THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH – PERFORMANCE IN SANDNES, NORWAY:
Days are beginning to “run together” and it’s hard to remember what day of the week it is! Got up at 5 am this morning, showered, very quick breakfast and we departed for the airport at 7 am. Check in was EASY and no excess baggage charges because I found the same guy (from America) who checked us in earlier this week. Such a nice young man!
Had some time to kill at the gate and then flew SAS for 55 minutes from Oslo to Stavanger. All our luggage and equipment made it and our driver was waiting for us with a 16 passenger van and trailer. It was a short 20 minute ride to the hotel in Sandnes. Howard and David remembered performing here years ago but I didn’t. I looked it up and it wasn’t all that long ago – 2009! Seems like only yesterday. J
Hotel rooms were ready for us. Same problem with the air conditioning here – the front desk controls the temperature. Really nice and cool in the hallways and sweltering in the rooms. But, I got a FAN for my room this time. Guys went in search of a quick lunch before sound check. I found out the hotel is connected to a shopping mall with a grocery store on the bottom level. Got my water and fruit covered and then met the guys for sound check.
It is only about 2 blocks from the hotel to the venue so I’ll be walking back after sound check. Production company and backline company were set up and ready for us. Really nice people to work with, too. I checked out the backstage area, set up the times to have the band and helped with a “pedal steel stool” issue. Walked back to the hotel and was able to work for about 3 hours before meeting the guys for dinner. We had to eat at 5 pm which I hate but only time available because of the 7:30 pm show.
I had an appetizer of braised Cauliflower that had little pieces of apples around it as well as some other things. It was one of the best items I’ve ever eaten in Norway! Shared with David and Howard and they agreed it was really good.
Another “Kjell” picked us up and drove us to the venue at 7 pm. Another SOLD OUT venue. It’s also “theatre style” with seats on an incline. The biggest difference tonight is that we have an elevated stage….not like on the floor last night.
Audience loved the show and called them back for several encores to standing ovations! The band sounded really good out front tonight, too. Good people to work with and a great audience…just what we like.
Been working for hours now and will be going to bed very soon, I hope. Lobby call is 9:30 am tomorrow for a flight to Bergen and then drive to Radoy for a performance tomorrow night. 5 shows in 5 days in 5 cities throughout Norway!
Jude