Sunday Morning

0400 hrs

Two gigs out of the way - now the easy bit. 100 miles from Chicago towards Fort Wayne. The first 25 is going to be along the lakeshore cycle path with glorious views of lake and downtown Chicago.

Chris and Noelle have warned us to keep cycling and not to stop in certain areas - a little bit of concern over the unknown. More concern over Gethin questioning Chris for tips on how to drive in the U.S.. More concern over that yesterday's musical director, Lyndon has been nominated chief navigator for the day. We are also forewarned about some areas further south. So the plan is to jump in the van, get into Indiana and finish the 70 odd miles by sundown. No gig tonight but tomorrow is Columbus and we will gig hunt if we are up to it - thinking of turning up at a few pubs and offering services.

Bit of concern aswell - the clocks have gone forward and we will be crossing a time zone - just hope the navigator can calibrate his JCB mobile and at least tell us the time. Whether he will be in an addled daze of Tramadol and Co-codemol or coherently advising Geth with his gps like brain through the streets of The Windy City - only time will tell but I think we all know what's going to happen.

The 'Lyn Lyn' we all imagine will be, 'getting his head down for half hour in the back'

Saturday 10th March

Saturday 10th March

Up at 6am after having a night in with Nik Nak instead of Woohoo who is far too noisy for me. We have an early start and Chris and I shoot out to get chloroseptic and other supplies and then we get the gear and all head off to the Globe to watch the Wales/Italy and Ireland/Scotland. Mona from Wisconsin joins us who also came along to the Candlelite gig. After the games we set up on the stage and crack out a few numbers. We're a bit loose and BFGUL is adding some different bits again. The first set ends with a broken string mid 'Kings of Leon'.

After a short break we get back on it and it gets little or no better. Woohoo who's on Tramadol and not drinking (like hell he's not) is as normal front and centre..... Warbling in full technocolour.

We play till around 3pm and then get back to the house, unload the gear and Andy and the rest head out to get Andy's back wheel straightened out. They get back around 6pm and our hosts order deep dish Chicago pizzas for this evenings banquet, got to get the carbs in as we have a full day in the saddle tomorrow.

Pork pie.

Saturday 10th March


Up at 4am - haven't had 8 hours sleep in total since arriving. An early start is delayed by Phil insisting he gets come sort of throat lozenges from the chemist before we go anywhere.  The games pass by and we hit the stage, premeditating that it will be half a dozen numbers and then we can get out of here. For once in my life we start to actually entice people into the back room of The Globe and off we go on a fun couple of hours of knocking out hit after hit. 


The Chicago Tafia are out in force. There's banter between Turks and Jacks. Lyndon, as musical director of the tour starts to wield his magic. Half way through a lead break he pushes and pulls me all over the stage to get me out of the way as I am standing in front of the P.A. speaker and deadening the sound of his solo.


Chris is loving it and puts his heart and soul into a rousing Delilah. The night is finished off with the comedy duo of 6 foot 4 Chris doing a duet of Sospan Fach with Gethin. Stuart, the landlord is loving it. The two hour plus matinee gig at The Globe is curtailed by a need to sort my bike out after B.A. baggage handlers have bashed my back wheel about. We said a big 'tara' to The Globe.

Phil is dropped off at Chris' to start getting his head around the first century attempt on Sunday and everyone else heads off to the Candlelight for a few more drinks. 

The pizza arrives back at the house, it is eaten with gusto and then to bed with everyone tucked up in their cribs by 8p.m. another great day!

Stompie

Chicago New York Day 2

Up at 7am today although awoken several hours earlier by Lyndon ' Noah's Ark' Williams and his various bodily noises.

Went for breakfast at a real traditional American diner and we had a mix of hash potatoes, sausage links, omelettes and scrambled eggs all flushed down with a gallon of coffee a piece.

After breakfast Chris took us on a whistle stop tour of Chicago including the lake front, lake drive, Wrigley Field, Soldier Park and the financial district where films such as Batman Returns an The Blues Bros were filmed.

We also went to a music centre to pick up some gear for our first gig then headed out to O' Hare to collect the RV thats going to support and accommodate us during the ride.

After collecting the van we headed on to a wholesales outlet to pick up provisions and then dropped it off at a local church for safe keeping. On returning to Chris and Noelle's we decided to check and assemble the two bikes.

Both have taken significant impacts but mine is rideable and I'm able to straighten nearly everything out, Andy though needs to get a severely buckled wheel to the bike shop in the morning for truing but the match starts at 8.30 a the gig at 1pm. We stop by and introduce ourselves earlier in the day

We get to the Candlelite at 6.30pm and set up and get going at 7. Woohoo who is not drinking is straight onto the Strongbow and he's off. He instantly takes up centre stage and most of stage left, right and everywhere else...

As we work through the set he keeps calling for different numbers, most of which surprisingly, he would like to sing. Other well known numbers take on  different aspect. For instance some songs seem to need lead harmonica all the way through, others insist on screaming lead guitar from the off to the dying bar of the song and all need BFGUL upfront playing slide with a Strongbow bottle or a harmonica or both while whipping the crowd into an ever greater frenzy of What is now known in the windy city as 'Extreme Lyndon Love'.

We even get the wee man NIK NAK Jones and our host Chris up to sing Delilah and Sospan Fach with us.

We must go down OK as people put money into a hat for us and the fantastic staff at the The Candlelite, Pat, Pete and James feed us with some awesome thin crust pizza.

We get back to base at around midnight and hit the hay ready for another early start in the morning and the Wales V Italy match at the globe and then our second gig of the tour....

Happy screeching

Porkpie

Friday Morning

 With everybody unable to sleep after the night before and the childlike excitement of kids going for an ice-cream down the Mumbles we were whisked off to the local breakfast diner, by our newly promoted tour manager and host for the weekend, Chris Thomas, College Road, Carmarthen and his wife Noelle. Eggs, pancakes and maple syrup sufficed for the wee man and Stompie The Bear (Andy) but Phil, living up to his nick name had to go for the feta filled scramble egg with all the trimmings. 

Six cups of coffee later we're off on a wide eyed tour of 
Chicago. The all morning sight seeing trip with our tour guide took in the following:
Lake Shore drive with a brisk, walk in icy winds along the beach. Sears Tower, The Hancock Tower, Leaning Tower of Pizza, Soldier Field Stadium, Wrigley Field, Wrigley Building, The Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station, The elevated Train Tracks, Lincoln Park and more and more and more. 


In two hours we saw everything except for the theatre where John Dillinger was killed and Buddy Guys' Blues Den which we did pass but didn't notice!

Picked up some mic stands for the Friday night performance at the Candlelight and the matinee performance at The Globe on Saturday. Picked up the camper, got food in for the week $220 worth. Phil is hunting desperately to succumb his fetish for wet wipes but is promised by Chris that he'll get them in the morning along with the chroloseptic throat wash. By the afternoon, Lyndon has forgotten to take his meds, has turned ghostly white and demands the keys of the van to get his head down for 1/2 an hour.

Back to the house to build our bikes before the gig to find that good old British Airways baggage handling  have given them a good bashing during the flight. Phil's headset and handlebars have definitely taken a bit of clout and a couple of spokes have loosened. Andy's handlebars have been hit and the back wheel now needs trueing. Who knows when they can be fixed, as gig time is approaching, Saturday is rugby and gig, but we obviously have to fit it in sometime. It's getting on for 6.30 and we have to get to the Candlelight!

The Chicago New York Story

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.

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.

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..

Daffodil Classic

Pictures of Daffodil Classic 2012 - feel free to download.

Chicago - Friday Night

Pendine

View more documents from Alan Evans Photography

Canolfan Plant Sir Gar

Happy St David's Day to all who have supported us - thank you.

Saturday and Sunday morning

Saturday: The morning after the night before - short 12 mile ride to see how the arthritic knee is after the lengthy gig in Laugharne.


A swim in the glorious surf at Pendine to take the swelling down and then a cup of strong milky coffee at the Point Cafe.



Sunday: The morning after the the game the day before. In the end individual skill won the game.


Field of dreams stuff from Ddol Wiber, Newcastle Emlyn to Twickenham: Scott Williams from such a young age would have been doing that chip and chase, then there it is again but this time on the big stage that is a Triple Crown victory!


Sunday morning same as but 40 miler to really test knee and coffee and a Twix at The Point!

Back on the Bang!
Photo courtesy of Phil, 'The Judge' Jenkins' Photo Studio
Happy Days

Next Gigs: 

Sat, March 3rd - Carmarthen Athletic
Fri, March 9th - Candlelit Bar, Chicago
Sat, March 10th - The Globe, Chicago