The band party are arriving by helicopter today, which is unusual. Not just one, mind you - but five. Unfortunately, everyone is coming from different locations at different times, rather than ‘in convoy’, so vision of the bands arrival looking like a scene from M.A.S.H. are not to be realised. Shortly after they arrived, I’m asked over the radio if I can get a piano into the dressing room for them to learn a new song. Looks like there might be a cover tune tonight after all.
Trying to learn a song with under an hour to go before they get onstage in front of tens of thousands of people [and a tv crew] is pretty ballsy, or perhaps more accurately, mildly insane. Excellent behaviour and long may it continue.
Come showtime the guys play a blinder. They’re rough around the edges after the time off, but what’s lost in polish is more than made up for in excitement. The crowd too, are on fine form. The cover turns out to be ‘Perfect Day’ by Lou Reed. In truth, it’s probably kindest to say that they just about get away with it. Given that they were still trying to work the chords out ten minutes before the intro rolled, they do well to pull it off.
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