In case you’ve missed it, Rachel has been writing a tour journal on her blog of her experiences across Europe. Here’s the latest entry:
Tour Journal
Tuesday
Groningen
If you go to Groningen, be sure to try their mustard soup.
Groningen is where Jonny and I first ever met, two years ago. He was TM’ing the band, Brother. Those boys were a lot of fun; invited me into the night with them at Eurosonic festival.
Groningen is also where the first ever music video, The Fog, was filmed, with my friends at Sensu. They also did that film of me sitting beside a huge window singing To A Fox.
Rob (friend and manager) has joined us for the last of the Dutch dates. Sat in hotel lobby, I ask questions that seem reasonable/not stupid; he answers in a way that seems understandable/not patronising. We’re talking numbers here.
We’re talking futures here.
Tis very important to sit as humans like this. Things get lost in the ether; miscommunication is easy, the person is forgotten; we become strange machines to each other. Tisn’t healthy.
It’s like we’re peeling the coloured foil from the treats of next year. Peeking and anticipating. The tasting, however, must wait for the coming months.
Makes me think of my younger brother. When he was small, alongside his propensity for yoghurt inhaling and smashing decorative lamps to smitherines by tugging on the power cables, Luke would also find joy in taking one single bite out of every fruit in the bowl then returning them to said bowl to look untouched.
Another thing, I think, all three of us are guilty of was taking wee spoons to school for packed lunch then dispensing of them, gormless, with the yoghurt pots and banana skins (and most of the banana…).
There’s a boy, Soeren, outside the venue at soundcheck time. He attended the Hamburg gig. Came all this way to listen again.
Well, come in, it’s cold.
Soeren remains with us the rest of the evening. Joins me in drawing pictures for Carla. Gifts a CD with a song on it. He is very kind.
Boot him out for the few hours before singing.
Groningen: first place to be ‘Uitverkocht’ before we arrived. (sold out) (yeah) (uhu)
And tonight becomes the first place I experience a standing ovation.
The lighting is beautiful in the small theatre; when I finish To a Fox I can only see the silhouette of one woman in the front row stand; her hair shines like a halo, a couple more follow, then everyone; the lights behind are so bright I can only see their dark shapes rise like a black, beautiful wave, smoke shimmering all about them. I’m aware of my spine tingling and shoulders arching.
To read more of Rachels travels, click here
RSHQ
