UK Foxtrot Tour blog 3 - Here, There and Everywhere - October 2022
By the time the UK tour reached Sheffield, the band was in fantastic spirits. The tour was going so well with terrific crowds. It was lovely to have my brother John on again with us playing flute for Firth of Fifth in Sheffield. Manchester had an equally great reception.
It was a joy to get back to the bracing sea air of Southend again, followed by Ipswich with its picturesque marina. Both gigs had a great vibe. Amanda Lehmann joined us in Ipswich, and it was wonderful to have her with us for the rest of the tour, with her beautiful voice and shining red guitar...
It was a pretty long drive to Bath but we made it in time for another dynamic show, followed by an enjoyable day off. Amanda, Jo and I found our walk around the Roman Baths fascinating. They're quite extensive, with a very ancient history. The place was originally linked to the Celtic underworld god Sulis, as the thermal baths there are from an underground spring...
Back on the road, we travelled to Leicester, followed by Liverpool. No chance to see those places this time around, but fabulous crowds and band totally on fire! We enjoyed every minute.
From north to south, we reached Brighton in time for soundcheck... and this was the gig we filmed! Again there was a great feel at the show. Several interviews took place both at the show and on the following morning. Always fun to be in Brighton with its funky side, grand old buildings and celebration of the sea, along with the strange contrast between the colourful Palace Pier and the skeletal remains of the West Pier...
We really enjoyed the atmosphere at the Bournemouth show. Our last gig of the tour the following day was in London at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith. What an incredible vibe that night... The band were absolutely elated and the crowd were ecstatic! The tour ended on total high! It was lovely to see so many friends there too, and in particular my wonderful mum June.
My thanks to everyone involved on the tour... the band, crew, my wife Jo, Adrian Holmes, Brian Coles, John Giddings, Alan Day and all at Solo and Kilimanjaro...
