Lyon, France

I was finally able to get some sleep about 8 this morning for a few hours and while the worst part of this stomach virus is over (I hope) it's left me tired and a little wobbly. We flew in to Lyon late as most of the crew and drivers were down with the bug and not ready for the normal soundcheck due to a slow set up. Some very pale faces. Pail faces. I stuck with a dinner of weak tea and toast with a bit of strawberry jam for some energy and glad I did, still picking up a few waves of nausea across the radar. Sort of a lost day.

On the plus side, we saw our old pal William Topley who opened the show for us tonight. William's a wonderful singer and songwriter from England, has a number of albums out and traveled a little with us on the 2001 Sailing To Philadelphia tour. He did an acoustic set with his great guitar player Luke and singer/percussionist Dori. William will be with us at some of the gigs, the Albert Hall being one.

Tonight's show is the fifth in a row with two more following and unlike the first part of the tour where we had loads of time off, we're really hitting our stride now. This is normally how we work, five to seven in a row and sometimes more. It sounds like a tough schedule but really it's not once you've got your legs under you. A good argument for staying fit. The crew however have a much tougher time, they're the first one's in, the last one's out and their hotel is the bus. They work the hardest, receive the least credit and without them there IS no show. I raise a toast of some stomach settling potion to you all. Despite the chuck ups and green pallor it was another great show, another great stand-up audience and one more day to consider my good fortune to be hanging round with this top drawer bunch.

So long,

Richard