of a release that I will feature on the site next month.
I might have bought Jimi Jamison's first CD - Cobra's First Strike, but at 30 pounds, I passed.
Time to get back to Wigan, as I need to get a meal and change before the AOR Night at Maximes. The rest of the guys head off in the opposite direction to see Iron Maiden and Halford at Manchester. Peter and I are on a train back to our hotels. It's really pissing down now...
Back at the Hotel I walk into to see a few familiar faces. They of course, don't know what I look like, so I introduce myself to Randy Jackson, Terry Brock and Mario from Frontiers Records.
It's great to meet them and a few minutes of general chit chat leads to me excusing myself to get changed out of my slightly damp clothes!
Dinner time, and Mario tells me a few of the lads are doing just that in the adjoining restaurant.
It doesn't take long to recognize a few faces - Kelly Keagy (who is tucking into his over cooked roast chicken), Brain Bart and girlfriend Jodie, Kevin Chalfant and Josh Ramos and refreshing his drink at the bar is Jim Peterik.
It's hand shakes and hugs all-round as I say G'Day to the guys. This is the Chicago melodic rock mafia sitting at the table - a very powerful bunch of guys with a string of hits and albums between them. But you know what, they couldn't be a nicer bunch of guys.
I knew that of Kevin, Keally and Jim via phone and e-mail over the last couple of years, but in person they are even more personable.
Gary Moon is the only one wigging out - he's sleeping off the flight for now, but promises to join everyone at the club later.
I am invited to join them for dinner and happily do, going also with the roast chicken. Yes, it was a little over cooked!
It's a pretty bubbly little gathering going on here, with Mario and Serefino moving in and out of the restaurant and the guys moving about the table chatting.
Josh is certainly in good voice. Kevin Chalfant is struggling with his neck injury, but pledges to be fine for tomorrow's show. He's taking in an early night.
I can hear another familiar voice behind me.
Yep, it's none other than Khalil Turk, my sparring partner from Escape Music.
I stand up and say G'Day and totally surprise him. Funny stuff. He proudly proclaims to Kelly Keagy that we send each other hate mail all the time...haha.
We promise to get a photo together later, so we can throw darts at each other if the situation requires it.
Seriously though, we have a good chat and it is good to meet the man behind the label. I appreciate Khalil's enthusiasm, we both have a strong passion for our music!
Dinner's over and we agree to meet in the lobby in an hour to head to Maximes to check out the night.
Having found out their room number earlier, I head to say G'Day to Ted Poley and Gerhard Pilcher - who make up Melodica.
There's a do not disturb sign on the door, so I slip a note under the door.
That seemed to work, as they are soon at my door with a fan in tow (sorry mate, can't remember your name!) and more introductions and handshakes are going on. My head is beginning to spin! :)
We have a good chat and once again it's great to finally meet the guys.
They are both having an early night, so we head to the bar to meet the other guys before heading to Maximes, with Ted and Gerhard heading back to their rooms after saying hello.
Jim Peterik, Kelly Keagy, Josh Ramos and two of Melodica's backing band and me in a taxi. Spot the odd one out...
Walking into Maximes was like walking through a time portal and being transported back to 1989. Was an awesome sight.
Something like 400+ headbangers all enjoying a beer and more importantly the music, with the dance floor regularly filling up to old classics.
Like Kieren said to me, it is like walking into a disco to hear your record collection being played at maximum volume.
Classic rockers from Bon Jovi, Hardline, Def Leppard and Motley Crue were heavily featured.
I wandered around with Jim and Kelly for a while before meeting up with old budddy Georg from AOR Heaven. The four of us, with Georg's bud Jens Knarr retired to a neighboring pub for a good chat in quieter surrounds.
After a lager or two, Jim and Kelly headed back to the hotel to rest up for the gig and I re-joined the crowd in Maximes.
It was an awesome night, but it certainly left my head spinning from meeting so many people and matching faces with e-mails.
It was good to finally meet two of the biggest rock stars at the gig - Johnny Lima & Gary Moon, plus DJ Klaus, Ivar from Norway, a quite drunk (but very jovial) Bob Catley and Annie.
The gang arrives back from the gig - the verdict was that Halford rocked the house, while Iron Maiden failed to hit the mark.
It was getting late...time to head back and get a few hours rest before the gig the next day - or later today at least.
Saturday November 4
The day of the gig...I actually feel kinda crusty this morning and hope that a call home and breakfast will get me kick started.
It's already nearly 10am and The Gods starts after 11, so it's swiftly to it.
Cath and the dog are still doing fine and breakfast is eaten over a couple of UK tabloid newspapers. I have to say, no one is better than putting a comic spin on the combined disasters of flooding, rail network failures and the crisis surrounding gas prices - not to mention the top job as English soccer coach going to a Swede!! Heaven forbid!
A short bus ride to the venue and it's just after 11am, doors open time!
I am really pleased to see that things are well underway inside, with a great crowd for the time of day already amassed.
The newly extended stage looks the part and there is a line up of fans at Stage edge, ready for the first band.
That honor goes to Lost Weekend. For individual descriptions of each band, go to the highlighted band name for photo's and a set list.
As the day goes by, the venue fills up to the point where it officially gets a sold out tag mid evening. That equates to 1000+ long haired rock n roll fans getting into some of the best current bands on the scene.
A shot from the back of the venue. The crowd is building up.
In between sets, the music is cranked and blasts out past, present and new classics from the Now & Then / Frontiers catalogue.
Mark Ashton and helpers are running the Now & Then stand, with CD's available from all the bands playing to day, plus from the extensive back catalogue range and a few new CDs on sale today for the first time.
Sales are going well. So well the guys sell out of a few items before the acts even hit the stage - Melodica and The Sign being two of those acts.
T-Shirts commemorating the day also sellout by early evening.
Bruce Mee was hovering back and forth between the Fireworks Magazine stand and taking photo's - some of which are featured here.
There were also stands for Voltz and Powerplay Magazine and it was great to meet the guys behind both good magazines.
I hang between the stage to get the photo's you will be looking through and the backstage area, which is really just the back corner of the venue, sort of cut off by some chairs to the rest of the crowd. Here is a buffet from any of the bands and the volunteers helping with the day, or the freeloading journalists like myself! Thanks for the feed guys...
It was great to meet more people, some of which I knew from the Net, and others I didn't.
A big hello to the guys from Raine, two of which came over from the States for the weekend. Hope you enjoyed yourselves!
With the guys of Raine.
Bjorn from Street Legal - after their set.
Johnny Lima.
Kelly Keagy and Kevin Chalfant.
Site regulars Phil and Peter M.
Bob Catley - looking as if I have just placed my hand somewhere I shouldn't have.
And Don Airey - there to play with Ten for the night.
The great thing about this event is the fact that straight after their sets, most of the bands spent a lot of time signing CD and LP slicks, meeting fans and sharing a drink with them.
After those duties were compete, many then chose just to hang with the other bands up the back and watch who ever was on at the time and mingle further with the fans.
Although there was a definite area for the guys to hang out, it at no stage cut them off from the fans and I think anyone who wanted to meet there heroes were able to. It was just too easy and a real festive atmosphere.
The evening ended a little late, thanks to a few delays and technical difficulties and a few bands running over, but few cared.
Two Fires wrapped up their awesome set near midnight, when a few people decided that was enough and headed off, but if the event had gone all night, just about everyone I spoke to would have still been there.
There's not too many places you can see a line up like this in one day, and not too many events that for the 20 quid admission will run longer than 12 hours of rock n roll value.
Full credit to Mark and Bruce and to everyone involved for helping put together a fantastic day.
One I will never forget, that is for sure.
For those that don't live close by, or for those that have to travel from far a field, I can safely say it is well worth it.
Coming from someone who has to travel more than 28 hours to get there, I can say that all melodic rock fans should check out it at least once.
The other groovy thing is to be surrounded with like minded fans. Sure, everyone has an opinion and likes different bands, but it was great not to have to share the space with any techno fans!
It seriously an awesome event.
Sunday November 5
Breakfast with Two Fires at the hotel....not feeling too bad actually. I didn't drink much as I get hideous hangovers and really wanted to remain focused on the gig. Plus, I don't want to be too tired getting onto that flight home...
There was some funny chat over breakfast. Kevin and Kelly were talking with Mario of Frontiers over things with Josh listening in and the conversation turned to the cover of the VU album. The guys were laughing at the spots of criticism that the cover was a plain Journey rip off.
Guess what folks...the cover was designed by drummer Prarie Prince, who also designed Journey's Raised On Radio cover. It seems it was left over from a few years ago and Kevin thought it would be cool to use. It was designed initially for another band initially, but they chose an alternative. That band was Journey!
Anyway, it seems the guys are off to Liverpool for the day, or at least, half day by the time they get going!!
Kelly and Kevin invite me along - an invitation I quickly snapped up.
Breakfast is over and Kevin promises to come and get me from my room when the guys are ready, so I head off to gather the day's papers and sit back and relax for a couple of hours.
More floods, a 48 hour storm due to hit, more fuel blockades, more crumbling rail infrastructure....another day in British life :)
A knock at the door sees me on my feet and soon into another mini bus cab. Given that the rail services are almost defunct and it's also Sunday, it seems we have just hired the cabbie to take us the hour to Liverpool (and back!) Good call that turns out to be...
So here we are again - me, Jim Peterik, Josh Ramos, Kevin Chalfant, Gary Moon and Kelly Keagy, Brian and Jodie, in a mini van on our way to Liverpool. It's like me and the taxi driver are the only ones who haven't had a US Top 40 hit. I guess there is still time...
The journey there was an experience. Me and Kelly up front, with Jim and Kevin behind us, Josh, Brian and Jodie and Gary up the back.
The amazing thing for me was to witness the hardest working songwriter in the business hard at work. It wasn't 10 minutes into the ride that Jim had his notebook and tape recorder out and was busy humming away into the mike, and shooting lyrics at Kevin, who soon got caught up in the process. 30 minutes of dueting and swapping lyrics and the guys had a song half written by the time we entered Liverpool's city limits. Incredible stuff that for music and song writing fans I can't really describe how cool that was.
Our first stop turned out to be the Beatles museum at the Liverpool docks.
Kelly, Brian, Jodie and Jim went through, while Kevin, Gary, Josh and I took in a few shops upstairs.
Josh provided comical commentary, while Kevin shopped for Beatles memorabilia - funnily enough there was no shortage of it here.
By now it was seriously pissing down outside and after the rest of the guys re-joined us, everyone took a break for coffee.
It was decided that the next and last stop due to the last start to the day and the positively shit weather outside would be the Cavern Club where the Beatles played their first gigs. Sounds Ok to me, but how do we get from here (the docks) to there (uptown?)
Call a couple of taxi's of course. Well the short wait for a taxi turned into about 40 minutes, filled up by standing in the small antique brick foyer to the center shooting the breeze and listening to the guys crack each other up reliving the previous night's performance.
The main source of laughter came from the guys giving each other shit for an almost fatal missed chord change during one of the Two Fires tracks.
Or the train wreck as Kelly Keagy kept referring to! Everyone had their own colorful description of the almost fatal flaw that saw both Josh and Gary miss a change until it was bought to their attention!
Did any of you witness that? I missed it and had to say that I thought they were being to hard on themselves, but that was swiftly rebuked. "Oh no, man, that was a train wreck!"
Jim meanwhile, is otherwise engaged pacing back and forth singing into his tape recorder and getting feedback and lyric input on the song from Kevin.
Truly the hardest working men in melodic rock.
One taxi arrives and Brian and Jodie, Gary and Jim jump in.
Another 10 minutes pass and a security guard comes to lock the doors. It's totally pissing down outside as the predicted 48 hour storm has definitely hit.
It's looking pretty grim, but as we were about to be turfed out, the second taxi arrives and to the Cavern Club we go.
The day was a little bleak, as is the photo - but this is the gang in Liverpool.
Me and Jim Peterik.
And with Kelly Keagy.
The complete Two Fires line up.
The whole gang again, on the stage at the Cavern Club.
After a pint or two...
Gary, Kelly, Kevin, Jim, Josh & Brian.
As one things follows another, sure enough the trip back to Wigan is longer than anticipated.
A Liverpool style traffic jam slows things to a snail pace and the journey takes nearly 90 minutes.
What do you do when stuck in traffic like this? Entertain yourself of course.
I was riding up front again, this time with Gary Moon. we chatted about his career and his upcoming website and solo album, while the guys in the back continued to analyse yesterday's Train Wreck.
Even better, the cab driver has a CD walkman rigged up to the stereo and puts a CD on. It's some made for TV advertising compilation of soft rock FM radio hits. Perfect material for discussion!
Heart, Patty Smyth, Mr. Mister, Fleetwood Mac all get varied opinions as the songs are analysed and discussed and ultimately a joke forms.
Then the guys start singing along. Now there is quite a line up of vocal talent in this van. Jim, Kevin, Kelly and Gary are all singing along sporadically until the song to end all songs starts up. It's yet another version of Your So Vain - maybe it was even the original! - and I think it was Jim that started things off by changing the lyrics to the infamous version I'm Going To Kill Your Mother.
That's all the excuse everyone needs to sing along in between laughing. In fact the volume is so loud I think my ears drums are going to burst. To make matters worse John Ramos starts his best baritone Temptations backing vocals, further cracking everyone up. And if that wasn't enough, on the third chorus Gary lets rip with a flat stick high pitch scream of "....Kill Your Mother..." just at the right time. I swear the driver was ready to pull over and run off....funny stuff. You had to be there. I think Jim got it all on tape, so I will see if I can't get hold of a copy for later use. Well worth it.
We arrive back to the hotel thoroughly burnt out on that song, but for me, with memories that will not soon fade.
Dinner's at the Hotel and as I had arranged earlier in the day to dine with Mark Ashton and Sam and Johnny Lima, they are already there tucking into some good looking food.
So it's 10 for dinner then as we just about fill the place and begin to unwind with dinner and drinks and enjoy one last meal before heading back home in the morning.
After dinner I bid farewell to everyone as I am out at 6 the next morning.
What is left is me, Mark and Sam, Johnny and Josh, who just refuses to believe that the night could be coming to a close.
So we share a few drinks and try and take the mickey out of some pissed AOR leftover fan who keeps asking daft questions and calling people on his mobile to them he is talking to famous people. At one stage he hands to phone to me and says who are you? I took the phone and proceeded to tell the lady on the other end of the line that I was the new lead singer in Van Halen. She was unimpressed. Oh well...
He continues to ask Johnny to sign his Gods program, despite the fact he already did the night earlier.
Kick out time comes and Josh is not happy. Mark and Sam invite us back to their place to continue the fun.
For me, the rest of the evening - or at least until about half 2 in the morning is spent listening to stories from Josh on his various encounters and Johnny's Velocity days....Josh has got some great Joe Lynn Turner stories, which prompts us to watch the new Yngwie Malmsteen Live CVD. (Recorded in late 98 I think)
Bad move...it's more like the Yngwie weight loss guide and we spend much of the Disc's duration taking the mickey out of his fat ass in those spray on leather pants. It's not a good look :)
Mark drops us back to the hotel and Johnny and I spend a hour or so talking in the foyer, until I decide I have to go pack to be ready to leave in a couple of hours time. So much for a good night's sleep ahead of the flight!
Monday November 6 (Official Start of the day)
Johnny, his mum and I share a cab to Manchester airport. I sleep half the way there. Say goodbye to Johnny and head to the next terminal where my Singapore Airlines flight will leave from.
There isn't a lot of time left before the flight and I want to call home and get some breakfast.
Upon checking in I am told that the flight is pushed back 90 minutes due to a late arriving aircraft. Little did I know, but the continuing effects of the 48 hour storm were backing everything up.
Looking grim outside...
So I kill the next 2 hours talking to Cath on the phone, stocking up on magazines for the flight and getting some breakfast over a couple of newspapers.
The flight finally departs, some 2 hours late, with me thinking no worries, we will make the time up in the air. Of course we will!
No we don't. The next 50 minutes is as close to flight hell as I have experienced, the turbulence of the storm with wind and rain is bloody awful to the point where when we were coming into Paris I thought I had been transplanted to a roller coaster. The landing was so rough, I am now glad I didn't have too much for breakfast. Half way down the runway we pass a jumbo that wasn't so lucky. It has it's nose in the dirt and emergency services has it surrounded. Fucking marvelous I'm thinking.
So here we are again. Not even a rough as guts landing softens the ground officials and I am sitting my ass in this plane in Paris again.
Not to worry, it's only going to be an hour.....sure. Turns out to be nearly 90 minutes and then a further 30 minutes of sitting on the tarmac waiting for clearance to leave. Let's go already!
The pilot comes over the intercom. Sorry folks, can't take off due to excessively high winds. Waiting for clearance. That comes another 10 minutes later and once again we are forced to endure a rough as hell take off.
13 hours later, I arrive in Singapore. 3 hours after my flight left for Australia!
Thankfully the guys at the airline are in control and there are people there to meet us and usher us into a lounge. New boarding passes are handed out, phone cards for any necessary phone calls (yes, there are several to make!) and then a hotel voucher. Yep, it's 12 hours until the next flight and as a consolation prize, it's off to a hotel in the city for the day. Thanks guys.
A coach ride to the city and lunch at the hotel, followed by several calls back home to re-arrange my domestic flights and my ride from the airport.
Now what? Six hours until the coach leaves for the airport....the only option left is to take to the streets and shop!
Six hours later after I take in a few gift shops and HMV and Tower Records it's back to the airport for dinner and for the 8 hour flight to get me home to Melbourne.
Then it's another hour wait and a further hour flight to home town Hobart.
Counting back to when I left Manchester....it's been 40 hours. Am I glad to be back home.
But you know what? Because I missed my flights and spent 12 hours in lovely Singapore it's now 11 am in the morning Wednesday and I was due back at work about 2 hours ago.
Shortly after midday I waltz into work and do what I can to start catching up and to also stay awake.
It's been a short Uk trip, with a long trip home, but every minute of it was worthwhile and something I would repeat again any day. (with the exception of that Manchester-Paris flight!)
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels to the Gods Of AOR Festival and I hope that you are still with me after my long winded description of everything.
A special thanks to Mark & Sam Ashton & Bruce Mee. Thanks also to Serafino and Mario at Frontiers, all the guys I met and talked with, the site regulars I was able to say hi to and the guys from Two Fires for an unforgettable day in Liverpool and all the artists who gave up some time to talk with me over the course of the weekend. Hello to the girls from Japan, Khalil and Barry from Escape, the fabulous fine fellows of Millenium, Melodica, Street Legal & The Sign, God for the weather and Singapore Airlines for my pleasant stop over in Singapore and to the Hotel - sorry guys, I forgot to give back my key, I may as well hang on to it now...
Now...back to business as usual.
