mad_andy

So!

I'm back.

Tour's over. *Snf*

I am going to try and do some sort of writeup of it - at least the high spots. But for now I'm just going to catch up with stuff.

( Although there's a pic under here, and a few noteworthy bits and bobs... )

So when's the next tour start, boys...?

Yup, am back.

I would just like to say now that the Zico Chain boys are absolutely the nicest, sweetest, loveliest rock stars a fan could ever, ever hope to meet. Yes, I'm gushing.

Two triple-A passes in three shows will do that to you. :D

And the girls I have been hanging out with were bloody fantastic. Absolutely, totally, utterly wicked and a huge amount of fun and chaos and mayhem... including ending up in my underwear while stuck in traffic in Bristol last night, screaming WHERE THE HELL IS MY T SHIRT while my passenger about wet herself laughing and other drivers watched with interest.

Yeah, it's been a hell of a lot of fun.

However, right now I need to go back to bed. Mildly hung over - damn Chris and his love of very very strong vodka red bulls! - and am at work later. Hopefully it'll be quiet at work so I'll get the chance to squee more fully.

And dudes, how many pages to catch up on? You are a chatty lot.

After a decidedly dodgy start, my weekend is currently MADE OF WIN.

Last night I managed to find the Ballroom (yay), then went for something to eat. Oh look, I said to myself, an Irish pub. They'll speak English.

I think I found the only Irish pub in Hamburg where the staff speak NO English.

However! We figured out drinks and food with the aid of a fair bit of hand waving and pointing and wiggled eyebrows, so is all good. Waiting for my meal, realised was being eyed up by very drunk man sitting on the table to my right - he also spoke no English, but his friend spoke a bit so I got chatted up through an interpreter.

Also bought a drink, no bad thing.

He asked for my phone number, but I explained that as I spoke no german and he no english it would be a waste of time, right? He pleaded. I said no. (His friend is meanwhile translating all this to the barstaff, who are in fits.)

Anyway, they left me alone and it's funny how much a single eyeroll between women who have no common language can mean. Heh.

( Think I'd better cut this cos it's going on a bit more than I thought it would... )

So. catch yerlater!

I write to my dear friends and readers from the safety of the Sheraton at Charlotte, near the airport. yes folks, Mad Andy is Stateside.

MAKE THE BLOODY MOST OF IT BECAUSE IT AIN'T NEVER HAPPENING AGAIN!!!!

I am NOT putting myself through that... that... ridiculous palaver again. And i even dressed like a sodding grownup to avoid hassle. Well, as far as the eagle-eyed, crew-cut, All-American Homeboy behind the desk at Homeland Security went then yeah, it worked. I just lurked behind Slay, gave him my fingerprints and tried to look harmless on camera and we got through in record time.

But the rest of it. Jesus. I swear, one day I'm going through security stark bollock naked and save myself a lot of bloody hassle.

Tell me, what am i going to hide in my boots? The New Rocks, yes. You could hide a lot of shit in those. Thick soles, mysterious metal bits...

But my boxer boots? They're sodding well skin tight!

The truth is that we've lost. We have lost the battle against fear, and it shows in every move you make. Don't smoke in here - you're in the middle of one of the most polluted cities anywhere in London, and people are worried about cigarettes? - don't do this, take this off, let me x ray you, are you up to no good...?

Bah.

But no, we can't x ray you BECAUSE YOU MIGHT GET CANCER--

FFS.

Fat chick with bright red boots. Stare. She looks different, should we be afraid? (Let me take this jacket off, really give you something to stare at.) OMG, look away from the big guy, look awaaaaay!

This time they let me through with my lighters, but examined my belt buckle (plain brass) and my nicotine gum very closely. I was tempted to set light to something just to annoy them.

But no, I was a good girl. I did what i was told, endured the cattle-truck of economy air travel, kept my head down, baaaaah. We're sheep. We let ourselves be intimidated and threatened until we lose what little freedom we had just to extend our miserable lives just a little longer. For what purpose? To cower in our foxholes in terror of the next attack? Bah. Sheep.

But the love I have for flying hasn't diminished; there is nothing like the feeling of looking down onto the clouds, feeling the winds vibrate the metal tube you're riding, look over the horizon and want to point the nose of the aircraft for that cloud formation there and see what's on the other side of it...

As the Road calls to rathenar, the Sky calls to me.

*Sigh*

I spent the last few hours of the trip stalking around swearing 'never again', but I guess the next three weeks will give me the answer as to whether all the sheepery and blind, ignorant obedience is worth all the hassle.

Oh, and remind me to tell you about Sam The Bastard's latest escapade. *Groan*

Still, I brought plenty of tea bags and it's only ten bucks for 24 hours 'net access from the hotel. Which reminds me--

In the bar after dinner (nice burger, had a good laugh with the waiter too) the conversation turned to tattoos. Unsurprisingly, considering the guy on the stool next to mine had eyes on stalks. Anyway.

Turns out it's illegal in South Carolina to get a tattoo.

Why?

Oh, America....

Had a great time sunday visiting glammetalkitten, even if we were ignored by rockstars (*pfah*) and sneered at by their girlfriends. Who all look the same. I reckon they get the bloody things mail order.

(Oh, and I fell in lust with a bassist - who, arrys_girlie thinks, looks like my beloved Dirk! She actually has a point...)

AND I've just posted another chapter of Journeyman. Am now on the last one, the epilogue being nine tenths written already. The damn thing laid dormant for a year then, with a good poke from rdyfrde, arrys_girlie and some fairly constant quiet under-the-table nagging from rockfic took off like a sodding rocket and won't shut up.

Can't wait to get it finished. And then never look at the flippin' thing again!

Best of all? Off to part-ay with rathenar tomorrow after work! Gonna be fun. Gonna stay on the boat. Gonna get very lost driving round Cambridge in the fog....

And now I'm knackered, so goodnight y'all.

I'm back!

The dog is asleep downstairs, the cat is asleep by my elbow, I've (sort of) caught up on my sleep and all is right with the world. (Kind of.) (Except everything still aches, I'm sunburned and I've lost my voice.) (Damn Leppard.)

Wanna know what I've been doing?

( It was a dark and stormy night-- )

Stay tuned for Saturday's tale of disabled toilets, sunburn, and a guitarist with the strangest makeup job ever...!

The good news is, I've booked my flights to go see Lia. The bad news is, I can't go until the 31st because flights before then are too damn expensive. Bastards.

And I'm nervously waiting for news from a friend who had a rather important doctor's appointment today...