THE SET IN STONE TOUR DIARY, OCTOBER, 2002

BY PAUL ROBERTS.


AFTER WEEKS OF WORRYING WHEN I WILL GET A COLD DISASTER STRIKES...

FRIDAY 3rd OCT...
GET MASSIVE COLD AFTER A WEEK OF STRANGLERS REHEARSALS... BUT ALL IS NOT GRIM... USUALLY AFTER THREE NIGHTS IT IS NOT A PROBLEM BUT I DO HAVE THREE DAYS OF REHEARSAL WITH BAZ AND ONE WITH RICH SO WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE...

MON 7th OCT...
LONDON BULLS HEAD... REHEARSE ALL DAY WITH CHAPS... FEEL GOODISH!
TONIGHT'S GIG IS REALLY A PRODUCTION REHEARSAL SO I DID NOT ADVERTISE AT ALL AND ONLY TOLD A FEW PEOPLE BUT A NICE AUDIENCE SHOW UP ANYWAY... TONIGHT WE HAVE A VERY OLD FRIEND OF MINE CALLED PAPA GEORGE, A NATIONAL STEEL GUITAR PLAYER WHO IS THE ONLY OTHER WORKING MUSICIAN TO COME OUT OF MY HOMETOWN! LOADS OF F***ING TECHNICAL PROBS BUT A WICKED - AND LONG - NIGHT ENJOYED BY ALL AND SO NICE TO HAVE RICHARD IN...

TUES 8th OCT...
ZAKS-MILTON KEYNES... GREAT START, WE BROKE DOWN AND MISSED A RADIO SESSION!!! WOW! WHAT A GREAT NIGHT AND FAB AUDIENCE, SUPPORT TONIGHT WAS THE EXCELLENT STEP, A SINGER SONGWRITER AND ALL ROUND NICE BLOKE... JUST BAZ AND MYSELF... A VERY INTERESTING VERSION OF FIVE MINUTES (A STRANGLERS SONG - WE CAN DO ANYTHING!) A VERY FUNNY NIGHT ESPECIALLY OUR INTRO FROM THE PROMOTER BARRY CRIDLAND (NICE FAMILY MATE)... WE WERE IN THE TOILET AT THE TIME! A LOVELY MEAL AND VERY WELL LOOKED AFTER INDEED... I THINK I AM BEGINNING TO LIKE M.K... GREAT SNOW TOO... LOOKING FORWARD TO A QUICK RIDE HOME BUT GET SENT OFF THE M 1 AT J13!!! TAKES US TWO AND A HALF HOURS TO GET HOME!!! S**T...

WED 9th OCT...
WEYMOUTH TODAY AND WE FORGET OUR FUZZBOX... OOOER... A REALLY NICE VENUE ACTUALLY BUT THE PUNTERS ARE IN TWO COACHES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD WE PLAY AT 11.30... SHURELY SHOME MISHTAKE!! BUT THE GUVNOR LESTER MAKES US ALL A LOVELY STEAK DINNER AND TWO VERY STONED LADS SUPPORT US... WELL WE SUPPORT THEM - IF U KNOW WOT I MEAN!!!... JOS AND SEAN... LOVELY PEOPLE AND VERY ENTHUSIASTIC TOO... MOTHER FUCKER!!! (IN-JOKE)... TONIGHT CHRIS HAS A GO AT CROSSING A ROUNDABOUT IN BERE REGIS AT 70 MPH BUT I NOTICE THE PLAN AND QUIETLY BROWN ALL PANTS AND WE ARE SAVED!!!

THUR 10th OCT...
ME, CHRIS AND BAZ GO OUT AND DRINK FOR 6 HOURS... NO SHOW!!!

FRI 11th OCT...
ALLO ALLO ALLO... WOTS ALL THIS THEN, THE FAITH BAND AT AYLESBURY POLICE SOCIAL CLUB, THAT'S WOT!!! WELL DONE ANDY ROTHERHAM AGAIN WHOSE TIRELESS ENTHUSIASM SEES US WELL LOOKED AFTER AND FED AND ALSO SUPPORTED BRILLIANTLY BY AZIZ IBRAHIM AGAIN... TOPMAN... VERY POLITE AS WE REMEMBER BUT VERY FUNNY NIGHT... WHAT IS IT ABOUT POLICEMEN'S WIVES AND THEIR KNICKERS?? HOWEVER ALL THAT COULD GO TECHNICALLY WRONG DID... THAT'S TWO VOCAL MIKES AND A GUITAR AMP. COMPLETELY F******D... WE GET OVER IT AND I REMEMBER STARTING 'CAN'T SEEM' FROM UNDER A TABLE WHILST WRESTLING A MIKE LEAD!!!

SAT 12th OCT...
A LONG DRIVE TO THE REFORM AT BARNSTAPLE CARE OF ESTHER AND GAVIN HATCH... ARRIVE IN TIME FOR TEA... BUT NO MEAT WAS NO GOOD FOR CHRIS SO AFTER THE SHOW WE ORDERED FIVE MEAT CURRIES AND CHRIS EATS THREE OF THEM!!! AMAZING. WELL THIS WAS A GIG THAT COULD HAVE GONE ON AND ON... REALLY ACE CROWD AND WE PLAYED REALLY WELL... DID A KNOCKED UP VERSION OF 'MONEY', A SONG I WROTE FOR THE STRANGLERS AND DEDICATED IT TO GAVIN... LOVELY MAN... TOMORROW IS A DAY OFF AND WE ARE GOING TO SLEEP JUST DOWN THE ROAD IN THE 'HUNTERS INN' A FABULOUS OLD HUNTING LODGE IN A VERY SPECIAL PART OF DEVON.

SUN 13th OCT...
WE ARRIVE IN TIME FOR THE BAR TOO (1.30 am). MYSELF AND CHRIS GO OUT AFTER SUNDAY LUNCH FOR A WALK TO THE SEA THROUGH THE 'HEDDON VALLEY'... MMMM WELL WE COULD HAVE STAYED IN WHICH WOULD HAVE STOPPED US GETTING SOAKED TO THE SKIN AND WAITED FOR THE SEA TO COME TO US IT WAS THAT WET AND WINDY... CHRIS WENT HOME IN SOME OF MY TROUSERS AND I LEFT IN A PAIR OF BAZ'S JEANS... BUT WE ALL HAD A FAB TIME AND DAY OFF... ME AND BAZ DRIVE TO BATH FOR TWO DAYS OF STRANGLERS REHEARSALS...

WED 16th OCT...
THE GOLDEN FLEECE NOTTINGHAM... WELL IT IS NO SECRET THIS WAS THE GIG OF THE LAST TOUR AND TONIGHT WE HAVE RICH BACK (AND FOR THE NEXT TWO SHOWS)... THE PUNTERS WERE AMAZING AND SUNG ALONG WITH ALMOST EVERY SONG... WE DID AN EXTRA TWO SONGS TONIGHT BUT IT WAS WORTH IT AND EVEN THEN THE CROWD STAYED FOR A GOOD HOUR AND A HALF AFTER THE SHOW, SCREAMING... WONDERFUL... THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT ... THANK-YOU BARRY SPOONER AND THE LOVELY MARGARET... ALSO STEVE GREATOREX FOR THE USE OF THE BOOZER AND CELLAR TOUR!!! WE'LL BE BACK! POOR CHRIS HAS TO GO ALL THE WAY HOME AGAIN TONIGHT AND ME AND BAZ HAVE ANOTHER DAY OF STRANGLERS REHEARSALS.

FRI 18th OCT...
KIBWORTH RUGGER CLUB, MARKET HARBORO... OH YES WHAT A TURNOUT... LAST TIME WAS FAB BUT AS WITH ALL THE OTHER SHOWS EVEN BETTER THIS TIME, AND THE FANTASTIC MIKE SHEWRING DOING A SPLENDID JOB AND STAYING SOBER... HIS LOVELY WIFE PROVIDING US WITH MUCH NEEDED FOOD, HOME-MADE PIZZA. GORGEOUS! VERY IMPORTANT AFTER A 4 HOUR - YES FOUR HOUR DRIVE!!! A BIG UP TO SHAGGY AND THE SHEFFIELD CREW... TONIGHT WE ARE SUPPORTED BY SOMEONE WHO IS BIG IN M/H... SO BIG IN FACT THAT I HAVE FORGOTTEN HIS/THEIR NAME BUT HEY, YOU'LL KNOW WHO I MEAN. VERY INTERESTING BLOND IN WONDERFUL POSE WHO JUST DID NOT KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP... EXCELLENT NIGHT, VERY GOOD LAUGHS SINGALONG TOO, AND GUESS WHAT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET HOME... PHEW!!!

SAT 19th OCT...
THE WELLINGTON WIDNES... THANKYOU TO GEOFF HAMPSON, NOW WHEN I SAY GEOFF HAMPSON I AM TALKING ABOUT A MAN WHO LOOKS AFTER A SERIOUSLY ILL MOTHER, A HANDICAPPED BROTHER AND A MAN WHO PUTS ON A BRILLIANT EVENING FOR ALL... WE ARE WELL FED, WELL WATERED AND VERY WELL RESPECTED... WE RENEW OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH PETER THE PROPRIETOR AND HAVE THREE SUPPORTS TONIGHT THE NAMES OF WHOM I CANNOT REMEMBER, BUT THE GUY JUST BEFORE US OPENED HIS SET WITH THE LINE... 'THIS SHITTY TOWN', WHICH HAD ME AND THE GUYS IN STITCHES AS WE HAD JUST BEEN DISCUSSING THE FACT SO MANY ACOUSTIC 'SINGER - SONGWRITERS' ARE ON DOWNERS OR SOMETHING. LOVELY TO SEE SARAH L TONIGHT TOO LOOKING RADIANT... THE FUNNIEST THING TODAY WAS THE FACT THAT AS THREE MAD FOOTIE LOVERS (ME FULHAM, BAZ SUNDERLAND AND RICH TOTTENHAM),SATURDAY IS VERY EXCITING FOR US AND WITH A LONG DRIVE WE THOUGHT WE 'D HAVE THE RADIO ON... YES WELL NUFF SAID... IT TOOK THREE GUYS 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES TO GET THE RADIO WORKING, AND 30 SECONDS IN TO THE PROGRAMME LITERALLY THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS IS SUNDERLAND CONCEDE A GOAL... IT WAS SO FUNNY... NEVER MIND BAZZA... WELL TONIGHT WAS THE LAST NIGHT AND WE GAVE IT OUR BEST AND AGAIN IT SOUNDS BORING BUT IT WAS FABULOUS, VERY GOOD PLAYING AND A VERY FUNNY SHOW... MY THANKS TO THE DIANA DOORS LOOK-A-LIKE... THANKS AGAIN GEOFF! WHERE DO YOU GET THE TIME, NOT ENOUGH TIME TO TALK TONIGHT AS I HAVE TO TAKE ALL THE GEAR AND RICHARD HOME... BAZ IS GOING BACK HOME AFTER TWO WEEKS AT MY PLACE POOR GUY AND THE EVER RELIABLE CHRIS AND HIS LONG SUFFERING LADY CAN ALSO RETURN TO NORMALITY... AS FOR ME AND BAZ WE START AGAIN ON MONDAY MORNING! WE ALL AGREE IT WAS A WICKED TIME AND 'LET'S DO IT AGAIN SOON' RINGS IN EVERYONE'S EARS. HOME AFTER UNLOADING AT 4 am AND SLEEP PLEASE...