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'Twang me 'til I puke...

20th May 2007

Sorry to anyone who’s been checking for ramblings… I had to get away for a week or so between that UK tour and America, and I have to say it was lush – a much relaxing week in the sun (South of Spain to be exact). We flew to Jerez, and from there took random buses East along the coast, taking in Cadiz, Conil de la Frontera, Tarifa, La Linea and Gibralta (an embarrassing home-from-home, tasteless shit-heap full of ex-pat, british-bulldog cunts. Eurghhh. Very unpleasant. Don’t ever, ever go there.) The rest was beautiful though, and I actually managed to relax for a couple of days, in-between giving myself severe sun-burn and drinking small vats of sangria. The tapas was also out of this world… if you’re ever there, you have to try Iberican Pig Cheek. Sweet.

Arrived back on solid ground just in time for a couple of Brakes shows: the ‘Built for the city’ show in Glasgow (bit of a shit bill, bit of an empty crowd, bit of a let-down all-rounder. BRILLIANT!!!!!!), and the far better Club NME at Koko in Camden the next night (fucking insane crowd, good sound, all good. Did I say it was good? It was good.) ...then a day off, then what we’ve all been waiting for…

We arrive late in Liverpool for the first of five dates supporting The Twang and I realise I’m a little nervous. It’s been a while since ESP supported on shows this size – in fact, we’ve never, EVER, been asked personally by a band to come on tour with them, and we’ve really no idea how this is going to go, let alone how The Twang are going to welcome us into their fold (or not). Needn’t have worried. As crowds go, they could probably be compared to when we supported Ian Brown a few years back. ‘Fucking rowdy’ for the main band, and a mixture of ‘detached/ focused/ chanting the name of the headliners’ for us, and as touring buddies go, The Twang are next to none. Literally the friendliest bunch we’ve come across in a long while. Add to that Martin and Phil (the two singers) marching into our dressing room on the first night singing the guitar solo from ‘It’s Wasting Me Away’ (me neither!?), and proclaiming the song ‘Like a fucking rave tune!!!’ ...well, we had to oblige, and by Glasgow (the last night) we’d learnt the tune, and ended our set with it, making their day.

Anyway, there’s simply too much to tell… just a fucking good-time band, having the absolute time of their lives on the road. A pleasure to be a part of. Oh, and did I say we played some blinders along the way???!!! Fun times! At the moment I’m trying not to think too much about what lies ahead for us in the U.S. of America, but as it duly unfolds I shall try and piece everything together into some kind of digestable blog-nuggets… speak soon.

TW
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