Thurs 8th March
04.20hrs
We leave Carmarthen late due to Gethin 'nik nak' jones' desire for a bit of a lay-in and some 'extras' before the off.
05.20hrs
Get to Pencoed to pick the maestro, 'Woohoo Threads' by 5.20am to find him sitting in the VW getting what appeared to be heated final instructions from Aunty Fran.
A quick coffee and then we're off. Lots of stories from Teddy about previous trips and gigs and the talk turns to the itinerary and what pubs we will be playing and then naturally to drink and ties of over consumption.
06.00hrs
At Cardiff, Woohoo is insisting that due to the massive Tramadol and Cocodamal intake that he cannot drink anything with the meds. By Magor it's moved to just a couple a night.. We'll see!
09.30hrs
Arrival at Heathrow is a bit fraught with The big man shouting directions at Nik Nak who has only just survived the 'is it Junction 4a or 4b debacle'. The main issue at parking is which carpark and what berth and where's the office. Teddy is also busting for a pee and is dancing about in his crocs. 'BFGUL / Woohoo Threads' is a massive help carrying and dragging weighty objects to the nearby bus stop and then shivering in the cold morning air with a mounting look of concern on his drug addled face. The Tramadol is wearing off and he needs more meds.
We eventually get everything onto the bus and make it to terminal 5 where the fun really begins. The first bag onto the scales (Porkpie's Bike). We have paid an extra £34 each way for 3 pieces of oversized luggage, two bikes and a PA for our gigs. Unbeknown to us this only covers the additional bag bit and they still have to be under 23kg. If not you have to pay an extra, extra £40 and if over 32kg there's no way it's going. My bike and associated kit weighed in at a massive 36kg!
Some hasty reorganisation and the same for the big man who was a few kg's over the 23 limit meant further swapping of tools, spares and soiled grits, most of which ended up in Nik Nak's bag.
BFGUL who is only carrying a squire strat guitar, and a spare pair of socks stands by taking it all in from behind his prescription meds haze. He seems to be taking much of it in his stride and Andy decides to promote him to Logistics Manager, with Nik Nak covering transport and as he's so good at walking away and leaving our bags unattended, Security.....
10.30hrs
We get to gate C53 and the logistics manager is off on the hunt for coffee. Within minutes he's on the phone....."I've found a Starbucks"... Andy goes to rescue him before he gets into trouble and they come back with iced Americanos into which Lyndon emptys 6 sachets of sugar but is puzzled when it doesn't dissolve....he hates it but refuses to give it up as its cost him £2 f**king 10p.
12.05hrs
We finally get off the ground but not without the usual comments from boarding gate staff about guitars possibly not fitting on board and maybe having to leave them behind...yeh right.
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As soon as we're settled and through the pre flight safety stuff Woohoo orders a Vin Blanc from the hostess trolley to offset the diminishing cosy effects of the 'Trams'. Lunch and another glass of chateau BA Blanc and given that there's no one sitting next to him woohoo spins the staff a story about 'being on strong medication' and 'wondering if he can stretch out'. Within minutes he's out for the count getting his customary afternoon 40 winks.
However he's not alone in this and Nik Nak and even the Big Man have had a go!
15.30hrs
Pork Pie fresh from 2 1/2 hrs with Brad Pitt enters Film II, Wall Street 2 here goes!
16.00hrs CMT central mountain time
We clear customs and border security without incident and meet Chris Tomos and head out into the rush hour traffic.
17.00hrs CMT (23.00hrs)
Arrive at Chris and Noelle's what a fantastic place. We're all pretty fatigued and Woohoo is in pain. He gets some tabs down him and tries to relax. We're going out to the Candlelite to check it out ahead of tomorrow.
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1900hrs
Get to the Candlelite and meet Pat & James several pints of Crispin cider and White beer and we are flowing. Woohoo and Nik Nak bag the first physco groupie of the trip. We stay for a couple of hours its a nice place ad the guys running it are great. Back to the house after too many and down into the play room for pool, photos and red wine, followed by some massive steaks done to perfection on the BBQ. The Big Man is pissed up.
21.30 CMT
A 7am start is the call and we retire at 21.30hrs US mountain time or 3.30am GMT.
03.00 CMT
Awake to the constant noise of coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, farting and snorting that my uncle emits without let up! It's like being in a cattle shed or on Noah's ark, I find out that not even his wife shares a marital bedroom with him and now I know why, it's painful..
04.20hrs
We leave Carmarthen late due to Gethin 'nik nak' jones' desire for a bit of a lay-in and some 'extras' before the off.
05.20hrs
Get to Pencoed to pick the maestro, 'Woohoo Threads' by 5.20am to find him sitting in the VW getting what appeared to be heated final instructions from Aunty Fran.
A quick coffee and then we're off. Lots of stories from Teddy about previous trips and gigs and the talk turns to the itinerary and what pubs we will be playing and then naturally to drink and ties of over consumption.
06.00hrs
At Cardiff, Woohoo is insisting that due to the massive Tramadol and Cocodamal intake that he cannot drink anything with the meds. By Magor it's moved to just a couple a night.. We'll see!
09.30hrs
Arrival at Heathrow is a bit fraught with The big man shouting directions at Nik Nak who has only just survived the 'is it Junction 4a or 4b debacle'. The main issue at parking is which carpark and what berth and where's the office. Teddy is also busting for a pee and is dancing about in his crocs. 'BFGUL / Woohoo Threads' is a massive help carrying and dragging weighty objects to the nearby bus stop and then shivering in the cold morning air with a mounting look of concern on his drug addled face. The Tramadol is wearing off and he needs more meds.
We eventually get everything onto the bus and make it to terminal 5 where the fun really begins. The first bag onto the scales (Porkpie's Bike). We have paid an extra £34 each way for 3 pieces of oversized luggage, two bikes and a PA for our gigs. Unbeknown to us this only covers the additional bag bit and they still have to be under 23kg. If not you have to pay an extra, extra £40 and if over 32kg there's no way it's going. My bike and associated kit weighed in at a massive 36kg!
Some hasty reorganisation and the same for the big man who was a few kg's over the 23 limit meant further swapping of tools, spares and soiled grits, most of which ended up in Nik Nak's bag.
BFGUL who is only carrying a squire strat guitar, and a spare pair of socks stands by taking it all in from behind his prescription meds haze. He seems to be taking much of it in his stride and Andy decides to promote him to Logistics Manager, with Nik Nak covering transport and as he's so good at walking away and leaving our bags unattended, Security.....
10.30hrs
We get to gate C53 and the logistics manager is off on the hunt for coffee. Within minutes he's on the phone....."I've found a Starbucks"... Andy goes to rescue him before he gets into trouble and they come back with iced Americanos into which Lyndon emptys 6 sachets of sugar but is puzzled when it doesn't dissolve....he hates it but refuses to give it up as its cost him £2 f**king 10p.
12.05hrs
We finally get off the ground but not without the usual comments from boarding gate staff about guitars possibly not fitting on board and maybe having to leave them behind...yeh right.
.JPG)
As soon as we're settled and through the pre flight safety stuff Woohoo orders a Vin Blanc from the hostess trolley to offset the diminishing cosy effects of the 'Trams'. Lunch and another glass of chateau BA Blanc and given that there's no one sitting next to him woohoo spins the staff a story about 'being on strong medication' and 'wondering if he can stretch out'. Within minutes he's out for the count getting his customary afternoon 40 winks.However he's not alone in this and Nik Nak and even the Big Man have had a go!
15.30hrs
Pork Pie fresh from 2 1/2 hrs with Brad Pitt enters Film II, Wall Street 2 here goes!
16.00hrs CMT central mountain time
We clear customs and border security without incident and meet Chris Tomos and head out into the rush hour traffic.
17.00hrs CMT (23.00hrs)
Arrive at Chris and Noelle's what a fantastic place. We're all pretty fatigued and Woohoo is in pain. He gets some tabs down him and tries to relax. We're going out to the Candlelite to check it out ahead of tomorrow.
.JPG)
.JPG)
1900hrs
Get to the Candlelite and meet Pat & James several pints of Crispin cider and White beer and we are flowing. Woohoo and Nik Nak bag the first physco groupie of the trip. We stay for a couple of hours its a nice place ad the guys running it are great. Back to the house after too many and down into the play room for pool, photos and red wine, followed by some massive steaks done to perfection on the BBQ. The Big Man is pissed up.
21.30 CMT
A 7am start is the call and we retire at 21.30hrs US mountain time or 3.30am GMT.
03.00 CMT
Awake to the constant noise of coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, farting and snorting that my uncle emits without let up! It's like being in a cattle shed or on Noah's ark, I find out that not even his wife shares a marital bedroom with him and now I know why, it's painful..
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