The Eightsome Reel strikes again
I think it's fair to say that I didn't see Suzhou (pronounced Sue-Joe ...ish). The smog, humidity and low clouds meant that visibility was incredibly poor. Distant outlines of more skyscrapers was about all I could make out. Our hotel was a resort-style place, out of town and next to a lake (which seemed to be the spiritual home of the mosquito and all-things-bitey). If Shanghai was a hit & run gig, I don't know what that makes Suzhou...we didn't even make it into the city centre.
Here's the hall in Suzhou (pardon my below-par photography):
Yesterday we flew down from Shanghai to Guangzhou. The south is like a different country. It's lush and green - wherever there's a break in the concrete, there's something growing in it. I was feeling pretty proud of myself after adding 'you're welcome' and 'goodbye' to my Mandarin micro-vocabulary. Down here everyone speaks Cantonese...back to square one.
Playing 5 concerts in 5 days was tiring for all so a night off last night was very welcome, particularly when followed by a 4.30pm call today. Zhongshan didn't even get a mention in my guidebook, nor feature on the map (having a mere 2.4 million people). It was an unexpected treat; a climb up to the Fufeng Pagoda and the Buddhist Temple and a chance to continue honing our bartering skills at a few local shops. I said Suzhou was humid - I take it back. Suzhou wasn't a patch on Zhongshan.
(on the way up to the Fufeng Pagoda)
The concert in Zhongshan was a sticky affair, if there was any air-con, it was losing the battle. Another good hall but a very disappointing turnout. It would be generous to say it was 1/3 full (apparently the ticket prices had been set unreasonably high by the promoter/venue). What the audience lacked in numbers they made up for in warm appreciation and by the end we were cheered/waved off stage. The Eightsome Reel strikes again.
(the hall in Zhongshan)
The wardrobe boxes are getting distinctly pongy at this stage of the tour, or at least the blokes' are. What is it...ladies glow, gentlemen perspire but musicians drip? By the time they make it back to Glasgow, with 8 concerts-worth of effort soaked into them, they'll be positively steaming. If you come along to any of our Listen Here! concerts, you'd better hope we've had time to do some laundry!
Quote of the Day:
Jessica Sullivan, over breakfast - "this cereal tastes like it was posted from Britain...4 years ago"
David Chadwick
