Back To Winter….
Day 2:
I promise I´ll
stop writing about sleep (or lack of it) but this is going to be a long day!
It is so cold
here and the strong wind from the sea doesn´t help much. I did come prepared
(the heavy suitcase) but it´s still a shock to the system.
Like many
countries, Iceland celebrates Labour Day tomorrow so Eric volunteered to take me
souvenir shopping today and that was fun.
A last minute
TV show delayed sound check a bit but we did a semi-unplugged version of The
Wizard and the band has great voices so it was actually a pleasure.
The venue was
really cool, a medium-sized theatre with a totally seated audience. Everything
was comfortable and the crew was very professional.
There wasn´t
time for a siesta after dinner so I knew I would need some ¨extra¨ energy.
Show 1 was
great. The audience was loud and appreciative and, apart from one or two minor
blunders on stage, it went well.
The break
between shows (while they emptied and re-filled the venue) was a bit wierd
because the natural energy you build up during a performance (and which usually
sustains you through the entire show) begins to drop and then you practically
have to start over.
But show 2 was
even better! The audience was even louder (somebody suggested that this was due
to the fact that they had more time to drink more beer…… surely not!) and the
band was a little more confident so, quite suddenly, it was all over.
I enjoyed my
first concerts in Iceland and I have found the people to be warm and friendly.
As a rule, I
like to relax quietly for 20 minutes or so after a show but, five minutes after
getting down to the dressing room, it started to fill up with people and this
was very uncomfortable for me so I found a small room at the end of the dressing
room and kept myself to myself for a while. I met a lot of nice people, took a
lot of pictures with them (amazing how mobile phones have turned everyone into a
photographer!) and we were finally ready to escape to the hotel. We stopped at a
small bar to say good bye to the band and some other people I wouldn´t see again
on this trip and finally I was in my room. What a relief.
Tomorrow I
will have lunch with Eric´s family at his mum´s house and I am looking forward
to that.
I wonder if
I will sleep any better tonight? This is the last time …. I swear!
