Fucking hell. That was a Halloween alright.
Just as we started, the heavens opened. I didn’t have my rainproof cape. Loads of people all dressed up in remarkable costumes, and the rain came down. They had umbrellas, many of them. I didn’t.
We swore them on the horns and it started. Apart from on the boats, I have never been so exposed in such weather. And the boats lent us waterproofs. Tonight I was out in it. Cats and dogs. Jimmy Reid in relative shelter. I got Alex the drummer to be Joseph de Havilland, saving the world, and that was when it really opened. I saw a flash as lightning hit a puddle down the way. The sky chose the most exposed half an hour of the walk to absolutely fucking dump on us.
I had a stovepipe hat and a riding cape. They are both utterly drenched. The cape is now as heavy as a bear. Puddles accumulated in moments that were so deep we had no choice but to go round en masse. My walking boots are usually excellent. They took me through some pretty leechy days in Japan with dry feet. I got home tonight and had to take them off. So wet. Thankfully quite mild temperature, but that was a right fucking rainstorm and nothing like it on the forecast. “Do you have any idea how much it cost us to lay on these special effects?” *Dying inside*
Thank fuck the audience tonight was loyalists. You don’t get to book our tour on Halloween night if you’re not into it – we sell that night pretty much as soon as it goes live. They had decided to have a good time and by jingo they did. I just had to do the shouting. Lots of familiar faces. This is my fourth time with this now over five years.
I got home and dried my feet. On the way home I ordered a pizza. I sat downstairs to wait for it so Lou didn’t get woken by the bell.
Now the bath is running and I’m wolfing expensive cheesy tomatobread. And you know what, I had a fucking great time and despite the rain it is still pretty warm.
Someone collapsed in the pub though in the interval. An ambulance took him to hospital. His friends showed up later in the pub at the end. “He’s fine, he’s pissed off he missed the second half. So are we. He sent us here to say sorry.” I have no idea what happened to him, I’m happy he’s ok and I’m also glad we have double bubble on public liability insurance. Glad we didn’t kill someone for Halloween, much as I tell them from the start that I’m marching them to their death. Halloween. I feel like the walking dead. Bath will sort me right out.
AlBarclay 