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It Bites Really are Back
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Tour Report
Words: Rich
Pictures: Crew
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Leaving with You.....
How can I write a one-page report on spending a week touring
with one of my favourite bands of all time? There is so much to
tell that I don't know where to start.
My report only scratches the surface of the fun we all
had. I've deliberately not used any concert photos as there are
plenty out there far better than the ones I took.
Everyone met up at John Mitchell's place in Reading. I was
introduced to some new faces including tourmanager/soundman Tom
Oliver, support musician Steve Thorn, and guitar tech Neil
Iverson. I already knew the band and I used to share a house
with keyboard tech Paddy. Merchgirl Eleanor completed the
entourage.
Once the tourbus was loaded with equipment and merchandise we
all got aboard and for the first uk concert in 15years the It
Bites show was finally on the road!
Cumbria here we come! |
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It was clear early on that we were all going to get on well.
There was a great mix of personalities that I knew we would all work
well as a team and have a lot of fun together.
We got to Cumbria early enough to have a drink at our hotel,
in the seaside town of Whitehaven where John Beck grew up. Dick,
John Beck and Bob stayed with their families whilst the crew and
John Mitchell enjoyed a hotel overlooking the sea.
That night John Beck entertained us with a guitar at the hotel bar
playing many Genesis classics before passing the guitar to Steve
Thorn who went through his Pink Floyd repertoire. Locals and staff
sang along. Both John Beck and Steve Thorn impressed me with their
playing and singing and an intimate evening was enjoyed by the
locals who all knew local hero King John.
Tom Oliver was first to bed, tired after the long drive and wanting
a decent sleep. Tomorrow would be the test of the band's
bouncebackability. Tom can't let the band down with a
substandard mix. |
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The following morning (the day of the concert) Paddy and me headed
into the town to grab coffees. I was keen to make a good impression
to Tom Oliver and so I invested in a posh coffee for him too. He
accepted my gesture although advised me as to his preferred style of
coffee, so that next time I could get him exactly what he wanted.
Once at the venue I made myself as useful as I could. Guitar tech
Neil and Paddy were grateful of an extra pair of hands to carry
equipment from the tourbus to the stage whilst Eleanor set up shop.
The band soundchecked and afterwards I asked Bob if he would allow
me to make a digital recording of each concert from Tom’s mixing
desk. He agreed. Now I had a new role on the tour, I went from
lugger / merchman to having a technical role. This had the advantage
that I had to watch the opening songs to make sure I had a nice
level check.
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Paddy and me both knew that if
the tour was not a success it would be difficult for the band to
justify continuing.
They needed to not only play
well but they needed a good turn out from the fans. Paddy and
myself never doubted they could fill out venues with their
talent but we were concerned that finding their previous
following might take more time.
Could they reach their old fans
(old as in a long time ago and not as in ageing)
I took some more photos of Neil, Tom and Paddy setting up for
the first show of the tour.
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The band arrived for the
soundcheck in the afternoon. This was home soil for It Bites.
They really wanted to impress their family and friends who
gathered outside with the fans.
Steve Thorn sang his heart out to an appreciated audience but
they were here to see It Bites. When they stormed the stage
there was no doubt that It Bites were up for this. They did a
great show although playing to a seated audience means that the
crowd’s reaction is never as lively as a crowd that can jump
around. I met some of the band’s family having heard much about
them.
I won’t recall each day of the tour as this little report will
take me all day to complete and make repetitive reading. |
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The band grew confidence with
every concert and I got to really know Neil, Steve Thorn and Tom
Oliver as each day passed. I got used to having five hours
sleep.
When you’re in a tourbus with a bunch of people it doesn’t get
boring as there is always plenty to see and talk about. Bob and
me enjoyed a game of chess whilst some slept and others engaged
in conversation. Tom has his own orchard and he bought a couple
of bottles of his pear-cider named "Olivers" which impressed
everyone on the bus!
Glasgow is a great place and I got to see the magnificent town
as I seeked out a phone charger. The concert was superb and the
Scottish audience was the wildest so far. The vibe on the return
journey was very positive and we arrived at our hotel at 4am in
high sprits.
The Birmingham venue was huge and I wondered if the band had
bitten off more than they could chew. I needn't have worried as
more and more fans piled into the building. Several people I
spoke to had read reviews on the forum and decided to see if It
Bites really were as good as everyone was saying. I realised
that the fans were doing their part by spreading the work. |
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Each concert had its own
special moments and I met a ton of great people along the way.
When the Manchester concert came to an end I knew that this had
been a great ride and a real experience. I’d loved every minute
of it. Everyone was ecstatic with how it had all gone. We had
all got on well together and there had been no disasters. Sure
there had been plenty of problems but followed by plenty of
solutions.
Finally we arrived in Reading at 5am and Tom shook everyone’s
hands except mine. Maybe he’d forgotten, maybe he didn’t think
I’d done a good job, or maybe at 5am Tom can still maintain a
sense of humour that makes him such fun to be around!
When Paddy and me went to bed that morning (separate beds at his
house) we had no consideration that Tom, Neil, Bob and Dick
still had a few hours to go before they got home. As I drifted
to sleep I only thought what a fantastic tour it had been and
what a great time I had been privileged to have enjoyed the
ride.
Rich |
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