Glasgow

I've been looking forward tonight since I first saw the tour dates a couple of months ago.

One of my absolute best friends, Lee, lives in Glasgow. We had a lot of fun together touring with Speedhorn. Lee at the drivers wheel and the merch stand, me on stage and tour managing. We hang out far too seldolmly these days, but that's grown up life I guess. Anyway, Lee and his wonderful girlfriend, Kelly, are coming to the show tonight and we're crashing at their place afterwards. Tonight was always gonna be fun.

It was nice to once again sleep in a bed last night. We also had the luxury of being able to lie in it until 11am. Since we were parked up at motorway hotel, we took advantage of the breakfast and coffee next door in the service station before heading up the road to Scotland. Everyone once again tucked in to a fry up. Always a top start to the day in my opinion.

The road offers some fine sights on the drive up to Glasgow, weaving its way through the Pennines and then the hilly southern borders of Scotland. As we're taking in the view, Municipal fly past us in their van. Mikel, their driver, is really hitting the gas. We salute each other as they pass, we even try to catch up with them for a while but we soon give up.

We pull up outside the back of King Tuts bang on time, and somewhow, once again, ahead of Waste. Fuck knows what they did once they overtook us earlier? I really like playing King Tuts. Glasgow is always a great gig as it is, but the people at Tuts are super friendly and make you welcome. An unfortunate rareity in the UK.

We load in through the back and get everything set up. We still have a couple of hours until soundcheck needs to be done so we chill out in the dressing room for a while. It's Scotty's birthday today. They had the day off in Birmingham yesterday and had been to see some wrestling. They seem to have a great time in Brum. Scotty seems totally fine today too, no hangover in sight. He tells me that he ended up going to bed early, around midnight, whilst Ryan kept the party going in his name until the early hours. That's a true friend right there.

Everything positive I had spouted earlier to they guys about Tuts nearly gets pissed all over by the sound guy a while later. I went in to the office to ask if there was a code for the wireless internet. It was apparently a painstaking task I had given the guy. He tells me that he just told ”the other guy” the code a minute ago. I enquire if he means Lewis, the tour manager, to which he just shrugs. ”Ok, but can you just tell me it whilst i'm here?”, to which he replies that he's already told two or three people the code...I wonder if he's joking as we stand there staring at each other. He just plain refuses to tell me. What an utter tit! If it's such a pain in the ass to tell people why don't they just stick a note on the wall in the dressing room with some fucking info on it? I thank him in the most over the top way I can manage and leave.

I go back down to the dressing room and tell the other guys about my encounter with the sound guy. Lewis just cracks up asking if it was Captain Happy I'd spoken to. Ryan pipes up, wondering what I'm talking about. He's delighted by my story and immediately trundles off to find Captain Happy, to ask him about the code. We crack up.

I don't know what Happy's problem was but thankfully his mood doesn't affect soundcheck. He actually sorts out the best sound we've had all tour. We thank him genuinely. I think he even cracks out a smile at this. I guess that must have caused him great physical pain.

Lee turns up a while later and we hang out for a bit, catching up on all the usual stuff. It's always great to see him. He's been shopping and bought us some treats for the morning. Sutff I'm dying to enforce on the Victims boys. Stuff like Irn Bru, crumpets, shortbread. Lee has fixed the lot. He even went and bought an inflatible mattress for us. What a diamond!

Although King Tuts is a small venue, they have this really ridiculous stage barrier, set up really far away from the stage, which really doesn't need much protecting. The place is pretty packed by the time we go on anyway. Lee had just got back to the venue, with Kelly beside him. Another friend of mine, Jamie, is also here somewhere. He sang in the band Ninth Circle, the first band Speedhorn ever toured with. We've been friends ever since. I've had a great time catching up with so many old friends on this tour.

The show is probably my favourite of the tour so far. Even though the stage is insanely hot, there is lots of energy from us. I have a great time playing the show. Jon is in great form too. As he introduces We're Fucked, he announces that this song should be Scotland's national anthem. I catch the bouncers pissing themseleves laughing at that. Most Scots I know have the fine trait of being able to laugh at themseleves. The gig continues on in good form and we get a really positve reaction fromthe crowd.

Once packed down afte the show and Ryan's speakers are set back up for him to use, I head over to Ronnie, in search of Lee and Kelly. After long hugs we hang out chatting to each other. Jamie is also there and he's kind enough to buy me a bottle of Budvar. It tastes like fucking heaven! We all have a great time hanging out and watching the Municipal set. At one point Tony exclaims that the barrier is the ”stoopidest” thing he's ever seen., saying that they could set Dave's drum kit up in the gap. I smirk to myself. It is indeed, a very silly thing.

After the show, we pack the van in somewhat of a blur and then take a walk down to my favourite bar in Glasgow, Nice n' Sleazy's. I tell Jon that he's going to love it, to which he replies ”We'll see”. Typical him. As it turns out, he comes up to me within in five minutes of being there and tells me that I was right. We're all pretty drunk now. Lee and Kelly hang out for a while but have to head off kind of early since they're both working in the morning. I'm disappointed but I understand. Besides, they're coming to visit in April so there will be plenty of time to catch up then.

They leave just after the Municipal guys turn up. Andy has bumped into an old friend from Nyköping, completely coincidentally. He's shocked and happy at the same time and they hang out catching up for a while. Johan has got chatting to some girl at the bar, they seem very into each other. I'm hanging out with Jon and Dave and the other Municipal guys. I have no idea who keeps buying me beer but they keep turning up in my hand. At one point I've got a beer in each hand and one on a table.

In the midst of all these high spirits, everyone's attention gets abruptly turned to some psycho guy who has taken offence at something Andy's old friend has done. He looks fucking mental and everyone kinda looks on confused. Andy's friend, Malkolm, looks terrifed and just stares at the floor. Psycho is telling him in no uncertain terms that he's going to kill him. I have to crack up when a drunk Scotty pokes his nose into the situation, in his typical mellow West Coast accent, ”Hey man, chill out dude”. Lewis shouts at Scotty and tells him to come back, pointing to where he should go. Experienced management there by Lewis.

Eventually a bouncer comes and ushers Psycho away, although even he looks worried. As he's being coaxed out he takes off his belt and holds it aloft in the air, explaining to Malkolm what he's going to do with it. Fuck sakes! He eventually leaves and we get back on with the party at hand. We're hanging out and meeting new people and the night feels good again. Andy comes staggering up to me at one point and tells me he's been knocked back at the bar. He looks absolutely shocked! I just laugh at him. I'm starting to feel really drunk myself. Ronnie nearly pisses himself laughing when he catches Andy, still looking shocked, trying to straighten himself out. He goes to lean on the bar with his elbow, only to miss and fall down, just about catching himself before he hits the floor. Brilliant!

Ronnie and I decide that it's getting late and maybe sleep should soon be considered as an option. I ask Jon if he and Andy are gonna come in the van with us back to Lee's, to which he laughs and shouts ”No! I really should but I'm not” at me. Ryan and Lewis have taken over the task of buying both Andy and Jon beer from the bar, since Jon has also been knocked back by this point. They are both amazed that they have been told enough is enough, in Glasgow. We leave Jon and Andy to it, both of them staggering about the place with smiles as broad as their faces. I don't know what's happened to Johan, well I kind of do, but I guess we'll be filled in with that particular gossip in the morning.

Thank fuck we have Ronnie out with us. Every touring band needs a straight edge friend driving them. I'm pissed and have the munchies, so demand that we go by the chip shop before we head to the van. I munch a portion of chips and cheese in the van on the way back to Lee's. It's only a short drive and we're soon back. Lee has set up all the beds, one of which I collapse into. Fuck knows how those other two tits are gonna get back. I hope Ronnie gave them the address.

A while later, in the darkness of drunken sleep, I hear Ronnie somewhere telling me to get out of bed and let the other two in. I guess they're back. I pull the sheets over my head and try to ignore them. Getting out of bed feels like an awful effort. I barely remember opening the door for them. Ronnie tries to explain to Jon and Andy that there are plenty of beds to sleep in, but both have by now lost the ability to listen. Andy crashes out on the small living room sofa, which is about half the size of the big bastard, and Jon lies down on the floor in the hallway. Fuck the dickheads, I need to go back to bed. I do just that, pretty chuffed. Both myself and Ronnie have our own double bed to stretch out in whilst Laurel and Hardy are out there.

Tomorrow is going to hurt. Sometimes it's worth it though.