Aaaah, Trondheim, much fun and frolics ensued, met some nice people and some I will forget by the end of this post, I've done this fest many times with the Biscuit Boys and Mike Sanchez, very enthusiastic audience.
Don't get me wrong though - It was pretty shit, We played a restaraunt that resembled a Ferry lounge and got our soundcheck cut from an hour and half to about 15 minutes, not good, hired Bass was so bad it sounded like a wounded Hippo with the squits and Imeldas monitor sound was none stop feedback, I could go on but lets try and keep the Blog upbeat shall we x

Dot Cotton cuts a mean figure in her youth doesn't she.

Oh yes, Its Ladies night tonight in Oslo, great gig in Oslo at the oldest Cinema in Norway (apparently, still cant pronounce it). Here is our lovely Queen of the scene Imelda with all of Darrels stunt doubles, also a nice pic of Dave enjoying the Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle back in the dressing room tucking into a lovely crack laced strawberry yoghurt before retiring with his rohipnol mint tea. Tomorrow Trondheim - Bring it on!

Oslo, not a bad view to wake up to is it, although I feel as though I've been hit with a frying pan and been forcefed jobby sandwiches - Damn you Nordic Viking Beer!
First gig tonight in a club that I cant pronounce the name of, its by a Park and roughly translates into "The Club by the Park".
Oh yeah and as if by magic our bags turned up at the Hotel - yey clean pants!

Ok, break over, flew in to Sunny Oslo, Norway, Been here a bunch of times with the Biscuits back in the day but it's fairly new territory for the Imelda May Band.
After finding our Bags had gone AWOL at the airport Coff and my goodself found the quietest bar in the whole of Norway to ponder what to do, several drinks later we decided to sod it and hope they just appear *hic*

Wow what a tour with Big Boy Bloater! I don't think I want to see another beer again. Great having the chance to play Blues, Its been too long. Last gig of the tour was The Norman Knight in the Cotswolds, they brewed their own Beer, Pictured below are Deano and Bloater sampling the local Ale, as you can see Bloater did away with the Glass and went straight for the Barrel, also pictured is the amazing Keets Tour Bus, and Chesney Hawkes on sound.

Off the Plane and straight to Disneyland Paris! Great well needed break with the Family, We had a great time. Mini tour of 2 gigs starts tomorrow with the tremendous Big Boy Bloater! Yay!!

THE END.

Photo opportunity GOLD! anyone that has read this Blog over the past few months will know that I take my Ukelele with me everywhere - here is a pic of my Uke in Jeffs guitar rack, It looks quite at home does it not?

Fly to San Fransisco! My fave place in the whole darn world! Its our last gig of the tour and last Gig of the Jeff Beck Rock 'n' Roll Party and what better place to have than the Filmoore, Jeff last played here in 1968! I think some of the audience from that gig attended tonight, the plumes of Dope Smoke whilst we were playing was hilarious, The room hummed with smell, It was how the filmoore should be! I love this place, we had a great gig and a nice little after show party, Its been a tough few months of touring and now its hometime, Erdington awaits.

This is Samantha, she gets Imelda all the big interviews, TV, Radio etc, I know there is a title for all of what she does but I can't remember it, anyhoo she's very good at it.

L.A, 8am up, showered and Eggs Benedict, yumpcious bumpcious! Today we are recording a track for a Buddy Holly trib Album with Imelda at Conway Studios, beautiful place, Peter Asher is producing the Album, It's great working with him - he got the best out of all of us, L.A is growing on me.
We then hightail it outta there as we had to be at Jeffs soundcheck at 5pm and its in Pamona! of course we make it or I wouldn't be writing this from the U.S, It was a fabby old gig but by 11pm I was bushed and ready for bed - It was a ding-dang-doo!

L.A, I've been here quite a few times now and never really bonded with it, this trip is no different, I don't know why, Its just not my kinda town.
Today we played "Walking in the sand" on the Jay Leno show, twas very good and is prob on youtube already. Met Gary Busey who is as barmy as a box of wigs and shook Jay Leno's hand who nearly took me eye out with his chin.
Straight after recording that We went to the Elray Theatre as we had our own gig with Imelda, It was the best gig of the tour, really great fun to let off steam and run through our set, Satan's Angel was there and even got onstage and danced with us!
another surprise attendee was British 50s pinup femme fatale "Sabrina" It was fantastic to meet her and hear some celeb stories!
It was a great night and the Band were on fire!

Great gig tonight in Austin, really great crowd that really "got" what we were doing, hope to come back here. World famous Franks Hot Dog place was just across the road too!! Heaven
Early night though as tomorrow we fly to L.A because we're playing a track on the Jay Leno show.

Austin, Texas and in this unassuming house of music stands the most beautiful vision of Bass beauty I have ever laid my peelers upon.
I awoke like any other day, met with Darrel to visit the local Vintage Guitar establishments, I have no real interest but he likes me to carry his bags and light his cigarettes for him, anyhoo we happened upon this place where inside I would normally potter about the Bass Guitar section dropping key words like "whats the action like on this" and "intonation", "Bottom end" etc when I saw in the corner a 1939 Kay 5-string Double Bass, I played it and everything went soft focus, lovely, I stayed for about 20 minutes but just couldn't justify spending the whole of my tour money, Wifey Saff would have my balls as earings too if I turned up at home and declared "Hi Darling unfortunately Disneyland will have to wait, but look at my new Bass!"
Darrel felt my pain and held my hand and bought me a happy meal, I'll never forget you Kay x

My music stand in Dallas, well hardy-har-har, aren't the crew hilarious!

Arrived in Dallas, 5pm, everyone skiddaddled and did their own thing, I left Coff at the bar paddling in his own beer, Darrel, Imelda and my good self went to a great place called Sherlocks where Darrel and I ate like kings feasting on Burgers, steaks, shrimp and Garlic mash, wasn't so good for Imelda as shes a veggie, in the end she ordered the Turkey, Beef and Bacon supreme...replacing the Turkey, Beef and Bacon with a egg. Great night had by all, was nice to get away from everything for a bit.
Goodnight Texas.

Hello, we're in the Jeff Beck Band.

The Boys responsible from getting us from A to B, from Left to right: Krewbus Jim, Beckmobile Bob, and Mr 5 by 5 Pops! Big 18 hour drive now from Chicago to Dallas, Texas!

Chicago all done, 2nd show was fantastic, Imelda stopped the show during the Les Paul set in the middle and had an offensive heckler thrown out - classic, the crowd went wild and even Jeff took his guitar off and weilded it like a baseball bat ready for action - Gig Gold! should I really have enjoyed that as much as I did? I don't know but the Band played even better when we started again, good on you Imelda!
Nice little after show shmooz with punters/promoters/and ex tour managers, look there's Dave with Long lost love "Freddy Long Legs" our tour manager from the very start of my Blog!

Chicago, woke, called home, found that my 4 year old Daughter Tallulah has taken to tap dancing lessons, Eggs Benedict for Breakfast - Today is a good day!
I cab it to 2120 South Michegan, CHESS recording Studios for a tour around the famous building, Initially sad because I was the only one there but soon realised this is family run and they are just pleased that anyone is interested, I met Willie Dixons Grandson, Taylor, he took me around and shown me pics of the renovation, It was derelict in the early 90s but now it is restored to how it was even down to the original soundproof boards, I took lots of pics but I'll only show the outside. This is a place that should be supported, fantastic piece of History, my only dissapointement was that I think it should have Willies old Bass in the corner of the Studio room, I asked Taylor about that and he told me he didn't even know where it was if it existed at all......poops!