S*T*U*F*F* Reloaded

What a gig last night - one of those life-affirming shows that remind me why it was so good to do this for a living. You could tell from the start that the audience were along for the ride - every tiny change in mood or tempo would have them cheering and swaying… fantastic. JB & Nico decided to go off after “Sexy Boy” instead of doing a 3rd encore number, taking the risk that the crowd would keep cheering for another one. When we came back and played “La Femme d’Argent” the place just exploded. Great fun.

Amusing incident from the day before in Cologne… I was in the spa, just starting a super-relaxed visit to the Finnish sauna. As I was lying there naked, enjoying the heat, a woman appeared from nowhere and said “You have to get out of the spa immediately - there is a leak of chlorine gas.” Not really wanting to suffer the effects, I got out of there quick smart. Not the most relaxing experience in the end. A delicious lunch of spaghetti with pomodoro and king prawns helped to quell the misery of having the chillout cut short, but it didn’t quite go far enough.

So tonight we have an overnight drive to Fribourg in Switzerland, a delightful medieval town in the Alps. The Swiss aren’t renowned for their rock and roll antics, so it may be pretty mellow. The tour bus is the most comfortable I’ve ever been on, so I’m sleeping well - previous tours have seen me tossing and turning for hours.

I was asked this-morning if I fancied going on tour with Sinead O’Connor!! How cool would that have been? Though I’m still out with Air, of course, and won’t be able to do it… we’ll be in America.

My good friend Foy Vance has sent me some stuff from his new album to record some guitars on - I am trying to choose the place to do it, as I can be completely free of all power sockets by using Guitar Rig nd my laptop… maybe a session in the mountains. And OH BABY - you guys are in for a treat when this album comes into your hands.