Thanks to all who came. First gigs in over a year, so great to get back in the saddle so to speak. The fact that we were also unveiling a substantial amount of new - not quite finished - material, gave the proceedings a bit of extra edge.

Special thanks go to the gremlins which killed Ronnie's keyboard rig not once but twice in Glasgow. This meant a complete re-boot and re-load of his system which left Graeme and I in 'stand-up' mode for quite a while.

Also special mention should be made of Euan's contribution. I'm not quite sure how he managed to get me on his back (upside down), but I'm looking forward to seeing a picture.

Summer's End was also a great night out. Particularly glad to finally see a bit of RPWL on stage. No gremlin attack this time, and the new material was starting to gel - though I must sort out a complete set of words :-)..

Roll on Rotherham and The Peel

A short item about the forthcoming new album will appear in the new issue (no 2) of the magazine 'Classic Rock presents PROG'. I say some words, and there may be photos (I'm guessing 'cause I haven't actually seen it yet). Hopefully there may well be a more detailed appraisal of the Pallas beast in future issues.

We've been far too pre-occupied with getting the next album sorted to consider gigs, but our self-imposed purdah is coming to an end. As the completion of 'XXV' looms closer we're taking our first steps back out onto the stage:

Dates so far confirmed:

On Friday, October the 9th, we will be playing at The Ferry in Glasgow. Support will be our old friends Abel Ganz. Tickets £12.

The Ferry, 25 Anderston Quay,
Glasgow, G3 8BX.

http://www.the-ferry.co.uk/

This means that we can now confirm that we'll be playing Summer's End on Saturday, 10th October.
www.myspace.com/summersendfestival

www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=51059008514&ref=nf

www.twitter.com/summersendfest

Join the yahoo group at:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/summersendfestival
/
Email:

Montgomery Hall
Wath upon Dearne

Pallas + support
£15 (£12 members advance)
Doors 7pm
Tickets online at the CRS Rokshop
http://www.rokshop.eu/uk2ecommerce/
or by calling 01709 702575 and place your orders.

160 Cambridge Rd, Kingston, SW London, KT1 3HH
Tickets on sale as of now £10.00 advance. Phone 020 8546 3516 credit card orders welcome.

http://www.peelmuzik.com/

Hopefully there should be a couple more to add to this list before long

A Sort of Homecoming..

Another early taxi ride to Heathrow (with a last minute detour because I forgot my passport), but my first time to the very new and shiny (and infamous) Terminal 5. I'm not taking any risks - and besides I'm only going for a couple of days - so it's hand baggage and laptop only. Must be the quickest ever check-in I've managed at a major airport, and straight through security into the bewildering retail experience beyond. Honestly it does feel more like a shopping centre than an airport, but I'm not in the mood to splash the cash. So apart from a brief longing gaze at the new macbook pro it's off for an expensive coffee at the starbuck's right next to the gate.

So what is today's adventure? I'm off to Munich, Bavaria - home of leberkäse, oompah bands and some of the world's finest beer. It's also the hometown of german band RPWL and the location of their studio. I'm off to add some throaty warblings to a new project called 'Parzifal's Eye', which is basically the solo album of RPWL bass-player Chris Postl.

My introduction to the RPWL camp came last year when guitarist Kalle Wallner's side-project 'Blind Ego' played a gig with us in Rotherham. I was very impressed with their music and particularly with the RPWL song 'Roses' which they played. It also turned out that Kalle is not only a top muso, but he and keys player/vocalist Yogi Lang are very nice people and I got the impression it would be nice to work with them at some point if the opportunity arose.

Anyway, a few months ago I got a call from their bass-player Chris, who asked if I'd be interested in doing a few numbers on his new project. He sent me some demos, I quite liked them. I did some versions with my voice at home and he quite liked them, so here we are.

Any excuse to go to Munich really... the city played a formative part in my youth. At the age of 17 I went there on an exchange trip for two weeks and ended up staying several months!! I've been back many times since and it'll always have a special place in my heart.

The flight is uneventful and arrival at Munich straightforward - though I can never understand why the German border police never seem to have enough people at passport control whenever a UK flight arrives. Every German airport I've been to seems to be the same in this respect. The moment my mobile is switched on, Chris calls to say he'll be with me in 10 minutes. I've never met him before so it's a little nerve-wracking waiting - he turned down my request for a chauffeur-driven Lambourghini so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for something a little less distinctive.

Bag in the car and off we go to RPWL centre - only a few minutes from the airport. It's a converted farmhouse with two live rooms, two control rooms (so Yogi and Kalle can work independently on different projects) and space for an office, rehearsal area and kitchen. Very similar vibe to what Niall has at the Mill - though probably a bit tidier :-) Yogi's already there and set up, so after a quick coffee and a gossip it's straight off to work.

First up is a song called 'Face My Fear'.. sort of a love song, but really about agonised indecision. Suits a nice breathy, close-mic approach. One of those songs where getting into the right frame of mind is 90% of the work. The verses come quite quickly, but the bridges take a bit more time cause there's a bit of a vocal gear-change in an awkward part of my range. And then there's the harmonies. Chris and Yogi like their harmonies, and once they realise I can go pretty high then we get into some pretty challenging falsetto stuff.
.. and of course everything has to be tracked (doubled or even tripled). It needs a lot of concentration and it's quite tiring.

After all that my voice needs a bit of a break, so it's time for tea.. before we get stuck into the next piece. 'Signs' needs a slightly more sinister approach. In the end we opt for another breathy, close-mic voice, sharpened up with a percussive whisper and a high-octave falsetto to give it a bit of cut and depth. In other words my main vocal is made up of three separate tracks - all singing the same part, but with different styles and techniques to create an overall sound. Peter Gabriel does a lot of this, and in the right place it can be very effective. The middle eight is however, very un-Gabriel, and I decide to go a bit Chris Cornell and take the 'rock screamer' approach. We end up with an unfeasibly high and raucous note, and a very knackered singer. But we're happy.

It's time to call it a day.. and a very productive one it's been. I've already achieved most of what I was expecting to do. There's still a load of backing vocals to do, but it looks like we'll have time to have a look at some other bits and pieces Chris thinks he'd like me to have a go at.

But first, let's have a beer...

DAY 2: Nice civilised breakfast at the hotel, which has a Japanese theme. Lots of dark cherry wood and green frosted glass. Very serene and restful. Thankfully the oriental approach does not extend to the breakfast menu - I'm not really in the mood for sushi first thing - and it's the usual coffee, cold meats and cheeses. Just right for a good start to the day.

The first part of the day (after coffee and a quick episode of 'Family Guy') is reviewing and tidying up day one's efforts. There's still quite of backing vocals to layer on 'Signs' in particular, but that happens with relatively little fuss. Next up is a song called 'Disguise' which Chris had mentioned as having a possible role for me. The idea is that I'll do the verses and Chris will do the choruses. I've only heard this one a couple of times, but it starts to go very well very quickly, and in the end I lay down Chorus vocals as well. Yogi says he'll probably use those in conjunction with Chris' vocals.

After that we're into the odd bit here and there, with a short vocal section on a long track called 'Fragments', and a semi-spoken contribution to yet another track. I signed up to do two songs, but it seems I'll turn up in some way or another on five!!! Not a bad couple of days work.

Chris and Yogi seem happy with my efforts, and I'm satisfied with what I've managed to come up with. Recording is due to be finished by the end of November, with the album due out probably in February. I'm really looking forward to hearing it, especially after hearing a rough mix of the 'epic' track on the album, which features some great atmospheric sections, real dobro, and one of the wildest guitar solos I've ever heard.

Thursday 26th June: Somewhere in London

Les has chosen the Reed hotel group for his overnight pit-stop once more, and as soon as he's quaffed the (complimentary) tea and toast it's off to Crawley airport to meet with the rest of Team Pallas (F*** Yeah!)

Today's mission; An assault on the eardrums of the innocent attendees of the Art-rock Festival III in Reichenbach, south-eastern Germany. The Aberdeen contingent are already in the departures bar when we arrive (having come in on an earlier flight), and Wiz is somewhere nearby playing computer games. As the early refreshments take hold, it's time to reflect on what, who and why we're doing this.

The Reichenbach Festival is put together by our old friend Uwe Treitinger, who runs the Berg-keller, an unfeasibly small but wonderfully welcoming gig which we have played in the past. He'd originally asked us if we could play this year, but at the time it didn't look feasible so we'd reluctantly said no. IQ first confirmed the gig and then had to pull out due to Pete Nicholls' ill health. By that stage our circumstances changed and it looked like we could do it. Uwe was still keen to have us along, so here we were.

The bill looked like a fun one. LA funseekers Spock's Beard headlining; us in second slot; and the "new, improved" Frost* and Kalle's Heroes (Blind Ego) taking up the rear. A lot of top musos in one spot - and potentially a lot of fragile livers.

Due to the complex quantum physics of flight schedules/moving Aberdonians/licensing hours and ley lines we are arriving a day early. Pick-up from the nice shiny new Flughafen Dresden is efficient and in no time at all (well about two cans-worth) we are at our base for the next couple of days, the Gasthof "Goldenes Herz".

This is a nice family-run hotel/restaurant with a rather pleasant beer-garden. Mike and Jochan (who've driven a vanful of gear from Aberdeen) turn up shortly afterwards; as do Simon and Justin who've just managed a similar journey with the Frosties' splitter van. The very lovely Bianca keeps our glasses refreshed until we belatedly realise we're supposed to be at a welcoming barbecue at the venue!!!

It's a lovely warm summer evening, with the shadows gradually lengthening in the golden sunshine. A perfect moment to take in the grandeur of the Goeltzschalbruecke, a massive railway viaduct with three tiers of brick arches which will form the backdrop to our performance.
Impressive doesn’t even start to cover the immensity of this. I'd say it's on a par with Bristol's Clifton suspension bridge for sheer unlikeliness.

Whatever; We feel somewhat dwarfed by the structure, but this doesn't matter because we're enjoying one of those endless summer evenings where time seems to have slowed down to a virtual standstill. PA techs rig unhurriedly in the background as a couple of pork loins hit the grill, and yet another beer is pressed into my hand. I could stay here forever.

..But soon enough it's all back to the Berg-Keller. Those of you in the UK (particularly Ingerland) may have forgotten, but Euro 2008 is in full swing and Uwe wants us to enjoy the latest instalment on the big screen in his bar.

By this point the day's travails are starting to take their toll. I'm not much of a footy fan and my mind is starting to wander. Luckily, however, I manage to avoid Uwe's unleashing of "the green stuff", a wicked schnapps concoction which he insists everyone tries. Les and Niall in particular endure more than their fair share.

Somehow, eventually, we're back at the "Goldenes Herz", and it's off to bed. We have work to do in the morning.

Friday 27th June:

..or should that be afternoon. Our driver, Karin, scoops us up at midday in her school minibus and deposits us safely at the venue where things are not as advanced as they might be. Spock's Beard are here and their equipment appears mostly to be onstage, but they are still some way off from a soundcheck. It's usual for the schedule to slip at events such as these, but time is starting to drag and we're now way past the point where we should have been handing the stage over to the Frosties. ...and still we wait.

What the hell - it's a warm day, and the backstage area has a seemingly endless supply of whatever our hearts desire. Apart from cigarettes!! Les and Niall are reduced to getting our old friend Heike Mueller of Eclipsed magazine to get their nicotine supplies. Seems that in Germany these days you need to swipe your ID card in a slot in the vending machine to prove you're old enough to buy fags. Our gruesome twosome have no way of doing this so are reduced to begging Heike to buy their drugs for them. Junkies have no moral scruples!!

It's also a good opportunity to chew the cud with some old friends. Jem and the other Frosties roll up in their rather well-appointed van. Lovely seats and a nice big LCD TV. He's making the band watch the entire first series of 'Life on Mars' - it's a team -building exercise.

Jowitt eventually puts in a tardy appearance having driven over from Munich with 'Blind Ego' with whom he's been rehearsing. Having done the two gigs thing with Camorra, I don't envy him his night's work.

Spock's are finally making some noise... and soon enough we're rigging our stuff for our own soundcheck. Even if we race through this, both Frost* and Blind Ego will be pushed for time to sort out their own technicals. Occupational hazard I suppose. The projector we asked for is winched into positon in the lighting grid. Mike's visuals - which we really only used in earnest for the first time in Poland - are to be an intrinsic part of the show tonight. And Wiz is getting to grips with yet another unfamiliar lighting desk. The sun will go down during our set, so we want it to look as good as it can.

We do our best to crack through the soundcheck so we can clear the stage for the other bands. I'm interested in what Frost* will get up to. They were scary enough supporting us last time round. Now they've got a new singer/guitarist and some new material. Could be interesting.

Blind Ego are finally getting to make a noise, but we opt to head back to the hotel for a freshen up and a nap before showtime. Sadly it means we miss their set (they were brill when I saw them at the Peel) and we get back about halfway into the Frost* set. If they were on fire before, they're positively incendiary now. Jowitt, LJM and new-boy Declan have a power-metal on-stage huddle that would put Maiden to shame. And Jem is obviously enjoying the freedom of a slightly less pressured role. The new material 'rocks' by the way. Top gig.

All too soon we're getting ready to go. Thanks to Blind Ego and Frost* the gig is only running about half an hour behind schedule. No mean feat.

We forgot to bring the intro tape, so we just sort of stroll on. A large part of the audience has taken the opportunity of a lull in the proceedings to gain food and refreshment. A quick bark or two down the mic and they're obediently heading back towards the stage - and we're off!!!

It's nicely dusky as we start so the projection screen immediately comes into its own. In Poland I was only dimly aware of what was going on up there because it was so far behind us, but now having seen the DVD footage I've got a better idea of what to expect so I keep trying to sneak a peak. My appalling German seems to be going down well and there's definitely a warm friendly vibe from the crowd. We're not playing too badly either. A couple of senior moments early on, but it just keeps getting better and feels like we're really connecting.

All too soon I'm thanking everyone for a genuinely wonderful evening. The perfect end to a perfect day in a wonderful location. I'm sure Spock's are chafing at the bit to get onstage, but let's be a bit cheeky. "Time for one more?...." "Arrive Alive" gets the full participation of the crowd and we end the show grinning from ear to ear.

..time for a cold one.

This time - unlike Poland - I get to enjoy the fruits of my labour. Drinking nice cold beer - chatting with fans - drinking more cold beer - gossiping with the other bands - some more cold beer - watch Spock's pull off another fine performance from the side of the stage - beer and a bit of schnapps.. and err back to the hotel where Jem chases me down the corridor in a forlorn attempt to steal my sonic screwdriver (how would I save the world without it) ending with a late and loud evening in the beer garden. Days like these are what being in a rock band is all about.

Till the next time..

Alan

Pallas have stepped in to join the bill of the III. Art-Rock-Festival in Goeltzschalbruecke/Netzschkau in Eastern Germany on Friday 26th June. This follows the withdrawal of IQ due to unforeseen circumstances (Get well soon , Pete). This will probably be Pallas' only concert appearance this year as we concentrate on getting the next album done.

The bill is now expected to be as follows:

Friday 26th June: Spock's Beard, Pallas, Frost*, RWPL

Saturday, 27th June: Omega, Queensryche, Mostly Autumn, After Sid

The venue is an open-air site underneath what's claimed to be the largest viaduct in the world. Camping is also available.

Tickets and further information are available from the following site.
Http://www.bergkeller-reichenbach.de

Just a reminder to all of you in the Glasgow area; Abel Ganz are having a launch party/gig to celebrate the long-awaited release of their latest ablum, "Shooting Albatross". As well as being a very exciting thing in its own right, it just happens to feature me doing vocals on a 23' track called "So Far." The guys are planning to play the whole album, and it'll be the debut apearance of their new singer, Stuart"Mick" McFarlane.

Hugh Carter says: "Mick joined us a couple of months ago and has slotted perfectly into the band. As well as being an incredible singer, Mick plays guitar, bass and keyboards thereby proving a useful addition to our increasingly more complex arrangements. I met him many years ago when we were both playing bass in bands on the folk/rock circuit and knowing he was a closet prog fan always thought he would make an ideal singer for Abel Ganz."

The gig will beThursday 27th March in Stereo, Renfield Lane in our home town of Glasgow.(www.rottenrow.co.uk:80/stereo/) Entrance is FREE!!!

For those of you who can't make it, the album will be available from their website www.abelganz.com which has recently been offline undergoing reconstruction. They also have a myspace up and running in the meantime.

Day 1: WINDSOR: I've already spent a few sweaty sessions in Clive Nolan's Thin Ice studios working my way through the various bits he has assigned me for his meisterwerk "She". I've also spent a few sleepless nights wondering how all these bits fit together and how "Act I, Scene 3" connects with "Act 2, scene12" etc.
But here I am at Running Frog along with some of Britprog's finest attempting to find out whether Clive's "vision" will actually make a show. It's rather a small room for 12 people and their equipment, and as I'm last to arrive I get the tiny bit of space left over in the middle of the room crammed uncomfortably between Jowitt and Mark Westwood (Not again, Fnaar, Fnaar!).

There a few people I've never met before, and one or two I'm only on nodding terms with, so it's a bit weird really. But the mood is fun and relaxed and clearly everybody is both up to their allotted tasks and motivated to give it their best shot.

Due to complex domestic commitments (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) I sadly have to leave early and am unable to stay and help load the van for Poland. (I'm a STAR, darling - I don't DO flightcases) A palette of Pallas essentials has been delivered to the studio from Aberdeen and I'm assured it will be going on the truck, so home for a nice tea and an early bath.

Day 2: STANSTED AIRPORT: A frustrating journey as usual to the London airport furthest from where I live. But check-in is swift and there's enough time to be relaxed about the ludicrous levels of "War on Tourism" security measures. Breakfast with the glamorous Tina Magenta and hubby Mike, followed by beer with the much less glamorous Lord Nolan, Rob Aubrey, Jowitt and Westwood - tho Agnieska "She who must be obeyed" (henceforth known universally as Amnesia) does brighten the tone a bit.

It's already a bit like a school trip. It's a bigger travelling party than I think any of us are used to , and we're all getting to know eachother. Whatever happens everyone seems determined to have a good time.

KATOWICE: Transfer from airport is straightforward enough and we're all soon being divvied up into our rooms at the inventively titled "Hotel Katowice". I'd forgotten what a dump it is. Clearly a relic of the communist era it has all the charm of a particularly grim Drumchapel slum. I'm slated to share with cheerie Brummie guitarist La Westwood, but he spurns my charms in favour of bunking up with fellow midlands cat strangler, Martin Bowen. He said it was so they could "practise together", but I know a brush-off when I see one. What has he got that I haven't I ask you?

Any road up I have the suave and sophisticated Threshold keyboarder, Richard West, to share with so I'm not exactly down on the deal.

To the restuarant - and then the pub!!!!!!!

DAY 3: KATOWICE "SPODEK": Feeling a bit fragile after the previous evening's entertainment, so I'm somewhat relieved when I turn up for the 0900 band call to find the musos will be unloading gear and setting up for at least a couple of hours. Back to the hotel to brush up on tunes and words - and maybe even have a listen to the Pallas set as well.

Three hours later and I figure that even Jowitt must have worked out how to tune his bass by now, so back to Spodek. This is a large flying-saucer shaped sports and entertainment complex a brisk 10 minutes walk from the hotel. A bit like Wembley arena inside, and we've got use of a pretty huge dressing room for the next 48 hours for rehearsal.

We've got a full PA and monitor set-up in there and the floor is marked out to match the stage dimensions of the theatre on the night. Not only do we have to rehearse the thing, we've also got to think about "acting" (I use the term VERY loosely here) and who comes on and off stage when and where. Just to make things even more interesting we're soon joined by a 12-piece polish choir as well as an oboeist, cellist and French horn player!!!

It's all getting very confusing - the polish musicians know their bits - but don't know how they fit into the whole performance; The singists and the choir have to work out how they interact with eachother and who needs to stand where, and the musos are just the usual bolshie bunch. You only have to make rock musicians sit down on chairs to play and they start behaving like west-end pit musicians :-) Mind you I've never seen Jowitt worry about the difference between roots and fifths before. He almost sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

That said, everyone is still getting on like a house on fire. During the lunch break we discovered that Tina can play drums, so interesting variations on the NEO line-up start to be debated. The choir are clearly in the mood for a bit of a laugh, and despite the language barrier and the growing sense of the mountain we have to climb it's smiles all round.

By the time we get to the restaurant it's getting quite late, but spirits are high and the subject comes round to what appears to b a bit of an Arena/Pendragon tradition when in Poland- Mad Dog!!

Mad dog is a vodka-based concoction in which a shot glass has a small amount of raspberry juice poured in, topped with a layer of tabasco sauce, and a nice big chunk of clear vodka floating on top. The theory is the nice cool raspberry juice soothes your throat after the tabasco explosion while the vodka fries your brain. It's an effective - and surprisingly pleasurable - combination. And better still, Clive is paying!!! several times!!!

You can imagine the rest. Several Mad Dogs later we get thrown out of the restuarant at closing time and eventually find a still-open bar which we proceed to take over until (for some of us at least) breakfast time. There is alcohol, there is merriment, there is dancing on the bar, and at least one person has to be carried home.. (slow fade to black in the interests of public decency).

DAY 4: SPODEK: Things seem a little more subdued today for some reason. There's also the beginnings of a little bit of tension. This is the last day of rehearsals and we still haven't got all the way through "SHE" yet. IN a band situation you can usually wing it a bit and the performance is whatever comes naturally, but this is much more intricate and formal in structure. Could it be that we've bitten off more than we can chew?

To add to the fun, we've decided to make it a dress rehearsal - at least for the singists. For over a week I've managed to keep the band convinced that I will be wearing nothing more than a loin-cloth and a smile. Even when I turn up dressed as a low-rent Indiana Jones they're still prepared to believe that I don't "go native" till act 2!!!

Nevertheless it's a slightly more jaded - and possibly just that bit nervous - band of happy campers that gather in the sphinx restuarant that evening. The guild of elfin celtic singers are resting their voices this evening and are off the spirits; Even the cat stranglers and tub thumpers look askance at another round of Mad dog. Early(ish) to bed....

DAY 5: THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE..: 0900 band call at the theatre to see the stage set and a full camera/lighting/band rehearsal. Pallas - remember them? - I'm the singer in Pallas you know? - have arrived overnight and are sitting patiently (by their standards) in the stalls while we go through the entire show. I'm feeling rather torn. I really want to go and have a good gossip with Team Pallas (F*** yeah!!) but I'm tied into "SHE" mode for the time being.
Instead I have a couple of quick conversations between my bits and introduce them to the promoter and stage crew so they can sort out the technical requirements. I'm genuinely fretting about the "SHE" performance. I think we could have done with another day or so's rehearsal, but it's too late to turn back now.

Soon enough I'm ripping off the safari shirt and moleskins and am back on stage with the men from Deeside, and I can't begin to say how much of a relief it is. It makes me realise just how far out of my comfort zone I've been these last few days. Soundchecking with Pallas I'm home again and it's such a release to belt out a couple of tracks. I'm really looking forward to the Pallas show.

But first back to the hotel for a bit of a rest and clean up.

SHOWTIME:

Apprehensively I make my way back to the theatre in good time to get ready for the Pallas performance. Oliver Wakeman and band sound to be having a good time as I flit from 'SHE' dressing room to 'Pallas' dressing room and get my kit sorted out. One thing about having a Pallas gig to do is that I'm too busy now to worry about 'SHE'.

Lights down, brief intro in polish, and out we waltz. Down from the back of the stage silhouetted by Mike's back-projection, there's already a warm, throaty welcome from the audience. This lot are clearly up for a good night out, and we are determined not to let them down. Niall does his 'widdly-widdly' intro and it's off into Warriors..

(for further details, please consult "Moment to Moment"; available shortly from most major music retailers)

ABOUT 90 MINUTES LATER...

Well that were good. Team Pallas (F***Yeah!), are grinning from ear to ear, and cracking open some cold ones. The band really needed a good night to banish some of the dark clouds that had settled over the previous few months. And it certainly was that. I'm actually looking forward to the DVD post-production process!!!

Party-time for the Aberdeen team, but all to soon I have to abandon the post-gig celebrations and head to my "other' dressing room to ready myself for the "SHE' experience.. I could really just happily head out to the pub with the rest of Pallas, but I am after all a professional, and the small matter of another two-and-a-half hour gig needs to be addressed.

SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED:

I'm too hyped to feel nervous after the Pallas gig, but it does feel very weird gathering backstage for the first ever performance of Clive's meisterwerk. For him and Agneiska this is the culmination of three years work. I just hope I don't f*** up. I really have no idea how this is going to go. It's a lot to ask of an audience, especially after already sitting through two other performances. It's a lot to ask of a cast and crew that have had really the bare minimum of preparation for such an ambitious venture. But we're all there and ready for the off - wherever it takes us.

(for further details, please refer to "Caamorra: SHE" available in various formats from yada yada yada)

And we're home and dry... apart from another hour or so of re-shooting the odd link.. and then the load out.. Its something like 0230 the next morning, and I can finally relax. I am more drained emotionally and physically than I think I can ever remember. I'm too tired even to drink the beer I've been saving to toast a good night's work. To be honest it all seems a bit of an anti-climax. Part of me says I should be downing tequilas in some bar somewhere with both Team Pallas (F*** Yeah!) and the SHE massive ('You're my besh mate!! - no really!! You're the besh singer/drummist/basser/cat-strangler/megalomaniac i've ever shared a stage with. Mad Dogs all round!!) but I'm just tooooo knackered - and so is everyone else.

Let's do this again sometime - maybe

(names changed or omitted to protect the guilty)

There I was - writing my Christmas cards on a dull Sunday in December when my mobile burps unexpectedly. Don't recognise the number, but I answer anyway. "Hi! It's ???from work!" NOT a good sign, especially as it's a field producer from the Arts cluster, and I'm on a day off. What can possibly be wrong? - and how will I be expected to sort it out?

"I think I can get you accredited!"

Wind back a couple of days and I'm in doing a Planning shift ahead of the weekend. A major pain. Three days of coverage, major staff problems and arguments over not spending any licence fee. Just one element of this is the forthcoming Led Zeppelin gig at the O2. Naturally BBC News will be there - but they're being very restrictive about how many we can accredit. Anyway, these days in News we're expected to deploy the absolute mimimum of staff and kit for any story - let alone a bit of "light ents" like a concert. Field prod is harrassed and needs quite a bit of advice and assistance. We set up lots of pre-filming on the Sunday. The o2 are starting to be more co-operative. "If you need a producer to help out with News 24, give me a shout" says I, jokingly.

Monday lunchtime. Arrive at O2 just in time to see ONE VT and live go out from sat truck. There's quite an atmosphere. A lot of foreign accents and Zep T-shirts all over the place. Hook up with my correspondent, and make my way warily to the media centre to get my pass. "Yes, Sir - you're on the list" and the precious purple pass is straight round my neck and hidden under my jacket to avoid jealous eyes.

Lunch with prod and Arts Correspnondent - who usually does "serious" stuff and doesn't really like Zep - but likes the unusual nature of the story. Lots of the myths and legends of the Hammers of the Gods recounted to her incredulous ears. My corr on the other hand is a proper muso head. We talk about what we want to hear and see. Vox-pop the waiting crowds and a tribute band by the queue. Tape machine in the truck dies and engineers perform open-heart surgery while News 24 frets about getting material in. I'm not actually officially here - but already my phone is hot with requests and it's clearly going to be a busy day.

Red carpet time. A host of crews and snappers waiting for the VIPs to arrive. I'm hemmed in with my corr, cameraman and frantically trying to keep eye-contact with the PR man to steer guests our way. Paulo Nuttini (nice Paisley boy) stops for a chat, then Mick Jones from Foreigner, Paul Rogers (Free) and Richard Hammond from Top Gear. Keith Emmerson and Alan White are relaxed and chatty ("Who are they?" asks Mrs Serious), Dave Gilmour slips in before we notice. Tony Banks doesn't want to talk. Neither does Queen's Roger Taylor. Joe Elliot of Def Leppard doesn't want to stop.

We miss the shot of Marilyn Manson (Jeremy Clarkson slips in in his wake) and Jodie Kidd gets a cheer from the tabloid hacks. The brothers Gallagher arse about as is to be expected.

Show time. We're penned into the 'Media Centre' a bland room full of phones, wifi and ISDN points. Too many people crammed round a couple of screens with buzzy sound trying to watch what's happening on stage. Paulo Nuttini wanders past again just before we're about to do a live into N24. He's buzzed up from his set, but apologises he can't stay and talk cause he doesn't want to miss Foreigner.

The PR man says that they've F**ed up the media pen and we won't be allowed into the gig proper. There's genuine upset and disapointment in the room. Tempers are flaring. The BBC has a quiet word. Originally we'd been told we'd be taken in a few at a time for a couple of numbers to get a sense of what's going down. Not to do so frustrates an accurate impression. We'll have to mention this in our broadcasts.

Zep take the stage - it's frustrating knowing that this is going on maybe 100m away and we can't get close. I'm hunkered down in front of the monitor trying to make the most of what's on offer.

Mr PR man reappears a couple of minutes later and gestures discreetly at our radio correspondent. The message is clear. Before Fleet street's finest can clock what's going on, us and ITN are haring down a corridor and into the arena.

F**ing awesome!! I've seen Page and Plant together a couple of times - but this is clearly a different league. This is Zeppelin!!

'Ramble On' becomes 'Black Dog' and my phone starts ringing. N24 want us on air in 10 minutes. I say we'll be there, but correspondent and I are seriously considering having a 'technical failure'. Towards the end of "In my time of Dying' I drag correspondent back to camera position. We have the story. Led Zep are back like they've never been away.

Live over - my commitments are done. Mrs Serious is pkging for the TEN, but I'm not involved in that. Can we get back into gig?
Mr Asst PR is arguing with a woman from a broadsheet saying she can't come in, while simultaneously waving me and camerman and engineer (who has abandoned sat-truck) back into the hall.

The BBC posse takes up position by the mixing desk and gets down to business. This is a genuinely GREAT gig. Not just because of who it is, and how unlikley it is, but because they are genuinely giving it all they've got. John Paul Jones is even SMILING ferchrissakes!! Engineer gets called back to feed for the TEN (you should have seen his face). Beers are brought, and I fill in Radio corr on the names of the songs she's hearing (also not a Zep fan) - but she is clearly enjoying it.

"No Quarter" is awesome.. "Stairway 'comes surprisingly early in the set. "Dazed and Confused" sees the return of the violin bow and the laser pyramid. 'Kashmir" brings the house down and closes the set. Mr engineer is back and idiot-dancing by this stage.

BBC posse lays bets on encore being "Whole Lotta Love" and they are correct - fortunately with a less extended theremin section.

Off they go again. Will they come back? Correspondent and I place our bets on a rendtion of "Rock'n'Roll" We are not disappointed.

The best gig I have been to EVER!!

10/04/09

Hey guys and gals, Greetings from Garlogie,Easter weekend, and I have just finished work for today on the new album. It seems to be an age since Dreams was taking shape and now here we are,the latest project is crystallizing.
A lot of the pre production work is happening here in my home studio. For the Techies out there you may be interested to know that we are now working with ProTools as opposed to Vision which is the recording software we have been using for years. It has taken a bit of getting used to but we are getting there!!
Today I have mostly been fiddling with the running order for the trax to get a "feel" for how the album is coming together. Let me tell you I am loving it!! There is something very exciting revisiting the themes of The Sentinel all these years down the line. I so hope it floats YOUR boat when we are done.
I must warn you guys tho' we are still in the writing phase and have not got to a point where we are ready to get into the studio. I imagine we may let you hear some of the more recent developments soon( if you are interested of course hehe..)

Hi there, please visit my blog at :
http://colinfraser.blogspot.com/