On the road with The Chicago Blues Brothers

Matt & Rowena jump the broom stick!

2009-09-29T18:02:00.003+01:00

Pete writes:-

Matt has been on the periphery of The CBB Show for a number of years and it was only when he finally joined us full time in March that he established himself as the final and essential piece of our jigsaw.
For about a year prior to Matt joining, the show was good mainly due to the phenomenal sound created by the band and Mike Hyde’s perfection as Elwood. Once Matt stepped in as Jake, the chemistry between Matt & Mike clicked almost immediately and the sheer energy, passion and talent that emanates from the stage is immense.
Enough to say that he is now an essential cog in the wheel that is the CBB.
Last Friday, Matt got married to Rowena – his undoubted soulmate – and the whole day - ceremony and reception – was absolutely perfect. From St Olave’s Church in picturesque York to the Hospitium in the Museum Gardens to the Ceilidh Band at the reception, it was brilliant.

I would like to say on behalf of all of us in the show, family, friends and fans, we wish Matt & Rowena all the very best wishes for their future.

Swiss role

2009-07-06T15:31:00.009+01:00

5am Tuesday 30th June morning and the alarm is not completely welcomed, but, then an important meeting in Dublin awaits Nick Taggart – our new promoter – and me.
We take off from Gatwick on the allotted hour and land in Dublin at 11am and are duly picked up by a potential future business contact. The meeting is a complete success, and we make our way back to the airport for our 7pm flight only to be told that our flight is delayed ‘til 9pm….DOH!
Bed beckons at midnight.

5am Wednesday 1st July alarm goes off again and no I am not experiencing Ground Hog Day, but need to get to London City Airport to fly to Zurich. Jayne and myself intend to spend a couple of days embracing Switzerland….namely, Lucerne… before driving down to Fribourg to meet up with the band on Friday.
Well…..from taking a cable car up 8,000 feet to the top of Mt Pilatus to cruising Lake Lucerne, we enjoyed the area in around Lucerne immensely – Jayne even found a C&A….Double DOH!!!!

Friday 3rd July and we enjoy a leisurely drive through the Swiss countryside taking in Bern and Lake Neuchatel on the way down to Fribourg.
Strangeness abounds…weren’t they speaking German this morning in Lucerne? Then why are they speaking French here? Are we still in Switzerland? Well for the uninitiated – me! – Switzerland has 4 national languages – German, French, Italian & Rumantsch – Greedy & Confusing Lot!
I arrive and immediately start setting the stage and going through line and monitor checks in preparation for the arrival of the rest of CBB – due at 3pm.
Due to some unknowingly rare traffic jams, the guys arrive at 4pm and whizz through check in record time. Time for food…….
As we are headlining the night's shenanigans, the two support bands – The Charlie Morris Blues Band from the USA and local blues maestros, 5 Blind Boys From The Parish, arrive to embark on the epic sound checks. Blimey…each outfit must have played their whole set at least twice….and that was just for checks!
By the time we take to the stage – me donning the hat & glasses again as Jake – the somewhat raucous crowd has swelled to around 2,000 and are very ripe for the picking…..and we did not disappoint!
The set was thoroughly enjoyed on and off the stage and the highlight, for us anyway, was when Mike tried to over exert the stitching in his trousers during a particularly energetic ‘Shake a Tailfeather’ and he ended up exposing his rear end to a gaggle of teenage girls – who had chosen to join us on stage. It was fortuitous that he had not gone commando!!
The back slapping from all and sundry continued back stage for a while whilst sleep beckoned for a number of us….but Zurich was still 90 minutes away.

Saturday 4th July beckoned with Jayne waking me at 6.45am to tell me that we had overslept…..we did not need to be at the Airport until 9.30am!!
Another early day then… The flight home was graciously uneventful, onward and upward to London City Airport!
Early arrival at 11.30am, swift security checks, baggage through is record time, into the cars, flying down the road to join the M25 to Guildford, then wallop! The M25 south was a car park…stationary traffic as far as the eye could see.
As we had a bit of time – not needing to be at the gig ‘til 2pm – we decided to go North, the long way round. With Gay Pride happening in and around London, all routes were at best slow. We finally arrived at 3pm – just in time to sling the small PA up, change into ‘blacks’ as Dave, Leigh, Mike & me were to partake in some ‘reception’ music.
Next door in Marquee, Bondy was feverishly working his way through the late band arrivals, making sure they were line checked and ready for the main gig at 8.30pm.
The Jazz set was extremely well received and after a comforting chat with the powers to be, suitable refreshments and food were laid on prior to the ‘main’ event.
With Gibbo, Richard & Marc away on ‘other’ duties, Roger Cotton, Bev Miller & Steve Heynes more than covered all the required duties.
The gig went extremely well – it does surprise me how raucous a wedding crowd can get when incited by two lunatics in hats & glasses!
It must have been the quickest pack away in history…God I was looking to my sleep.

Just a quick note, I would like thank everyone involved in Fribourg and the Tech Boys at Guildford who made our lives so easy. These guys get so easily overlooked and I from one never forget that without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

Onto the next adventure….

Cheers- Pete.

Photos show Pete with Ronnie from our Swiss agency Show Connection, and the stage in Fribourg at soundcheck time.

Then and now

2009-07-02T09:25:00.001+01:00

On the eve of our appearance at The Freiborg Jazz Festival keyboard maestro Ian Gibbons shares his memories of his first visit to Switzerland, and of our last performance there...

The first time I went to Switzerland was in the summer of 1965 when I was 13. We took nearly 2 days to get there leaving at 9.30 a.m. on a coach from school driving to Dover where we took a ferry to Calais, got on a steam train (!) and went overnight to Basel. I remember leaning out of the window of the train watching the cinders fly past. I had a great time in Interlaken and remember it vividly. There is a lot more to this story- maybe some other time- I didn't lose my virginity but I nearly got put in the girls' dormitory as my name had been put down as Jan on the rooming list. Needless to say a place was quickly found for me with the boys!

Back to the present day and The C.B.B. are off to Zurich. It's winter, snowing and a very early leave (4.30 the bloody alarm went off!) and after a safe trip to the airport we boarded the plane on time (well it was Swissair) but due to a frozen cargo door we were stuck for 2 hours on the plane. I slept snored and dribbled as did many others but they eventually sorted a weight distribution problem by shifting some fatties from the front to the back of the plane. Hurrah, off we took.

Arriving at the beautifully clean and snow covered Zurich we were met and taken to the gig, a pucker corporate do i.e. no thought for the band, more about the decoration. For some reason we shared our stage with petrol pumps and various other American diner props but we couldn't see each other. We were to back Steve (Elvis) and we rehearsed his set of approx 25 minutes worth of Elvis hits. Once we were down to the required volume (bloody quiet!) we went to our hotel where I got my own room and not a dorm as on my first trip. An hour later after a quick coffee shower and shave we went back to the gig for food prior to getting on stage and playing 30 minutes of lounge music whilst our guests filed in to sit down for dinner. After bluffing our way through a few favourites with much jamming and instant arranging we then had the pleasure of hanging around for about 2 hours whilst the guests were fed and watered. I have to say that we were well looked after with wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks etc but it was the usual hurry up and wait with not much to do except exchange banter with each other which is always fun and always loaded with sarcasm and putdowns which we musicians seem so good at. If I wasn't so paranoid I'd have enjoyed it! We eventually got on stage with Elvis opening the show, Steve did a great job but the Swiss can sometimes be a bit restrained and conservative it wasn't easy to get them going and they seemed happy to sit and watch. Then again dancing might have been a bit risky given the amount of food and drink that had been consumed. I must say that Steve looked great in his Las Vegas suit and £9.99 wig! The voice was spot on and the leg was perfect. Anyway he did ok; it was then time for a short break for speeches and then on with the show.
So here we are on stage. After the Peter Gunn theme and the brother's entrance there was a stunned silence as the suits took in what was happening. It sank in and we got a round of applause, a few numbers in and they were dancing at the sides and a few people got to join in with the singing as Pete and Mike went into the audience with radio mic's to get them a bit more involved. An hour later we were at the bar being complimented on the show by all and sundry. Meanwhile we were getting on with the complimentary drinks!! An hour after that I was tucked up in my enormous bed reading and looking forward to a good kip.

The journey home was on time and Swissair proved once again that their in flight mag was great for inducing a nod on the plane. The drive home was uneventful but I couldn't help noticing the tons of filth on the side of our motorways made even more obvious by the comparison with those wonderfully clear verges on the Swiss equivalents.

Nice one Ian! - L.H.

'How do you girls walk in heels like these?!?'

2009-06-26T18:16:00.005+01:00

Pete has posted an early promotional film of the show from when it was known as SWEET HOME CHICAGO onto YouTube. Have we come a long way since those bygone days of female impersonation? Click here and see what you think...

Cheers- Leigh.

'The future's so bright...'

2009-06-16T10:08:00.002+01:00

Well... we've finally severed all 'negative and draining' ties with the previous regime, bring on the future!
Have we got some great dates for you!!!! Coming up in the Autumn we will be playing venues from The Lowry in Manchester to The Eden Court in Inverness and many many more in between.
2010 is looking to be monster! Bring it on!

Cheers- Pete.

Keep on running

2009-05-31T17:59:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone, Mike 'Elwood' Hyde here.

I've been asked to write another blog entry into these hallowed pages, on the subject of my most recent achievement - running in the 2009 Bupa London 10k Race on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May. As the name suggests, this is a 10km (approx 6.3 miles) charity race, held in London. As with the London Marathon, there are lots of amateur runners, club runners, people raising money for charities, etc. There were also some 'elite' runners, the best of whom on the day was Great Britain's Mo Farah, who broke the British record with a time of 27:50.
I've only been running for a few months, and even then only once or twice a week, so this was my first organised race. I was running with a friend, and so we got the train down to London that morning and made our weay across to Hyde Park Corner to register and get on the start line in plenty of time. The race started on Birdcage Walk, went up past Big Ben, up the Embankment, into the City, past St Paul's and back down to finish on The Mall with Buckingham Palace making a fairly wonderful target down the home stretch. Most of the course was lined with spectators, despite the forecasted rain - very little of which actually materialised. It turned out to be a lovely day with near-perfect conditions - fairly cool during the race, bursting into sunshine almost immediately afterwards.
I must confess that, even though I've run 6 miles on a couple of previous occasions, this race was tough. Partly, I think, because extra concentration needed when you're running with a LOT of other people, having to look for gaps to overtake and making sure you don't get your legs tangled with anyone else. Also because of running an unfamiliar course, so you're uncertain of where to push and where to ease off. But I think mostly because you're giving so much more effort, due to it being a one-off big event, so you want to make sure you give everything and run the best time you can. My target had been simple; to enjoy myself and run a time of under 50mins. In the event, I did both those things. We had a fantastic day and I ended running a 48:22, which (incredibly) put me in 846th place out of around 12,500 runners! I'll take being in the top 7% (if my maths is right) of any race, especially one in which the British record gets shattered!
I couldn't be more pleased with how the day went, both in terms of my performance and my enjoyment, though I suspect the two things are linked. This was only the second time this race has been held and I have to say, it was great. The organisation of the whole thing was spot-on from start to finish. The atmosphere was terrific and I don't think they could have made it any better. My plans are to step it up a notch now and run a half-marathon either in the autumn or early next year depending tour schedules etc. So fear not cherished readers, I'll be hitting you all for some sponsorship money soon enough!

Thanks for reading, and if this has inspired you to go out and do something active - my only advice is do it, and enjoy it! You don't have to go out road-running for miles and miles, it can be as simple as going for a walk round the park, kicking a ball about with your kids. Get those endorphins flowing - the weather couldn't be better!

Mike Hyde

Change is good…….

2009-05-11T10:25:00.000+01:00

Well, it’s been a while and after all, there has been a self inflicted news black out for the passed few weeks.

Thanks to all involved with the Spring shenanigans, in and out of the CBB fold; the dates have been truly enjoyable and much craziness was experienced by one and all – on and off the stage.

The end of the Spring dates heralded the end of another chapter in the ever growing book of the CBB. We are now very pleased and proud to announce that we are now THE OFFICIAL CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS SHOW with a brand new UK Theatre Promoter, NICK TAGGART of NETT UK.
Yes, there have been some very necessary casualties in dates and personnel – hopefully there will not be anymore - but then, sacrifices must be made to safeguard the stability and future of this show, which we love.
The date sheet is swelling as we speak and I am very pleased to announce that we will be coming in from some of the provincial theatres and performing in a lot more city centre venues – which will make it a lot more difficult for the old chestnut, “Just couldn’t get to that one!”
No excuses then and the new list will be ‘uploaded’ to the website once all the contractual formalities have been duly completed.

I will close on a saying that is synonymous with a certain President, and is something I truly believe…..

THIS IS CHANGE THAT WE CAN BELIEVE IN!

Cheers- Pete Tobit (producer/president-in-waiting)

Re-make / re-model

2009-04-09T17:54:00.000+01:00

If you get 5 minutes over the upcoming Easter weekend and you haven't seen our website for a while then check it out; there's some new gigs including Summer festival dates, and new photos taken at last month's Epsom Playhouse show in the cast and gallery sections- there's even one of me smiling! Really!

Pull up some hot cross buns and have a look- you know you want to...

Cheers- Leigh

The cat (mostly) in the hat goes North...

2009-03-17T12:49:00.006Z

This weekend saw The Chicago Blues Brothers traversing the length of England and Scotland for a series of three gigs in Newark, Langholm and Glasgow.

Friday was the Princess Theatre in Newark. It's a lovely theatre which had been given a lick of paint since we were here last year. Unfortunately though there's not much that can be done about the low beams in the corridor leading to the dressing rooms, which cause considerable problems to those of us over 6ft! With sound check out of the way, it's off to find some refreshment. After wandering around the streets of Newark with limited success, we settle on a pub down the road from the theatre. It's a little local place for local people, so we receive some sideways glances when our number roll in making noise and sporting our strange, unfamiliar accents. Once we were finished there, it was back for the show. It's Matt's second show with us and the first time he's playing the Preacher and Cab Calloway characters. He does brilliantly, the crowd love the show and are dancing in the aisles within the first few songs. A good night is had by all and we get lots of positive comments and thanks in the foyer after the show.

Then it's off to The Hop Pole Hotel in Ollerton for the night. It's an old Grade II listed building in a small town and we're all in agreement when we arrive that it looks both fantastic and haunted (much to Tracy's dismay!). As the bar is still open when we arrive, we decide it would be rude if we didn't have a drink. It's a Samuel Smith pub, which means that rather than the Carlsberg, Stella & Strongbow you would expect to see, we're met an array of Sam Smith ales and organic ciders, most of which were sampled and all of which were delicious! Then it's bed, followed by a lovely breakfast, then the next leg of our journey, to Langholm (via a services on the A1 to pick up Matt, and Adam who's playing trumpet for the next two nights). I should mention at this point that in charge of our in-flight entertainment was Richard the sax man, who'd brought along a 4-movie dvd set that he's picked up for 99p! We popped on the first movie, which was the very camp 1970's comedy Grand Theft Auto, starring Happy Days favourite, Ron Howard. The next offerring was far more questionable - the early 90's sci-fi drama, Lawnmower Man, starring a pre-Bond Pierce Brosnan. By the end of it, most of the band were gripped, while still declaring it one of the worst films ever made. However, several sequels were suggested, such as Hedgecutter Girl, Strimmer Boy and Leafblower Woman... we haven't heard back from Hollywood on those?

Langholm is a beautiful town just over the border into Scotland. There's a river running through the heart of it and the whole place could scarcely be more picturesque. The venue we're playing is called The Buccleuch Centre (no, I wasn't sure how to pronounce it either!). It's a new place and they're really working hard to establish it as a venue for high quality theatre shows and musical acts, and judging by the sort of acts they've got booked to appear there, they might just succeed. It's not a huge venue, but the crowd more than make up for that with their enthusiasm. And barring one small error (where yours truly walked half way on to the stage for the second half, before realising I wasn't wearing my hat!) the show went very well.

We're staying in The Eskdale Hotel just round the corner from the venue and while it doesn't have quite the same character as the previous nights accommodation, it has a hospitable landlord, cheap drinks and hot & cold running pies, so we can't complain! There is however a disco happening in the basement, which attracts herberts and scoundrels from far & wide. But other than Squirrel having to step over one of the on the stairs, we're not really bothered by them.

The next morning we get up for breakfast, which included square sausage and black pudding- we must be in Scotland! Then we've got time for wandering around the local shops and across the town's wobbly foot bridge, before piling back into the bus for the journey to Glasgow!

The journey takes a little longer than it should, because we take a detour to Lanark in the hopes that we'll stumble across a lovely little pub to have lunch in. Those hopes prove misguided, but we do find a rather quaint little sweet shop where a few of us pick up, among other things, a quarter of Rhubarb & Custards! On to Glasgow then and to the Pavillion Theatre. It's a big old place right in the city centre and from standing on the stage I have to say it's one of the nicest I've seen. It really is a beautiful theatre, with a great tradition judging by all the old show posters they have framed around the dressing rooms. Once showtime arrives, it turns out to be a great way to finish our little jaunt as the show goes fantastically well. I keep my hat on throughout and Matt goes from strength to strength. The crowd were brilliant, making loads of noise and nearly raising the roof when Matt hit his party tricks of doing full box splits - how low can he go!

Then after the show it's time to pack 'em up, move 'em out, Rawhide! ...sorry about that, got a bit carried away! Where was I? Ah yes, packing up and getting on the road for the daunting journey back home. The first sign for 'The SOUTH' was met with considerable cheers from the band and we end up making excellent time. I'm at home tucked up in bed by 6:30 and that's the end of this little adventure. My word, I appear to have written a novel! But then, having spent 3 days and 2 nights with the band, LOTS of things tend to happen - you should see the stuff I've left out!!! Now it's roll on Epsom Playhouse on Wednesday!

Thanks for reading

Mike 'Elwood' Hyde

My first night as Jake with The Chicago Blues Brothers

2009-03-09T13:23:00.001Z

Having negotiated the wonderful Norfolk tractor express way, I found myself in a blustery Hunstanton at around 2pm.
I had a little time till I met Pete, Jayne and Squirrel at the theatre so I took the opportunity to check out some old haunts from my childhood holidays in sunny Hunstanton. £10 worth of 2p's later I was broke, frustrated and ready to throw those stupid slot machines into the sea! Time to meet the guys I think!
We loaded in to what is a lovely little theatre and with the help of the top draw house crew, we were all ready in double quick time. The rest of the band arrived not long after and I was formally introduced to them all (I have met and worked with most of them before) and I have to say the family vibe of the whole show kicked in almost immediately!
After some rehearsals to try and hammer in some dance moves to my increasingly hard head, we all enjoyed the Norfolk coasts greatest export.....Fish and Chips. Then all that was left to do was try and remember what came where and when, get changed and get on with it!
Now I have never been nervous about going on stage- as far as I am concerned the more people the better- but the only thing I do get nervous about is letting the people I am working with down. In an earlier life I fought internationally in a discipline called Knockdown Karate where obviously the objective was to knock the opponent down or preferably out! I was honestly never afraid of getting hurt (that was what I was there for) but I was afraid of letting down everyone that I had been training so hard with and that had given me so much of their time over the months before. This was a similar fear!
As the music started though, any nerves seemed to disappear as both myself and the audience became infected by the music. Mike and I walked on to stage and straight away I felt at home.
There were a couple of dance moves I messed up or completely forgot, and the odd harmony was missing but on the whole we all seemed to gel quickly as a unit, helped in no small way by Pete coming on and ripping the stage apart as the Reverend and later singing 'Minnie the Moocher'.
The show flew by and before I knew it we were taking our bows and being cheered off stage. Sweaty but happy we rushed to the front of house to sign some CD's and meet the audience, who to a man and woman loved the night and congratulated us all on a job well done.
On a personal note I would like to thank everyone of the band for their help and support and in particular Pete and Mike who got me through my first night and I hope on to many more with "The Chicago Blues Brothers". Bring on Newark!!

Matt

London, Belfast, Paris, Zurich…..

2009-03-08T10:45:00.001Z

Following our successful sortie in Belfast, the very next day found me on the Eurostar bound for Paris to spend some quality time with Jayne. The Paris weather was extremely kind to us as we experienced clear skies and temperatures in the mid teens.
Escapism is certainly good for the soul- however all good things……

On Friday morning at 5.30am, Paris was a million years ago whilst waiting in the cold for Squirrel and Gibbo. Zurich was beckoning.
Check in at Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 was painless as Steve ‘Elvis’ Ballard and the normal ‘A’ Team made our way through to the departure lounge. Boarding was also fairly eventless; however, that’s when the sketch writers from Monty Python took hold of the whole scenario.
The Pilot informs us that the luggage hold had frozen shut and a very heavy container was effectively being held captive in forward compartment. Now.. they can’t get the container off, apparently the weight ratio is off kilter and the weight has to be redistributed. The following statement is not a joke and actually occurred on our flight.
Cue all the ‘larger’ passengers from the front of the aircraft to be redistributed in the rear to balance the weight to enable a stable flight. This happened…..no….really!!!!
Zurich is picture postcard perfect with snow all around, no doubt deep and crisp and even.
The gig is at a local Stadthalle with the attendees featuring a number of government personnel, high profile company hierarchy and various ‘IT’ people (that’s ‘in the know’ people and not mundane computer nerds!)
The gig is brilliant and we are heralded as a total success as we get the majority of the non English speaking audience on their feet and dancing.
A quick mention must go to The Trend Hotel – top place and a definite recommendation for all Zurich bound readers.

The return leg is somewhat event free…except for the 150 mile an hour head winds, dodgy air pockets and the unfortunate event that happened to me whilst try take a wizz in the rear toilets of the plane during the severe period of the turbulence.
Enough said…..

Pete

Belfast or Bust!

2009-02-28T11:21:00.019Z

The day started pretty well when we all turned up on time at Stansted and then Ryanair decided to fart in my face and turn the start of my birthday upside down.
When you know you have done something but then doubt is cast….you start questioning your sanity. Enough said that150 quid lighter and all personnel and a couple of Fender guitars are ready to depart for Belfast – I was then informed that it would have been cheaper for me to buy two seats for the instruments.

We land to be met by Darren ‘The General’ Boyd and after a couple of minutes we are in our hired bus heading for The Stormont Hotel.
After spending the last few years working with Howard Hastings and the Hastings Group – whose Hotels include The Europa, The Culloden, The Slieve Donnard and The Stormont – I am extremely privileged to have a great working relationship with them.
Tonight’s gig is at The Waterfront in Belfast and guess what……we’re sold out!
The gig is a stormer and made even more special by Sam Davidson – from Rory Gallagher’s Taste, tremendous guitarist and top mate – joining us on stage for the final three songs. Between Sam and Leigh, Sweet Home Chicago took off and really created some magic. I wish we had recorded this one!
Well, all aboard the bus CBB and back to the Stormont for a well needed night cap or three!

Wednesday 25th and half the motley crew are partaking in The Culloden Spa and the rest are scattered between Belfast City and walks up to The Stormont Castle.
3pm and we’re heading out of town to Armagh to a venue we played a couple of years ago, The Market Place Theatre. Top techies at the theatre – Shane, Rodney and Kyle – gave us some great lighting. TOP GIG!!!!!
A major thank you has to go to Dougie from Belfast who supplied all required PA & Backline, thanks Mate!
I won’t even go into my rants at Belfast Airport at the nearest Ryanair Rep. Enough said that they proceed to put hurdles and obstacles in places that effectively catch the proverbial knackers!
Bottom line….CBB will be back next spring to The Waterfront (Belfast), The Market Place (Armagh) and…..The Millenium Forum (Londonderry), Cork, Dublin, Killarney and Castlebar!!!
Looking forward to 2010 already and you’re all invited to join us in the CRAIC!

Cheers- Pete

Photos show (top) a very poorly Mike being comforted by Pete, (middle) a bewigged and coiffured Dave being conducted by Pete and (bottom) the Belfast audience being entertained by Pete in an outfit he borrowed from a passing motorway serviceman.

Next time- some photos without Pete in them! Maybe! L.H.

Will the true Jake step forward…..

2009-02-16T11:16:00.000Z

I am really proud and pleased to welcome to the role of JAKE – direct from the hit West End production of The Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers and 2 subsequent tours of Europe – MATT HEWITT.

In addition to being a fine singer and tremendous performer, this 3rd Dan Karate Champion brings to the show all his flexibility and agility. Watch out for his cartwheels, back flips and box splits!

Matt takes over the mantle of Jake in the show on the 8th March at Hunstanton. I for one am really looking forward to the next era of The Chicago Blues Brothers, and I know his partnership with Mike Hyde will take the show into a new dimension.

Pete
Producer

One Door Closes and Another…….

2009-02-06T16:48:00.001Z

Hi Guys,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Mario Megaro is no longer with the production and we wish him well as he forays into ‘corporate’ and ‘wedding’ land!

For the immediate future…..yes you’ve guessed it…..I will make another return as Jake.

As much as I truly enjoy the ‘Management & Production’ aspect of the show, nothing replaces the buzz of standing on stage, in front of undoubtedly the most talented band on the planet! The short term pleasure will be all mine.

When I said short term, I meant it as by mid-March the role will be filled by very talented and capable shoes. The ‘reveal’ of this person will be at The Princess Theatre, Hunstanton.

The show moves on up to yet another level….

Pete

Noise annoys

2009-02-04T20:50:00.000Z

As a quick follow up to Pete's last posting I'd like to thank him for stepping in and unplugging my amplifier just in time to stop me from taking my Pete Townshend obsession to it's logical conclusion! I took it to Roger the amplifier repairman who left it running for 2 days during which it didn't make one single untoward sound- he replaced some valves and their seatings (the bits they plug into- that's about the limit of my technical knowledge!) to be on the safe side, and it sounded fine at last weekend's gigs, at The Millfield Theatre in Edmonton and a corporate show for the Seddon company at The I.C.C. in Birmingham. The latter was a interesting evening as Pete, Mike, Dave and myself played a set in the foyer as the guests arrived (if you've ever wondered what it sounds like when an old punk like me attempts to play swing and jazz standards this was your chance to find out! Here's a clue- you didn't miss much from me, but Dave played brilliantly) and company chairman Stewart joined us on stage for 'Mustang Sally'- I bet he regrets asking who owed the Telecaster...

Cheers- Leigh.

Southend or Bust!!!

2009-01-22T20:47:00.000Z

A cold wet Wednesday in January, in the middle of the worst recession the UK has experienced for decades, is hardly the ideal start for any tour, let alone the CBB machine!
With Rod at the PA controls the stage was set and ready for the band in record time. Dave Bunting had the moving head lights rigged, programmed and set in equal haste. All that remains is large portions of Fish & Chips for all – except “chips is good!!!” Leigh!
Following grease excess all round, the band sailed through sound checks. With an almost A Team – Steve Walker on Trumpet for Dave Land who was away on ‘Come Dancing’ duties – the night was set for the CBB onslaught. Now…I could go on about radio mics breaking down, follow spot operators phoning in sick and yours truly ‘mullering’ Steam Roller Blues at sound check amongst a bunch of other stuff….but I won’t. The band was ready!
Ready is a total understatement. The band was cooking, the audience were well up for it and a great gig ensued.
The one blip on the radar was when Leigh’s amp start to make totally random noises….unfortunately at the wrong times. Doh!! Only option, turn amp off, unplug mic and DI the guitar directly to the desk. No-one noticed a damn thing. Was that down to my less than slick transition or Leigh's undoubted talent. The latter methinks!
Bottom line…..Great Gig….very happy punters….invited back!
Hurrah!!!!

Cheers- Pete

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!?? Bah Humbug……

2009-01-15T06:08:00.000Z

Firstly, here’s wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.

Okay, now that the lunatic season is over, we are about to unleash the fury that is The Chicago Blues Brothers on the unsuspecting mighty British public!
2009 sees us opening the furore at The Cliffs Pavilion Southend on Sea – my hometown!!!

Well more about all that next time- let me tell you about my all-too-time-consuming New Years Eve shenanigans in Belfast…..
Well we landed at George Best Airport, Belfast at 6.30pm on the 31st December (slightly late I thought) for a New Years Eve gig at The Europa. Now, when I said we, that was myself, Pussy Glamore (Tracy Graham, Lizzie Dean & Emma Nelson), Dave Levy (Tracy’s other half) and my missus Jayne.
We arrived at the hotel at 7.00pm-ish and I told the girls that they would not be needed until 10.30pm and I went off to sort my ‘compereing’ duties in the ballroom.
At 7.30 I was told that as dinner was to start at 8.00pm, I had better get my dinner suit on. Away I trotted to my room where Jayne was already getting sorted. As I got down to my pants, ready to get dressed, I got a frantic call from the ballroom to tell me that the piper was ‘piping in’ all the guests to their tables.
Doh! With Jayne putting on my bow tie whilst I pulled up my trousers, I launched myself down the corridor, shoes in hand, putting my socks on. I got dressed just in time for the lift to open and take me down to the ballroom.
On running into the room I got the vibe that after 10mins of bagpipe playing even the hardened Celt would have blood emanating from every orifice.
Step up – in Leigh’s words – Mr Showbiz! Mic in hand I welcomed everyone and went on with the usual compere stuff. 20 minutes later, and desperately looking for a drink, I was told that there was a wedding at the sister hotel – The Culloden – that didn’t have any entertainment and could I ‘do something’. You guessed it, I was in a car speeding passed the City Airport again heading for a gig that I knew nothing about – and by the way I had to sing Frank Sinatra's ‘It Had To Be Me’ as the first song. Not only had I never sung this song before, not known the lyrics, had a vague idea how the melody went, I did not have a backing track for it.
No problem! As I arrived a copy of the lyrics were thrust into my hand, curtains opened, I was introduced and the track started.
Now- looking into the faces of some 500 expectant individuals is fairly daunting anyway, however, this was pure murder. And, basically, in my view that is what I did to ‘It Had To Be You’. After the faltering start, I recovered with my ‘normal’ set of classic Motown and Soul classics and left some 35 mins later to a full dancefloor.
In car back at 9.30pm I got a call saying that the dinner was running early and where was I – 10 minutes away. Just enough time to arrive, pick up a drink, mic and start all over again this time with a 9 piece band backing me- not just any band but ex-members of Rory Gallagher’s band Taste (Richie McCracken, John Wilson and Sam Davidson) and featuring the brass section from The Commitments band!
The next 45 mins in my humble opinion was a ‘back to business’ performance.
The ‘Pussies’ went on after me – with me still on stage running their tracks – and at midnight, I led the countdown, and then sought out a very patient wife, Jayne to start my NYE celebrations, but I was too knackered to drink or eat!
I call the CBB band who are in Northampton having a seemingly interesting experience and I vow never to do another NYE gig again……until next year!!!

Cheers- Pete

THE GIG THAT NEARLY NEVER WAS!!!!

2008-12-01T21:47:00.000Z

What can go wrong? Well…. nearly everything!

5am and nothing was stirring… except for me. Marc, Chris (Gibbo’s dep for this gig) & Squirrel were well on time for our departure to pick up Mike enroute to London City. We met Tracy, Leigh, Dave & Rich at the allotted 7am. Checked in and proceeded to the restaurant in Duty Free for a thoroughly deserved breakfast, all seemingly ready for our 8.25am flight to Zurich.
This is when the day was turned upside down!
8.00am All flights in and out of London City were cancelled until further notice due to low cloud around London.
9.00am The Swiss Air desk re books us all on the 1.50pm flight to Zurich….from Heathrow!
10.30am We catch the bus to Heathrow that decides to take a route straight through the centre of London.
12.15pm We arrive at Terminal 2 Heathrow
12.30pm We check in, go through to Duty Free and await our flight to Zurich
1.30pm We get called through to board our flight
2.30pm …still on the runway at Heathrow – we missed our take off slot!!!
By the way… did I explain that we had to be on stage in Bern at 5pm, local time!!!!!!
3.15pm We finally take off
5.15pm We land in Zurich and clear Passport Control and the baggage hall in record time.
5.30pm We are speeding toward Bern
6.30pm The normal 90 minute trip takes an hour(!) and we arrive at the venue. Luckily there are over 400 people still waiting for us.
6.45pm We go on stage to the most rapturous ovation I have ever encountered. Apparently, the crowd were made aware of our plight.
The required 60 minute set ended up being 2 hours long including 2 encores. What a show! Absolutely fantastic!
We did however, have one more mishap, when Chris Kibble our keys dep fell off his riser and nearly knocked himself out. I did what any trooper would have done; I made sure he was okay, gave him some water, told to stay still and get his composure back and then played keys for the rest of the song!!! Thankfully for me, and the audience, Chris returned for the next song to finish the gig, nursing a very sore arm and leg.

The next day was nowhere near as exciting as everything came and went on time except for the shenanigans in Duty Free. But then we wouldn’t be The Chicago Blues Brothers without the odd bit of drama and chaos!

TURKEY WITHOUT THE DRESSING!

2008-11-07T16:22:00.000Z

Just back from a truly restful and much needed break.
I took the picture above whilst enjoying copious amounts of EFES PILSNER.
Now… to those that have visited the country of Turkey – especially the Dalaman Coast – will bear witness to its extreme beauty and hospitality. The areas of Calis, Fethiye and Olu Deniz warrant high praise indeed.
Anyway…..

‘Stitching up’ various members of our fraternity by posting caption competition seems to be fair game and very popular of late.
Not wanting to miss out – and somewhat reversing the scenario – I have also posted my own pic which I will gladly put up for a suitable caption ……. and eventual ridicule!

Yours,
Pete Tobit
Producer - & very occasional ‘JAKE’!

BRING ME SUNSHINE……..

2008-10-13T23:48:00.000+01:00

The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury must be situated in the some of the loveliest countryside that England boasts.

Well as some of you may or may not know, the late great Eric Morecambe suffered a massive heart attack on the stage at The Roses Theatre and passed away in dressing room #2 – good job Tracy doesn’t know as she certainly would not have occupied that one.

In actual fact, Tewkesbury was the site of the last CBB visitation from the ‘other side’! We were staying at The Royal Hop Pole Hotel and after a terrific gig and a certain amount of ‘partaking’ in the bar we all retired to a sound sleep – some more soundly than others. Our drummer of the time – the infamous Roger Jacobs – was, shall we say, visited by a young lady! Hang on… I hear you shout! No this wasn’t a young lady of substance, but one of a ‘see through’ variety that happened to talk to him, sit on his legs (he was in bed and under the covers at the time) and then proceeded to vanish – Doh! The next morning presented the rest of the band with a rather shaken and dishevelled drummer.

Well enough of the Derek Acorah stuff and onward with the show…..

An initially very reserved audience soon gave way to the usual raucous shenanigans and once again CBB have worked their magic and given that we are back next autumn, the audience must have gone away extremely happy.

Here’s to next year and hopefully the only spirits we encounter then will be in a bottle …… hopefully marked Remy Martin!

Cheers- Pete.

'I actually ordered two- and could you please not throw the other one...'

2008-10-12T18:12:00.000+01:00

It's time for a caption competition. Here's a picture of Mike relaxing in the luxurious surroundings of the departure lounge of Marseilles Airport on our recent visit there. Can YOU come up with a snappy one-liner to sum it up? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Cheers- Leigh

Purple Hayes

2008-09-27T19:33:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd say a few words here about last night's Beck Theatre show- it was that rare thing for me, a local CBB gig. Having spent most of the previous couple of weeks fending off phone calls, text messages and e-mails from people asking for free tickets I spent the days before the show attempting to shake off a rather peculiar virus that among other things caused my hands to swell up (Pete alluded to it in his last posting about our Dunstable show) and my limbs to ache. Come the day of the show I still wasn't feeling 100%- I was asleep until about 10 minutes before we had to leave for the venue- but in the end everything went well with everyone I spoke to after the show saying how much they'd enjoyed it, and my Dad complaining that there weren't enough guitar solos!

Excellent!

Thanks to all who made it all happen- you made a happy man feel very old...

Leigh.

…on a wet Tuesday in Dunstable, CBB ROCKED!!!!!

2008-09-24T22:51:00.000+01:00

Imagine a theatre that has everything a touring production needs to make sure they have a good night:
Great Parking, Perfect Access, Great Technical Crew, Fantastic Stage, Phenomenal Theatre, Helpful Front Of House Staff, Amazing In House PA Rig……..and a full house, and you must be at The Grove Theatre, Dunstable. Hurrah!!!
The Cast raised their game and the Dunstable gig will definitely go down as one of the finest in CBB history.
Leigh’s hands were on fire (literally!), the guys sang out of their shoes, Tracy was….Tracy, Marc, Ian & Squirrel out did themselves and finally the Brass players even behaved!
The show was memorable in so many ways I would not even try to list them, except by saying a huge CONGRATS to all involved – on and off stage.
Where to from here? Well, Hayes in a couple of days, and it’s Leigh's home town gig. I really hope his hands are better by then!

Pete Tobit
CBB Producer Chappie

Hello Harlow!!

2008-09-21T19:29:00.000+01:00

Driving into Harlow I am reminded that the Government of 3 or 4 decades ago must have had a template for new towns as it feels just like Basildon or even Stevenage!
Once the ring roads and roundabouts are successfully circumnavigated (!) the Playhouse Theatre looms ahead, and very modernistic it is.
With Mario away undertaking ‘Briefcase’ duties, I, once again, am forced out of self inflicted retirement!
The theatre is great with the production crew even better and all too quickly we are sound checked and ready for the off, with one exception – Leigh O’Guitar! Leigh calls to say that he is involved in a bomb scare in Uxbridge and will try and be there before the start – well, he will be, because we can’t start without him.
With the ‘G’ forces still apparent on Leigh & Shirleys faces (they managed to make it from Uxbridge to Harlow in 45 minutes. "’onest M’lud, they didn’t break the speed limit!" Yeah, right!
The show goes up on time and is a stonker with only a couple of lapses of foot in mouth on my part – Hey, I haven’t done the theatre show since….the last time!
Onward and upward then and all go for Dunstable where we’ve got quite an audience, apparently.
Anyway, time for a curry in Old Harlow!
Pete Tobit
Producer - & still very occasional ‘JAKE’!

To Marseille and Beyond……….!!

2008-09-16T19:34:00.000+01:00

How can anyone possibly whinge or moan when you are privileged to do our job! It would take some hard hearted person to think negatively of our trip last weekend.
We, once again, graced the shores of the South of France and the weather was nothing less than magnificent.

Following the scenic route through Marseille, arrival at Le Brusc (see pic) and the ferry across to the private island, we turned up at the venue – the ballroom of the hotel where we were staying – to a fully set up stage (did we request backline techies?) and so, sound check took a whole 10 minutes; and that included resetting some of the stage!
A private table was reserved for us in the gardens of the hotel restaurant where food and wine flowed like…….good food and wine really!
By now it’s 10.00pm and we really must do some work so we head back to our rooms and re-emerge 10 minutes later ready to rock. The show is received enthusiastically and following a couple of encores we retire back to the gardens to enjoy a cocktail or seven!
Very unusually, Leigh & myself retire around 12.30am leaving the others to make up for our shortfall – we believe the 3.00am still saw a hardy few – who shall remain nameless – still enjoying the hospitality.
9.00am welcomed more than a few heavy heads and after breakfast the ferry was waiting to return us to Le Brusc whereupon we transferred to the cars for the return to the Airport and then onto and upward to Blighty.
I would like to finish, where I started, by saying we really are privileged to do what we do, and I for one, never take anything for granted and enjoy the journey to the full.
‘D’accord’, I wish you all ‘Bientot’ and look forward to seeing you at a show near you soon,
Pete Tobit
Producer - & very occasional ‘JAKE’!

Dazed in Hayes

2008-09-11T00:05:00.000+01:00

Just got in from the Hayes FM interview- no sign of Phil (shame!) but Jill asked me enough simple-yet-tricky questions ('so then Leigh, tell me all about the show') to leave me wondering what to say next on at least one occasion. Still I got through it all without swearing, and even managed to read out the theatre details from a computer screen (they hadn't warned me that I was going to have to do that!) without too much trouble. Oh and they played 'Gimme Some Loving' from our album and all promised to come along to the show. Yeah, right...

http://www.becktheatre.org.uk/

- we're there on Friday 26th September.

Cheers- Leigh.

Radio on!

2008-09-05T18:04:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note to say that next Wednesday (10th September in case you've lost count) your guitarist and humble narrator will be doing an interview on Hayes FM to promote our upcoming show at The Beck Theatre. I'm on The Phil and Jill Show (yeah, I know!) at 2.30 p.m. and the station can be found at-
http://www.hayesfm.org.uk/
-or at 91.8 FM if you're in the Hayes area. I'll do my best to avoid a Pistols/Grundy style swear-fest...

Have a listen and hear just how awkward I sound when I'm doing this type of thing!

Cheers- Leigh

Local lad made good!

2008-08-26T18:33:00.000+01:00

Hi guys, it's Mike (Elwood) here.

Some of you may have read my earlier post about my feelings in the lead-up to our show at Colchester's Mercury Theatre, as it was my hometown show. Well, the show was last Friday and it was absolutely fantastic! I couldn't really have asked for a better crowd. They were really vocal & enthusiastic right from the start. The roar that went up when I first walked onto the stage nearly took my breath away. Then it was on with the business of the show, which went off without any real cock-ups, other than the few very minor hiccups which tend to happen when we haven't done a full theatre show in a while (it's been about 3 months I think, having spent the summer playing mostly festivals). The most significant hiccup however was courtesy of yours truly, when I proceeded to launch into the introduction for My Girl, before being politely informed by Tracy that the next song was supposed to be Looking For A Fox... whoops! But I suppose a momentary lapse in concentration is forgivable on a night such as this, and I think we got away with it. At the end of the show, the audience were brilliant. They made plenty of noise and showed fantastic appreciation for the job we'd done. The ovation each band member received when introduced were some of the best I've heard.

Then straight after the show finished, it was time for myself, Mario and whichever members of the band were available, to head out into the theatre foyer and meet the audience. We do this after most theatre performances (if the size of the Front of House allows). But this time was obviously very special for me. I saw all the people who'd come along to see the show, including quite a few that I had no idea were coming and whom I hadn't seen in a few years (including my former Head Teacher!). It's always a buzz to meet the crowd after the show; chatting to them, thanking them for coming, signing whatever CD's, programmes, etc they've purchased from the merchandise desk. Although tonight, all the autograph requests and photo ops appeared to be a source of a little surprise and much amusement to the friends of mine who've known me for so many years! The band are now on a high, really looking forward to the next show and so am I. So I'd just like to thank everyone who was there that night. You gave us a great night and I hope we did the same for you.

Well, it would appear that I've rambled on sufficiently now. I was hoping to be a little more succinct this time, but those of you who've read my past blogs will know that brevity doesn't appear to be a feature in my writing. So, once again, thanks for reading this and thanks for supporting the show... now go and do something more productive!

Love & kisses Mike 'Elwood' Hyde (theatre luvvy and local celeb!)

Nice one Mike- but what on Earth could be more productive than blogging?!? L.H.

Local lad makes good?

2008-08-17T19:27:00.000+01:00

I've been asked to write a blog about our show this coming Saturday (22nd August) at The Mercury Theatre, Colchester. This particular gig is quite a big deal for me, as Colchester is about as close as I get to a 'home town'. Yes, my parents and most of my immediate family have already seen the show in other venues, but this will be the first time I've had most of my closest friends there and the first time I've had any more than a handful of people in any one audience who I know. It's also worth bearing in mind that all these first times are not simply the first time that my family & friends have seen me in this show, but rather the first time they've seen me in any professional production. In fact, the last time most of my friends saw me perform would either have been in my last 'am dram' production, playing Danny Zuko in Grease at the age of 18, or possibly even as part of my own Blues Brothers duo, playing a grotty little pub in Tiptree on Christmas Eve, probably aged around 19 or 20. Either way, I'd like to think I've come a long way since then!

When it was first booked, I was really quite nervous about the show, as I had no idea how it would sell - even if I brought along 50 friends and family, that still leaves 450 seats to fill! A half-empty theatre, struggling for atmosphere, is NOT the way I wanted my oldest & closest friends to experience the show for the first time. But all these worries were proved to be misguided when I went in to the theatre a few ago to pick up some posters for the show. I spoke to the marketing chap there, who was surprised to say the least, when he saw how many tickets had been sold in the first week of release. "Wow, you've already shifted 250 tickets! That's unbelieveable for a show with no 'star names'" he said. Little did he realise!

But now that my fears over ticket sales have been laid to rest, I find myself looking forward to much different aspects of the show than I expected. There will be a lot of people there that night who, while maybe not professionals, certainly know their way around a live band and theatre production. So obviously I've been concerned with my own performance. I want to hit every note perfectly, be on the spot for every dance move, and have my every joke and quip find their mark. Not because I fear the odd flat note or missed step will be noticed or scrutinised, but because I suppose I want to make them all proud of me, friends and family. It sounds soppy and sentimental, I know, but I can I think of no better way of expressing it. This however, is all secondary to the thing I'm really looking forward to them seeing - the band! I feel so privileged to be on stage with the calibre of musicians and performers we have in this show, and I know there will be members of that audience who are simply blown away by them. Guitarists will sit awe-stuck by Leigh's solos, brass players will wonder at the tone, fluency (and panache) of Dave & Richard, bass players will live every note with John as he stands proud; loving every single moment of every single song. I don't want this to sound like an advert or a quote for a poster, it is genuinely how I feel about being lucky enough to perform with these guys. So in summary, I suppose how I feel about the upcoming Colchester show is, as I would have predicted, a mixture of nerves and excitement... but not for the reasons I would have predicted. But I'll be sure to post something up here once the show has passed, to let you all know how I think it went and how I feel afterwards.

Bless you for reading. I hope to see you at one of our shows soon - maybe even Colchester?! Until then, all the best. Mike 'Elwood' Hyde

We've just learned that the show is sold out! Hurrah! -L.H.

The time I met a REAL hero...

2008-08-14T00:12:00.000+01:00

If it’s Wednesday and you happen to be in Cornwall, then it must be in Flambards!
For the uninitiated, Flambards is sort of museum cum theme park featuring exhibits from all the passed World Wars, Falklands conflict and the current crisis in the Gulf. But, it also houses various rides of varying scariness.
Whilst sitting having an absolutely tasteless and totally overpriced burger, I managed to catch some garbled message that a Falklands Hero was on site and would be signing copies of his latest book.
Having experienced close friends going off to the said conflict and experiencing the catastrophe that Maggie Thatcher created at first hand, there was only one name that is synonymous with the Falklands debacle, and that was of one Simon Weston. I won’t prattle on about how he got his horrific injuries on the Sir Galahad when it got bombed, how the 49% burns left him unrecognisable or even how he needed over 75 major operations, but I will only celebrate and applaud his heroic attitude of ‘let’s get on with it’ that he needed when 22 of his 30 comrades in his platoon died in that explosion.
Simon, it was a pleasure to meet and talk with you and I hope more people in this world could have the same attitude as yourself….it would be a better place.

Pete

Elwood blogs

2008-08-11T17:27:00.000+01:00

In this shiny new computer age, with mobile telephony, digital television, the interweb and such like, it seems that communication and information are more freely and easily available than ever before. With this free and wide-ranging communication of course, come new forms of publication, perhaps the most notable of which being the 'blog'. What an odd and intriguing phenomenon it is. It seems to be part diary, part essay, part broadcast, part stream-of-consciousness, part manifesto. I myself haven't had much experience with blogging. I've read a few, the clear majority of which I found informative, educational and entertaining - perhaps it should be a BBC enterprise?!

The blog I've found myself reading most often though, is not by some anonymous Whitehall insider, or a slightly nutty octagenarian giving his view on youth culture. No. It has been the blog by our very own Leigh 'love child of the two Steves' Heggarty. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. This may be to do with my lack of blog experience, but I suspect it's more to do Leigh's unique writing style and more importantly, his unique world view. Dramatically different from my own, I find myself totally engaged by his tales on everything from his experiences as a youthful, anarchist punk rocker, to the most mundane of weekdays working in a local music shop. This, I believe, is what gives the 'blog' it's unique voice. It's not the expansive prose about the minutiae of a person's life; that's always been present, certainly in modern literature. It's the ability for anyone, young or old, educated or not, to express themselves, their thoughts and their feelings on absolutely any subject and to have it read by, or at least accessible to, millions upon millions of people around the globe. We live in fascinating times and make no mistake about it, in hundreds of years time teachers will be talking to their pupils about the advent of the internet in the same way that children today learn about the industrial revolution.

Well, after that (not-so) brief introduction to my thoughts on blogging, I'd best get on with actually writing one! Thanks to those of you who stuck with it right to the end of that blog. Now, I urge you, go and do something more productive with your time!

Mike 'Elwood' Hyde

Thanks for the plug Mike!- L.H.

WHERE'S BLOODY ROBIN HOOD WHEN YOU NEED HIM?!?

2008-08-10T18:16:00.000+01:00

And so to Nottinghamshire, to a gig that was as wet as…. a day that really is very wet(!) and to share a stage with top Queen-a-likes KILLER QUEEN.
Given the marathon journey trying to avoid all sorts of tomfoolery on the M25, M10 and M1, we arrived on time…. only to hurry up and wait.
The KQ’s mighty Spinal Tap-esque drum riser (18’ x 14’) pyramid had yet to be constructed and the all required blinders (some 70 odd) had to be positioned and wired in; then and only then could the band ‘sound check’ to, and with, their sequencers and tracks.
There were more lights on stage than in David Gest’s tanning salon and when the lighting engineer asked what we needed, I courteously informed him to turn the lights up……...and leave them alone.
Our sound check was more of a 10 minute line check to make sure all could hear what they wanted to, and then wallop! We did what we do best. Rain, hail, snow or sunshine, nothing stops us from having a good time and the crowd duly responded and all parties were impressed and satisfied….bring on the mighty Queen!
Having retreated from the stage at a very civil hour, we where made up to be travelling home in the light….then as we just got onto the M1, the squealing from under the bonnet stopped! The fan belt and bearing have snapped! DOH!
Enough said, that 3 hours later and after various much fractured conversations with the AA, we were picked up and dropped back to our various locations. Squirrel, Gibbo & me being the last, we happily retired around 3.00am.

And you lot think our life is all sex, drugs & rock’n’roll. If only...

Pete

-photo shows various band members consoling themselves with takeaway food; ailing van clearly visible in the background, swearing not pictured... L.H.

So glad you made it!

2008-08-07T15:36:00.000+01:00

Hello to all and welcome to the all new blog site for the CBB’s .
I would like to start with 'what the hell are you doing here?' or 'once upon a time there was a man'…. but it’s been bloody well done to death!
In plain and simple terms, you are all very welcome to visit and read about the lunacy & shenanigans that we all get up to on the road, and from venue to venue.
Now, you might at this point think, ‘what the hell do I want to know what a Tandoori Tart and 8 aging punks & hippies get up to in theatres?’ And to that, I not only applaud you but also have no visible means of response!
However, as an active participant in on & off stage tomfoolery for some 12 years, and now in my official guise as - fanfare please- stage sweeper (no really, I need to make sure the stage is clean before the show goes on) I, with the rest of the reprobates, have experienced every single emotion known to mankind whilst spreading the word of The Chicago Blues Brothers all around Europe and I would not swap one moment of our lunacy for a ton of gold – what the hell am I saying!
By visiting this page regularly, you will be an accomplice to our experiences and, via the editorial talents of our G-string thrasher– Leigh O’Guitar– we will leave you in no doubt that the majority of the cast & crew need to be institutionalised.
A note to the cast, beware of the monthly caption competition! This features members of your beloved show in what might only be described as altruistic situations and positions…. enough said!
Contributions from you, our beloved readers, will also be included in the hallowed pages of this here blog – obviously once your piece has been thoroughly scrutinised and sanitised by the cast member to draw the shortest straw. Just send them in via the e-mail address on the 'profile' page and we'll do the rest!
And so, I gratefully hand over to Monsieur O’Guitar, his incomparable wit and his mighty quill to take control of these insertions and regular updates and look forward to encountering one or two of you at our forthcoming dates.

Finally, don’t forget, CBeeBies aren’t just for Christmas!

Cheers!

Pete Tobit

Hi y'all...

2008-08-03T09:59:00.000+01:00

Welcome to our blog page, where we will attempt to unravel the mysteries of our global success for your delectation and delight.

Enjoy!