The Journey Itself Is Home

Home at last! It is wonderful, even though I’m coughing, sneezing and blowing my nose.

We are now facing a seriously long vacation. While not on tour I will not be blogging here. I MIGHT blog a bit on my MySpace site, but then again I might not. It depends on how interesting my time here in Iceland will be!

Yesterday was strange. I was sitting in the Band Dressing Room with Chris and his girlfriend when I heard our production manager talking to someone in the corridor outside about the show being cancelled. It was about 3.30. Then he walked in and told us.

About half an hour later I was in the band bus (the three buses go by the names of The Brass Bus, The Hard-Working Production/Crew Bus and The Leisurly Country-Club Band Bus) to pick up Björk. She was really sick, poor thing. After she had gone to her place in London, the bus took Shaun, Damian, Jennifer and me to a hotel near Terminal 1 on Heathrow.

I was feeling sick myself, but the others fooled me into going with them to a Chinese restaurant. I should have been in bed, because today, after my flight to Iceland, I’m worse than yesterday. But I should be OK after a few days’ rest.

Unfortunately our show tonight has been cancelled and there is no other show here being scheduled yet. Bjork is ill - and actually most of us have been feeling under the weather for the past few days.

I suggested to Damian that we DO the show - without Bjork. Damian said: “Yes, let’s do a Bjorkaoke!”

What an idea!

Björk’s dressing room in the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool was the Diana Princess Of Wales suite. It is beautiful! And the Ballroom is a very nice hall, as can be seen from the after-gig photo Damian sent me.

We stayed in the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, eerily reminescent of The Overlook in The Shining. I didn’t think too much of the town, which reminds me of another Stephen King novel, The Talisman. The story begins in a similar holiday resort somewhere in the US, a dreary place.

My only positive experience in Blackpool (besides the concert, which I thoroughly enjoyed) was having great bangers and mash! I have now developed a perverse taste for that strange dish.

Sheffield seems friendly. We arrived here yesterday and the first thing I did was to have a haircut. That brought to my mind the fact that I have now had my hair cut in many different places in the world.

Of all the hair salons I have visited, the one in Tokyo was the most interesting. I was treated like royalty, dressed in a special robe and the barber kept kowtowing - it was great!