We were all rearing to go after the day off in LA which was used wisely by all band members for relaxation, luxuriation and rejuvenation. I chose the latter and arranged a tennis court for Midday for two hours and Danny and I slogged it out in the noon-day sun. We pretty much exhausted ourselves whacking the hell out of half a dozed fuzzy yellow balls and after an hour and 45 minutes and headed back to the hotel for a shower before heading poolside for the first time on the tour.



The Casa pool was undergoing maintenance so the pool at Shutters next door was made available. It's actually the same hotel management. The weather was sunny but breezy and quite cool so we just took in a few rays and  had a spot of lunch. Laurie and Leon hit the hot tub whilst I devoured a suitably overpriced Caesar salad. Danny and Laurie headed to the shops as Danny wanted to get some shirts so I hung with Leon until dinner time. We dined at my favourite Mexican restaurant in Santa Monica, El Chollo. I love this place but can never get through whatever dish I order, this time it was beef Fajitas. Sleep was not a problem after that day.

The next morning it was time to pack and say goodbye for a few weeks to the family as we headed off to Van Nuys once more to ride the magic carpet to Denver Colorado. 2 hours and one shepherds pie later we arrived. None of us have had a shepherds pie with sweet corn in it before and the reaction was mixed. Us Brits are quite stuck in our ways when it comes to pie contents.

The Denver late afternoon traffic was a bit of a bore and I kept nodding off in the front seat of the town car which was driven very smoothly by our chauffeur (he must've read my last diary entry), I took a few shots but there really wasn't much to see. Note, this is not one of our limo's



It's the first time I think we've ever played a theatre here as usually it's Red Rocks, a simply spectacular venue. I needn't have worried as the pre-show atmosphere in the hall was quite simply electric. I mentioned to Mark just before we walked onstage that it looked just like Red Rocks but indoors! Just something about the look of the crowd and the vibe. I was proved right as the moment we started the show, there was that unmistakable 'Denver' quality to it. Very difficult to explain so I won't try further but it's quite unlike any other town.







It was a fantastic, relaxed show..at moments, too relaxed, especially the ending of the first tune. The crowd was extremely fun to play to and they were typically excitable the whole way through. We did the usual runner back to the hotel which was just round the corner and as soon as we walked into the lobby we recognized the sports bar and within 15 minutes we were all assembled for the evening's drinks. An early (8:00pm) show meant we were ordering beers and snacks at 10:30.
Some of the ushers at the hall apparently said that the show was the best they'd ever seen and more specifically that our crew boys were the nicest that they'd ever worked with. Always nice to hear although not a surprise as we really do have the best of the best looking after us.

Some pics sent in by Brian Treitz



Mark with his Don Grosh



I'd like to mention that Bruce and Joan Myers from DPA microphones were at the show. As well as supplying Chuck with some fantastic acoustic instrument recording microphones, Glenn Worf has used them on his upright bass for many years..the same microphone that Chuck used to record Mark in the studio when recording vocals and acoustic guitar together. Bruce sent Glenn the following email after experiencing the show...

I‘d like to comment on what we heard last night…..an actual Audiophile quality live concert!
 The sound was simply unprecedented in my lifetime of experiences of attending amplified/sound reinforcement live music events.
 …and WOW!!....the respectful volume levels that Mark has everyone playing at….soft, subtle & non aggressive are terms that come to mind.
No “full frontal assault” as is typically the case.
I was beating myself up for forgetting to bring ear plugs…and then the concert started and to my great surprise and absolute delight….a perfect audio level was experienced.
 
Detail, resolution, nuance & musicality, rather than sheer volume…what an unexpected treat!
In retrospect, even bringing ear plugs would have been an insult….yet I have not been at an event for years when they were not a mandatory requirement to attend.
 Please tell Mark how good (excellent) we thought his sensibilities were (are)…musically, lyrically, volume level-wise….I am really at a loss for the proper way to express my heart felt feelings on how perfect of an event we felt it to be.
 It was simply the finest amplified musical event we have ever attended…period.
I don’t think I could have orchestrated it better had I done it myself with only me to please.