College Fall Diary Entry
European Tour
Wednesday 12 July 2006 – Tuesday 18 July
TWO PEOPLE, ONE CAR, FIVE COUNTRIES, TWELVE HOURS… NO PROBLEMS!
Wednesday is the worst day of the entire week to have a pole-driving hangover. Particularly when you have to drive six hours from Plymouth to Dover… Then the next day from France to Belgium, Holland, Germany up to Denmark. Oh my god I feel hideous! “That is it” I kept telling myself “I’m never drinking again”. What is so weird about that comment is that at the time I truly mean it.
The drive to Dover was okay, considering the dilemma facing my body and mind. Jodie and I shared the duties before the ferry captain took the wheel for the trip to Calais. It was then that everything went a little pear-shaped. I’m sure I would have got the hang of driving a right-sided vehicle on the right side of the road… If only my mind wasn’t already on vacation in Venus at the same time. Two near accidents at the first round-a-bout after the ferry port. I can still hear Jodie’s cackles of laughter resonating inside my brain as I write this. The worst thing is, I am so pig-headed that I wholeheartedly believe that both the near accidents were the fault of the accomplished right-side French drivers that I nearly side swiped! My confidence shattered, my fear escalating by the second, we ended up pulling over fifty kilometres up the road in Dunkerque to retire for the night. I’ll try driving in this weird new world after a good eight hours sleep.
Thursday morning. Then twelve hours and five countries later we had finally reached our destination: Odder, Denmark. Our wonderful little Peugeot handled the trip exceptionally easily. What a buy that was. But our late night arrival in Denmark did pose a few problems:
Problem one: We are in a very foreign part of the world, a place neither of us have ever been to, nor could imagine what it would be like.
Problem two: we are extremely tired and eager to catch up with our Danish contact Stewart to get a night of rest before tomorrow’s big debut show in Denmark.
Problem three: We can’t get through to Stewart on his mobile phone.
Problem four: somehow we find his house without a map and only half a clue we were even in the right town! But we knock on the door and low and behold… he doesn’t live there anymore!!!
Oh shit.
For a fleeting moment Jodie and I panicked. I had spoken to Stewart many times about the tour and all of the happenings. Everything had been brilliant and above-board so far… But then you start to think, “well we have never actually met the guy before, perhaps this is all a big joke that the earth is playing on us!!” It’s weird how those types of thoughts can sneak into your mind when your tired. As you will no doubt find out when you keep reading this diary, these thoughts could not have been further from the truth!
As an angel appeared and things turned for the better like you would not believe – We knocked on the door of what was indeed not Stewart’s house. A lady answered which, of-course took both Jodie and I aback a little. A little concerned about having our first Danish conversation, I informed her (in English) that we were looking for an Australian guy called Stewart. As luck would have it, she had just been doing courses learning English and understood what we were saying. She mentioned that Stewart doesn’t live here anymore, but she invited us in for coffee and said that she would be able to get on the internet and find Stewarts phone number and new address for us.
It is quite amazing how a tour can hinge on such a pivotal moment like this… We were just so happy to have found him.
The next morning, exhausted from the drive and staying in the lounge room of the family home, all Jodie and I needed was a few weeks sleep. But, hey that is not what life on tour is all about!!! Tonight; our first gig in Denmark! At the Underhuset in Odder. Underhuset, basically means “under the house” or basement. It is a fantastic little venue with a real traditional Danish feel about it. We were scheduled to play at 10pm for a two hour set. It appeared that we were the talk of the town as-well! When we arrived we met with a bunch of really nice people that were very eager to hear our music. It was a great night. The strong crowd responded to us very well indeed and it was good to get our first Denmark show off the ground after such an eventful last few days!
Now, Jodie and I need a few days sleep…
For more of the College Fall european tour diary go to:
http://www.collegefall.com
PerthSounds.com 