Another tour, another success. Getxo International Folk Festival. The band had already played at this festival in 2000 and 2001 and knew what to expect.
Day 1
After an early start and a very long journey, the band arrived safely in Bilbao. The OLA club grabbed a room, Bruce’s gang got the bunk beds, Sandy’s gang (Sandy and Glyn) bagged a room with Derek. After much greetin and flappy hands, Martin got a transfer from the bunk-bed room to be with his fellow member of the SOC (sleep-over club). A quick bite to eat then it was up the hill to the local bar. Bruce’s gang later took off to downtown Bilbao where Craig “Rocky Bilbao” McLoed hit it off with a local or was it the other way around ? Mike showed the youngies some of his classic moves on the disco floor.
Day 2
The band gets ready for the first play in Bilbao. The OLA club sleep-in as Stuart Gray’s nuclear powered radio controlled NASA watch fails to both (a) tell the time and (b) do an alarm. Biff’s bright start to the day soon stutters and slowly over the morning his head starts to bow, he goes all quiet, he starts shaking his head, his lips start to flap. It’s a sight we have seen so many times before. The band plays for the mayor and get presented with models of the City Hall and a Basque Windmill. After the play it’s lunch and then the wheat is sorted from the chaff as Bruce and his Gang, Martin, Derek and Biff head for an afternoon siesta.
Glyn knackers the famous toastie machine. He spends half his cash on the machine on the first day, completely empties it and burns it out. Martin is reduced to tears.
Early evening and the band heads off to the festival proper. An excellent play through the streets of Getxo culminating in a wee play in the big festival tent. The band sounds magnificent.
Afterwards much beer was drunk and the band mixed with the locals with varying degrees of success. An OLA club member’s chat-lines left a local lassie perplexed and had the rest of the group rolling about the place like ‘mash get smash’ robots. “Are you the pilot ?” etc etc etc.
Glyn entertained the locals with some fine tunes on his pipes. He has a wee bit to go though until he’s as good as his sister.
It was a strange evening for the group as Martin was actually out and about.
On return to the Hostel, the band visited the very fair and economical Valentino’s bar. Nice bloke.
So far nobody had been bad enough to visit The Naughty Room although a few were treading on very thin ice.
Day 3
Down to play at the Guggenheim Museum in blistering heat. The band played on and ignored their personal discomfort and pain and played a 30 minute concert in the baking sun followed by a march across and back the Guggenheim Bridge.
The other rival band didn’t fancy the heat, even although they hail from a southern country, and played a couple of bars of their catchy tune before stopping.
Biff thought he had sussed the timing of the Guggenheim water fountains but was ever so slightly out resulting in a wet erse.
At night time the band again played in Getxo. This was the main evening and the town was mobbed.
Sandy entertained the band by throwing beer over himself.
Back to the hostel to find that all the local bars were closed. Karen found a bottle of wine for the troops from her secret stash.
Day 4
Help ma boab I’ve lost a day !!! This must be the day we played on the Bilbao underground and scared the local commuters stupid. Imagine sitting on your usual tube on the way to work, reading the newspaper, getting ready to disembark at your usual station only to be confronted with a pipe band playing Scotland The Brave at 1000 decibels in an underground train station. A bit surreal.
Derek relived his youth and did some DJ’ing on the bus “that was brill I’m Derek McGill”.
Not sure what we did at night but can only imagine it involved beer and wine and things. Bruce and the gang again head off to central Bilbao where Craig hits it off again.
Day 5
Nearly a split in room 704 as Stuart Gray ‘loses it’ over Mr McGill (main culprit), Mr Laidlaws and Mr Robinsons nocturnal noises. All is forgiven later on when he manages to grab some vital kip-eye when the others are out.
Next it is a play over the famous Puente Vizcaya transporter bridge. Martin jibbed it last time. Will he jib it this time ? We look at across at the poor laddie. He is trembling and sweating, his brow is soaken, he looks as though he has had no sleep and just done a marathon…….actually that’s Craig after his nighttime exertions. Martin plays across the bridge no probs but is a bit peeved when the PM voluntarily stops a few times to play some selections to the seagulls.
A worthy stop for some wine and olives and then it’s back across the bridge on the transporter part this time.
And then it’s time to pack up and head for the airport to go home.
Many thanks to Ryanair for their manners and understanding attitude (NOT) at Santander Airport.
