Andy blog 2 - A Glamorous Life
When a lady in my local pub called me a liar a couple of weeks ago, it was in response to my statement that I don’t take holidays. She said that I was away so often that I was constantly on holiday and this got me thinking that peoples’ perception of my lifestyle must be one of luxurious glamour. Now I’m not saying that a bit of pampering is out of the question but you would have to go back to the 1970’s to find total hedonism. We were even sponsored by British Airways, flew Concorde so often that I was given a pilot’s flight jacket and bag. Flying was glamorous and in my eyes one of the better perks of being in a successful band but today things are a little different. We had a couple of weeks off in September to recharge the batteries (a spot of fishing, watching a Wrexham match etc) but it didn’t take long before I was missing it (the early starts, the angst as the guitar eventually appears on the carousel, at security - shoes on/off, laptop in bag or out, German security’s humourless search and wandering hands).
So here is an abridged version of last weekend’s trip, you decide whether glamorous or not.
Friday, awake at some ungodly hour to drive to Heathrow for a 7am flight to Berlin. I don’t know what I would do without on-line check-in, I fly through security and am found by Bruce and Adam, having my usual kedgeree at Wagamamas in Terminal 5. Not too bad so far. Arrive in Berlin as morning breaks and go straight to bed at hotel, we are not needed until 9pm for a “meet&greet” before the show. This weekend is the celebration of German reunification and there are events everywhere. Our event is well attended but it is freezing cold and the fingers aren’t quite behaving themselves but noone notices and the evening is big success. We have a reasonable 10am leave from Berlin on Saturday, 350km 3-4 hours in a bus and an early show in Suhl, near Erfurt, at 6pm. It is “Schwartzbier” time (dark beer) and our show at the Congress Centre is sold out. Marvellous. The bad news is that on Sunday we have to leave at 7am for Frankfurt Airport. Whilst passing through security with Bruce, my bag was searched, eventually my talc was held up for all to see and because I felt something needed to be said, I uttered that it was used to stop my balls from chafing, this completely sent Bruce into hysterics and the guy put it back in my bag and told me to move on. Humour can still be the best defence. Over the weekend I estimate we travelled more than 2000 miles, were out of the country for more than two days and literally worked for less than 3 hours. However I wouldn’t change much because I still love playing and travelling. A Tardis or Starship Enterprise would greatly improve the travel side of our business but the normal way keeps your feet on the ground.
Thanks for your interest - without it we have no audience.
Andy
8 Responses to “Andy blog 2 - A Glamorous Life”
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10/10/2008 at 05:22 pm
Great story Andy. Keep it on the road!
10/10/2008 at 06:41 pm
Sounds great Andy ! Can I come too ?
10/10/2008 at 11:24 pm
Andy, why don´t you call your blog “Blogbuster”?!?
Just an idea…
20/10/2008 at 02:18 pm
The talc comment was very funny.
I’ll let my husband know he has that to look forward to as well as the enlarged prostate and a chrome dome.. he will be be pleased.
07/11/2008 at 01:03 am
Just wondering if you use “hot” wax treatment for the arthritis in your fingers. Works a treat.
08/11/2008 at 05:57 am
Hey Andy
I would just like to say that it sounds pretty good to me. Just hope you can rebalance the amount of time you spend in the studio with the time you spend on the road.
I waited 5 years to listen to Sweetlife ‘cos I liked the idea of having something Sweet to look forward to. I was really pleased with the album too. Great to hear the harmonies back. I thought they were a bit ignored on “A” even though I thought that was still fine as album.
I got the Quatro album with you on it and thought that was very good, just not a Sweet album. On current output, the next one is due in 2012 if the pattern holds up (1982, 1992 and 2002), although it would be great to get them a bit more often than that. It adds interest to the other product you sell through the website even if you only get the same amount of revenue from that sale. Downloading the stuff from the website would do if it were easier.
An album of your recorded guitar solos is another good idea a la Frank Zappa (Shadapp and Play your Guitar 1 & 2). I’m sure you have plenty in the can. I miss those great solos both on guitar and on keyboards a la Sweet F.A., Windy City, Fountain and Mother Earth. Fabulous stuff.
I think you are a seriously great musician and I just want to hear more. I remain a huge fan.
Gordo.
18/11/2008 at 11:10 pm
Not everyone will agree with your views expressed in this article, but thats their loss not yours….
05/01/2009 at 06:24 am
Hi again. Just as an addendum to my earlier request for the possible downloading of some music through the website, thanks for providing the Kudo song. Its a ripper and I’m a bit surprised, given its strength, that it didn\’t appear on 30 Years or even as a solo single. Using the web is great, and it certainly doesn’t always need to be free. Its just super hearing new music from you Andy or with the band.
I would also like to mention some of the other great Sweet solos and keyboard riffs I missed in my earlier comments. Personal faves include 4th of July with its drug laced keyboard runs and lyrics (Tab huh?), Midnight to Daylight, with the guitar and harmonica bouncing off each other in such a melodic way and then there’s Discophony. What a great song! Lots of great guitar with a couple of super solos to boot. Cut Above the Rest is definitely my favourite Sweet album. Its brilliant and I think the name says it all. Sweetlife is an album with more of an emphasis on the melodies and harmonies than on the solo work of the musicians. This has always been a Sweet strength so its great to here the quality of the tunes and harmonies has been maintained. The instruments also paint some lovely musical textures without being pushed to the nth degree as they were in some of the earlier albums. I especially like the songs you sing Andy. It could be just a nostalgia thing, but its a real buzz just the same. Thanks mate and all the best. Gordo