King Tut's Wah-Wah Hut, Glasgow
"Hey, who wants to fly to London and back today?"
"What's in it for me?"
"You can record an appearance on the critically acclaimed 'Today with Des and Mel' show!"
"Count me in, and I'll take my band!"
It's got to the point in the tour where 9.30 is very very very early indeed, but this is the time we have to be at Glasgow airport. I'm not especially keen on flying, and hour-long flights always feel worse than longer ones. It's starting to feel like I've been at Heathrow Terminal 1 more often than I've been at home this year.
Anyway, we have a job to do, even if it is a stupid one. Aqualung and Des and Mel seems like a strange combination, but let's not forget we have some kind of single out next week, so it's probably for the best.
We are disappointed to learn that we're recording our bit separately, so we don't get a chance to imbibe the atmosphere of the show, and instead stand in the fake Thameside-apartment set (there's even a pretend London Eye outside one of the pretend windows; pretend books on a pretend shelf; a pretend stereo...) and perform three runthroughs to a backing track (live vocal, though. Classy) in an empty studio. DW is unfamiliar with the pretendness of TV and is mystified by the wonder of his 'dead' cymbals. You hit them and they go 'donk' instead of 'kerspiiiiiissssshhhhhhh!'. Don't trust TV, OK?
The highlight of the experience comes as we are waiting in the Green Room before the final runthrough. The door opens and in strides Desmond O'Connor in a white and gold silk kimono. He doesn't stay long, but his passing suffuses the room in a leathery orange glow. It is a moment I shall treasure as long as I shall live.
I like it when the captain says "cabin crew please take your seats for landing." I also like it when you get a scone.
Now we are back in Glasgow where it is good and cold, and it is 8.30 and we are on in an hour. The crew had been dreading loading into King Tut's because of its horrible staircase, so they had abandoned the big heavy piano. Because there was no soundcheck it is a matter of honour for them that we should be able to walk on stage and find everything perfectly set up and ready. They did pretty well, you know. My mic could have been a little lower.
The gig is sold out and nicely rammed, with the perfect blend of noisy enthusiasm and attentiveness. We're also grateful to be playing real instruments that are actually plugged in, and so we give it a little bit more, as Gina G would say.
It's good to play.
