Diary of a touring musician: days 19 - 20
In September & October 2023, we took to the road in the UK to introduce our new album STARLITE.ONE. Huge breakfast and the our final sold out gig. This is part 17 of the warts-and-all-account.
If this is the first article you have seen in the series and want to put it into context, you can find them all by heading over to:
The big breakfast
It’s Saturday, October 14 and in the blink of an eye, the final day of our tour had arrived and what better way to start the day than with a gargantuan and hearty Scottish breakfast at Hamish’s washed down with two cups of proper coffee!
It’s not for the faint-hearted as it’s the full monty - the big kahuna: two fried eggs, two rashers of smoked back bacon, Lorne sausage, haggis, homemade tattie scone, grilled mushroom, baked beans, cherry tomatoes and toast.
Lighter options are available but hell, it’s the last day but Simon almost regretted the decision later when donning his flight suit for the gig. Had it shrunk in the wash?
We said our goodbyes to Bruce, Fiona and the team and proceeded with a spring in our step.
Suzy drove some of the way to Coolham and still needed more AdBlue. We were hoping to get some from a motorway service station en route to the gig.
Tragedy
As the unexpected always happens without warning, we were making good progress travelling down the M25 motorway when the traffic on the opposite carriageway disappeared, transforming into a deserted wasteland. If you know anything about this motorway you will know that’s not normal.
The next moment we passed an air ambulance helicopter in the middle of the opposite carriageway, then a team of paramedics pushing a gurney complete with patient towards the helicopter to be airlifted out. It felt so surreal like a scene from a movie.
We pulled into the next service station to satisfy the needs of the Van of Rock for AdBlue and found a long queue for the till.
When tragedy enters the room complete strangers start talking to each other, which in the south of England is unusual.
It transpired that the accident was a motorcyclist who had been cut up by a car and had no room to manoeuvre and was subsequently crushed by a lorry.
Carpe Diem friends.
After a brief enquiry, we found AdBlue was available from the pump in the lorry section of the service station and set off feeling a little sad for the casualty we would never know.
It was a long drive and we needed coffee and across from the filling station was a Starbucks. We never frequent the big coffee chains unless in an emergency - and this was an emergency. It was nearly £10 for three coffees. Where is Dick Turpin?
Coolham Live Music Club
Coolham Village Hall was pretty easy to find and pulled up at 1500. The barrier to the usual get-in door was locked and as the van was too high to get through we loaded into the front door.
Our aluminium (yes, North Americans, aluminium not aluminum) ramp fitted perfectly between the van and the top of the steps and we had loads of help with the gear which you will already know is a nice change!
Graeme Tame had booked us almost a year before especially to play the 10th Anniversary concert of Coolham Live Music Club which is based in West Sussex. We were honoured. The show sold out in a matter of weeks and also had a healthy reserve list - that’s more like it.
The Club has also been supporting the work of Chestnut Tree House since May 2015 where, during the interval, a donation bucket is passed around the audience and all proceeds are given to support their work caring for children and families with life-limiting conditions in Sussex and South East Hampshire.
Graeme (a farrier, with enormous hands and vice-like handshake) and Rich Donnelly run the club together. They are very friendly and down to earth with Graeme sporting a Bowler hat and Rich, a rather dapper Fedora. We love hats.
It was great to finally meet each other in person and a cold beer was thrust into our hands as soon as we arrived. Great hospitality!
The technical setup was easier as they had a team of people who knew what they were doing! Like a long soak in a deep hot bubble bath - pure luxury.
Eddy Smith opened the night accompanied by guitarist Ricky O’Donnell so it was a stripped-back version of the band. They were cool guys, very friendly and supportive. We enjoyed their set - great vocal tone and music and a perfect start to the night.
The gig
Finally, it was time to take to the stage and the gig went very well for a few important reasons.
We weren’t as tired, there was a lot of love in the room, the technical team knew what they were doing, the load-in was easy and we had help, plus we were running on good fuel having been treated to a nutritious meal in the form of chicken in the oven with potatoes, washed down with a red wine and beer. It’s really that simple.
Many thanks to Toni Taeme for her hard work in the kitchen and Glenn Donnelly for the photographs.
“After the usual 10 minute break for 20 minutes, Starlite and Campbell took to the stage. They have not performed at Coolham before but had been on our radar for a couple of years as a band that certainly met our booking criteria of being top quality original musicians.
They confirmed this to be the case from their opening number and proceeded to take the audience on a sonic journey that spanned several genres including 1980s electronica, psychedelia, rock and blues, all delivered with great energy and audience engagement.
A stellar performance from Simon Campbell (vocals, guitar and synth), Suzi Starlite (vocals, bass, keys and synth) and Hugo Danin (drums), that left the audience wanting more.” - Coolham Music Club
The charity collection raised on the night raised £225 which brought the Club’s donations to Chestnut Tree House over the past 10 years to an amazing total of £18,154.84. Bravo!!!!
We packed up at a gentle pace and couldn’t quite believe that the tour was over! Two weeks and what a roller-coaster of a ride!!
Graeme had arranged accommodation in the Old Forge adjacent to The Selsey Arms about three hundred meters from the gig. Yes!
We were hoping to stay there again in June 2024 for the wedding of our friends Samantha Leese and Matt Long, guitarist with Catfish.
The lock-in
Now what is it with keys and us? Starlite had checked in earlier in the day and collected the room keys but for some reason, the key to our room wouldn't work! Bugger.
We saw the lights were on in the pub and the door was open so we walked in to find a private party in full swing. Hallelujah!!! It was a bit early for us to go to bed as we were still high on adrenaline from the gig!
We managed to sort the key out and then joined the party celebrating the end of our tour with a few pints of fabulous bitter!! A lock-in - the perfect way to unwind and celebrate two weeks of hard work. Win Win!!
Time for some zzzz’s. Night night.
Day 20 | Sunday, October 15
After getting to bed around 0400 we didn’t want to set the alarm for 0830, but we needed to get to the airport by 1000 for Hugo’s EasyJet flight from the North Terminal of Gatwick airport.
Bananas, fruit, orange juice and fresh milk for coffee were laid out for a quick breakfast before we left. Cool.
Fortunately, the airport was very close to the gig: on tour, logistics are all important but we hadn’t bargained for the Gatwick drop-off charge!!
Simon went ballistic (as only he can) but Hugo was loved, thanked and dispatched off to the terminal building on time. We travelled north to spend our final night in the UK with our great friends Pauline, Jez & Joshua Levy.
After meeting everyone at home we thought it would be a great idea to go for a pint and visit the street market in St Albans.
The City was extended by the Romans from the original Iron Age settlement known as Verlamion and ended up being the second largest Roman settlement in England.
The street market was indeed fun with a pile of overpriced antiques and an unhealthy spattering of reproductions.
We adjourned to The Boot, located right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. Built in 1420, it is one of the oldest pubs in the United Kingdom and remains a traditional public house serving a great selection of real ale - yes please!
The pub is adjacent to St Albans' Clock Tower, the only surviving medieval town belfry in England and we took the obligatory tourist snap!
The people of St Albans built the tower, which was completed by 1405 as a symbol of their resistance against the power of the abbot of St Albans. The Tower allowed the town to sound its own hours and, until 1863, the curfew.
The Clock Tower's bell rang out for the first Battle of St Albans during the Wars of the Roses in 1455.
Today, the tower - and its 600 year old bell - still stands face to face with the abbey's tower and provides fantastic views across over St Albans and far into the Hertfordshire countryside.
Suzy needed cosmetics which are only found in larger Boots (a pharmacy chain - not the pub).
Anyway, oiled and suitably cosmesised we returned home and Pauline (aka P), decided to cook a traditional Sunday roast - feel the love!
Of course, red wine was involved and we were so relaxed Simon forgot to book the ferry for the next day which could have potentially cost another £100 as it was less than 24 hours to the sailing. He managed to get a slight discount but it still cost £72 more than we had budgeted for. Shit…
Anyway, the love and warmth of our friends made up for it all and we watched the rugby - a perfect Sunday evening.
Joshua arrived home from work around 2230 and proceeded to show us his new computer which is optimised for gaming and video creation. A monstrous water-cooled and very expensive behemoth! Joshua is a film director, videographer and actor. Cool eh…
The adrenaline was wearing off and we were weary but fell asleep happy in the knowledge that we had just lived two great days amongst a very turbulent two weeks.
Next up: Customs, a ferry ride, spiders, good food, meeting friends and the long drive home.