This venue is somewhat legendary amongst roadies. At a full story below ground level and with only one way in for gear, this place is no fun to load into or out of. Getting 12 trucks of gear down a long bumpy ramp that has a flat spot half way up, pretty much sucks no matter how you look at it. What they do is pile all the gear up against a fork lift that backs down the ramp with roadies on either side holding the thing intact while avoiding being run over or crushed. Meanwhile a second forklift is coming up the ramp to grab the next load, though this picture is just a mini load and does not do justice to the precarious nature of the fully pack ramp, you can get the basic idea

Now imagine how much equip fits in twelve trucks and you begin to see why the word "sucks" is often used when referring to getting gear in and out of this place.

Hence the reason that this day off was converted to a load in day. Meanwhile ............

Back at the hotel we have much bigger issues to deal with. The worst thing in the touring world that could possibly happen with the exception of someone hurt or a cancelled show, has happened! That's right, you guessed it:

I HAVE RUN OUT OF CLEAN SOCKS

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Drastic measures must be takes as soon as I stop panicking. Think, think, what can I do? Oh no! Oh no! This is bad, I am now trapped in my hotel room, must escape. And then it struck me. There is one thing, the embarrassing and dreaded 'hand wash' in the sink. No male roadie has ever admitted to doing this, but faced with no other option, I succumb. Hmmmm, I wonder what works better, shampoo, body wash or hand soap? Maybe I should wash one in each and then see which feels better?

After choosing body wash and I get bored of trying to get the endless suds to stop rinsing from the socks, I finally figured out what the strange thing hanging on the wall in every hotel room is. A sock dryer of course!

which works quite well but leave a wet ring in the upper ankle area.

Armed with my freshly washed sock, I met up with one of the other touring humans for a night out and had a blast! Only to come home and find that someone has decided to have a little nap by the door of my room. Stepping over him so I could get inside, I then did what anyone else would naturally have done, I took pictures and then went to bed. Here is the view from in my room:

Till we meet again, the preferring to sleep in a bed over a hallway floor,

Dave Rat

SYMOTAFMBOYLB!