We left Frankfurt this morning after a quick swim to get the day started and sampling once again the finest Birscher muesli known to man. I compiled the diary and rushed out the door to checkout. Bernie and the team were waiting and took us to the airport before driving 600km to Paris to meet us once again at the end of the day. I still find this aspect of the logistics amazing, even after being a part of it for so long. We arrived in Luxembourg amid patchy rain but at least it was nice and mild...quite reminiscent of Summer weather at home.



Our second visit to the curiously located Rockhal just to the Southwest of Luxembourg. I say curious as to get to the hall we drive through what must be a long-disused steel foundry. In 1912 the Adolf-Emil Foundry was built. With the starting up of one of the world’s biggest and most modern blast furnaces on the site Arbed Esch-Belval on the 10th of June 1965 the ARBED company became the third biggest European steel producer. In 2001 a consequence of a merger meant the former industrial site became a wasteland. It looks to me that it is being slowly but systematically disassembled.



Another standing gig in the purpose-built rock venue and a quick look back to last tour diary reminded me that the bare box walls are actually acoustically treated. Something you don't often see in music venues around the world...believe it or not. We did have a bass (standing wave) issue last time but by the time I'd remembered it and mentioned it to Kerry, the sound boys had already spent a solid 30 minutes 'dialing' it out of the system. Again, amazing that the guys can do this with such confidence, but they are quite good at all this now and years of experience pays off regularly.



Robbo prepares the laminated World Cup passes for the crew sweepstakes which starts tomorrow. More on that soon.





Sound Check, dinner, a quick nap on one of the roll-out mats we carry around in case of inadequate dressing room furniture, and to day we had quite honestly the most uncomfortable couches of the modern world. We joked about finding out who made them and installing them in our homes for use when unwanted guests visit. As our dressing room rider is hardly demanding, sometimes we do get to relax on dodgy stuff but as they say in Spinal Tap..."we rise above it". As long as the showers work..mainly for the crew. Those guys need the facilities much more than we do.

The show itself was another standing, potentially rowdy affair but the band were really pleasantly surprised by the levels of concentration shown by the audience! Seriously, I don't think I've ever heard a quieter crowd at the end of R&J. Then of course they erupted. We all had fun...as usual and the plane flight to Paris was just incessant talking and laughing about the gig. So many things we can still improve upon, and so many things to experiment with. Boy, this band is playing well together these days.