The Leisure Society – Tour Diary #3

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9th April : Glee Club, Birmingham
Back in the tour bus and up to Birmingham, not far from Nick and Christian’s native Burton-On-Trent. The two of them played at The Glee Club when they first started doing shows as a duo so to return with the band feels good.

Bas’s motto ‘I can always eat’ is put to the test when we are shown a delicious buffet which he helps himself to with admirable zeal. He manages to finish the last of the potato salad (new single?) just before we take to the stage.

The show is sold out and extra chairs have been moved right up against the stage area, so much so that Christian find himself repeatedly banging his left leg against the woman sitting right next to the Rhodes and Mike is genuinely concerned that his monitor may deafen the girl sitting right on top of it. We feel exposed but happy and it is a great show.

John, the dedicated chap who started up the ‘Leisure Society for Christmas Number One’ group on Facebook is in attendance tonight and we’re relieved to find that he is not at all scary, but a perfectly charming and well rounded human. He is wearing a self-produced Leisure Society T-shirt featuring Anika’s comic strip. His enthusiasm is noted.

10th April : The Ruby Lounge, Manchester
Get to Manchester, soundcheck and lose the van. It will turn up later, but for a short time, Nick and Christian genuinely have no idea where they left it.

We find ourselves in a restaurant apparently being run by the Kings Of Leon. It’s both surprising and impressive that the brothers Followill find the time and the energy for this little Italian eatery AND international rock stardom.

The show is really good. Nick and Christian are nervous again, in no small part due to the many Manchester pop luminaries scattered around the venue. Paul Heaton stands in the DJ booth beaming at us whilst Marc Riley and Guy Garvey are the first two people we bump into as we nip outside after playing. Marc is the kind of man you want to hug a lot and puts us at ease, Guy is very warm and we have a good chat about writing, performing and the relative merits of Red Bull.

Back to a friend’s house for some low-level wasting and then sleeeeeeeep.

11th April : The Classic Grand, Glasgow
Up early for a morning radio session on Manchester’s ALL FM with ‘Mog’, who is nursing a hangover having attended our show last night. He’s a lovely chap and the session is surprisingly enjoyable considering the time of day. Mog insists that Nick & Christian must be brothers. They aren’t.

We drive for hours and hours. Mike acquires a bouncy ball from a vending machine and we watch as a love-affair blossoms. For the next two days we will see a lot of this ball as new games are invented, adapted and refined.

The venue turns out to be true to its name and we’re suddenly excited about playing what was before an unknown quantity. The promoters have crammed on three support bands which gives us only a short set, but the crowd make sure it is a great 45 minutes. At one point some talking breaks out, prompting a beautifully aggressive outburst from a chap right at the front. He is pure Begbie. The chatterers freeze. Christian proclaims ‘I love Glasgow’ and the night is a winner.

12th April : Bodega Social, Nottingham
Travel Lodge breakfast confusion. Helen negotiates impressively. Corn Flakes are eaten.

Mike’s bouncy ball action reaches its zenith when a variation on traditional Squash is played across the venue whilst the sound-engineer is trying to set up microphones. The chap (Ian) shows considerable patience, calmly returning the beloved ball after it has struck his temple, again.

The show is good, we meet some very enthusiastic fans. A ‘horrible bone crunching fight in the street leaves us all feeling pretty sick as we load up the bus.

14th April : Scala, London
A day off yesterday which we spent recording cello with Will. We’re working on our third single, a new cut of ‘Save It For Someone Who Cares’ capturing the live arrangement we’ve honed over the last few weeks.

Over to Kings Cross for a last minute soundcheck. In the car Helen applies creams and plasters to her flute playing fingers, which she has burned this morning on our oven. Boo.

Stephanie (Dosen) and Simon (Raymonde) are still checking when we arrive and a gorgeous spectral noise is floating around the room. Suddenly we’re checked and we’re playing what feels like a very compact 30 minute set after these last few week’s shows. The crowd are a lovely bunch and after paying our respects to Loney Dear we’re done. Helen plays flawlessly despite the injury, she is a legend.

Snowbird’s set plays out beautifully then Emil & band take to the stage and Nick and Christian smile and sway at the back of the room. The man never fails.

Bas turns 25 in a matter of hours. Bas is given champagne and cards. We love Bas. Mike & Will leave for a 5am flight to Germany with SONAA. Darren heads off to see his little Ray. Helen blows on her fingers. Christian and Nick help Simon to lug his absurdly heavy piano down the stairs. We depart.

Thanks to TLOBF for supporting our debut tour, it has been amazing. See you soon.

TLS. xxx