It's amazing how times change...one of the most frustrating things these days for anyone who spends any length of time on a computer away from home is the speed of the hotel broadband. Ten years ago, we would have been lucky to have any high speed service and twenty years ago we wouldn't have been communicating in this way (albeit one way at the moment), Collecting and answering emails and the forum, researching and general web browsing today is testing my patience. Something I am blessed with having quite a lot of but it's wearing thin today. The Bulgari hotel in Milan is a bona-fide boutique affair with a collection of cars permanently sitting gleaming outside to excite any modern-day petrol head. Today's assembly consists of a chrome wheeled, cream and black Rolls Royce, a brand spanking new MATT black Ferrari 5-something (yes, matt black, yuk) a black Audi R8, a couple of Maserati's and a bog-standard Porsche 993 S. No prizes for guessing which one I would walk away with if the keys were laid out on a tray with a sign saying 'please take one, yes, it's free'.

Unfortunately, the hotel internet is absolutely 'pants' for want of a better expression. It's one of those scenarios whereby it will work fine for two or three minutes but then it will disappear altogether for 5 minutes leaving you with 'server not found' messages across your screen. Checking a live weather radar is an impossibility today so I have no idea what that big cloud in the distance is about to do, something I'm fond of doing in one of my browser tabs. Phoning the front desk about this is utterly futile, and call me old fashioned but when a maid rings your doorbell twice within an hour to make up your room and you have the Do Not Disturb on, boutique or not, it registers low on the Lux'm scale.



Today's journey was a little daunting, as we crept our way out to Milan's Linate airport in the afternoon traffic and meet up with Captain Bill and the crew. The 50 minute flight to Geneva was picturesque as we flew across the Northern Italian alps in awe of the glacier formations below. The Nicoise salad that the lovely Claire served up merely dented the collective hunger of the band. We've grown accustomed to breakfasting fairly lightly whenever we fly during the day as Daniella tends to dish up something extraordinary. Gunther's drive team met us at the world's most expensive square mile - Geneva General Aviation aircraft parking lot. The rows of Gulfstream G4's, 5's and 500's alongside more than one Canadair Global Express all poised, shiny and ready to go at a the drop of a very expensive hat. The drive to Montreaux, via Lausanne was scheduled for an hour and 15 minutes.





By the time we arrived at the venue, we were all pretty hungry but since today's show was indoors, a sound check was on the cards...well we haven't done one for ages. We  wasted no time, ran through the first tune, Mark did some National checking for Dave and then it was off to catering. We were clearly not the only band performing in the building today as a couple of levels below us (I don't know how many floors this theatre has) there was another band going through the sound check passes. I actually wandered in to their side of stage area to check them out. Obviously a local band, miming to a dance track as the only instrument on the stage was a bass guitar. Anyway, the rumbling of my stomach reminded me of my initial destination and I went back to the staircase and followed the gaffer-taped arrows with 'catering' scrawled on them to direct us to the eatery. At the basement (or lake) level, there was what can only be described as a media village with cars, vans, OB trucks, cameras, editing equipment etc. etc. which made me realize they were serious about this recording thing. Onwards and into catering. Damn. Local caterers. In some venues, there is a local catering setup and for the Jazz Festival, a catering company was there to feed all the artists. We handed our meal tickets to the nice girl on the door and took our chances. None of the food looked particularly appetizing so I tried a small plate of stir fried beef. It was pretty awful I have to say. Bland and not good quality meat. Still, we are lucky men and I had a few bits of cheese with the beef and grabbed the camera for a wander along the lake front. As soon as I was outside, I realized my error. I should have grabbed my wallet and come and eaten outside as there were rows of food stalls serving many fabulous items from Paella to crepes.





With many seating areas for the festival goers, the views were spectacular and the weather perfect. I looked at the watch and realized it was time to head back for vocal warm ups as Matt will have made his trade mark ginger tea by now. sure enough, once I'd found my way back to the dressing rooms, Mark and Matt were trying to guess the F. (we always start our vocal warm-ups on an 'F' note) We were ready to walk on stage when my tech Colin came to me sweating, saying there was an issue with my Sycologic midi device. I went onto my riser to have a look whilst the rest of the band waited patiently for the go ahead. It took me 10 minutes to discover that for one of the songs in the set, the Syco had somehow dropped the program change info. This meant that I would have had to change every device on the rig by hand so I quickly reprogrammed the patch and all was well again. Weird. It's probably something to do with the crap fact that the Yamaha master keyboard I use (S90) doesn't allow you to disable program change info and Colin probably managed to send some spurious midi at the wrong time while he was doing the final gear checks before we go onstage. Something he does religiously every night. Thank goodness.

Mr Saggers fits the camera to Mark's Strat..


John and I had just enough time to shoot some pics for his new, as yet untitled album cover...



Anyway, we made it to the stage and found the theatre a welcome air-conditioned change from the recent sweltering, mosquito ridden outdoor venues. The fact is they are all great fun. We came off stage to intense applause and the festival organizer shook hands with Mark on the way off and presented him with a Montreaux festival gift and then it was off to the cars for the 1 hour 15 drive back to Geneva. Thankfully Pete saved the day once more as there were baguettes in the back of the cars along with some of that nice Ubrian red wine. We devoured the sandwiches and by the time we were back on the plane, we were hungry AGAIN. Honestly, you have no idea how hungry it is possible to be after a show. Pete had also assembled a few beers in a bag and when we arrived back at the hotel in Milan, Danny, Richard, John and Mike somehow navigated their way to my room in the North wing and the music was blasting once again. I can only imagine there are no other guests in rooms anywhere nearby, above or below....By the time I served up the last cup of tea it was 4am. I've said it before and I'll say it again...what a day.