|
November 19th 2005
The drive from Skien to Karmoy was really incredible and I can’t
describe how beautiful the scenery was… perhaps I’ll send Rod a
picture or two that I took along the way. I made Morten stop a few
times so I could take pictures so the journey over the mountain that
normally takes about 5 hours ended up taking closer to 7!! But it
was a pleasant trip as it gave Morten, Magne and myself a chance to
talk about things other than music. Today Magne received, in
absentia, a gold DVD for some work he did with Wigwam, this year’s
Norwegian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest. So we’ll celebrate
that somewhere along the way!!
We drove in and out of Telemark,
a region in Norway that is perhaps best known for its unique
cross-country skiing style but which is also known for the “heroes
of Telemark” who, to cut a long story short, saved the world from
Hitler getting his hands on an atomic bomb!! It’s an incredible
story… you should try to read it if you can.
The band was already in Karmoy,
having flown down from Oslo, so we went straight to the venue for
sound check. Karmoy is a small port town on the South-Western coast
of Norway and Borgen is not a large venue but the stage was big
enough and the welcome was warm.
Preparing for only our second gig
I definitely got the feeling that we had all learned a lot. The
sound was tighter here and there was more confidence in the guys
today. All we needed now was a crowd and we got that.
The security barriers were a
little too close for such a low stage which was a little
disconcerting when I was at the front singing my “serious” songs
directly into the faces of guys who had had a few…. although I can’t
criticise their enthusiasm!! This was a really good gig as far as I
am concerned and after two encores I think the audience liked it
too. It’s amazing how much the band has progressed in such a short
time and, while there are still some rough spots, I have no doubt we
will sort them out… and they are not big things really!
The guys take their playing seriously
and I like that. And they are a happy band and I really like that.
In fact, I am having a good time and I really, really, really like
that!
Next day...
|
