[SPOILER] Nicko and Rod Checks In
Nicko in StuttgartWe had the second of our two shows in Milano on Sunday. It was a great night. No problems for us on stage and all in all a fantastic night. Highlight was the audience singing FoTD. It was especially funny that they sang the ‘Your turn’ bit and the laugh. Talk about laugh, I couldn’t stop. I even missed the downbeat of the verse. It was so funny."
Hotel room - Stuttgart Germany
Time: 4: pm
December 7th 2006
Well, well, well, how are you all doing today?
Have had a most splendid time over these last couple of days I can tell you!!!!!!!!!
We had the second of our two shows in Milano on Sunday. It was a great night. No problems for us on stage and all in all a fantastic night. Highlight was the audience singing FoTD. It was especially funny that they sang the ‘Your turn’ bit and the laugh. Talk about laugh, I couldn’t stop. I even missed the downbeat of the verse. It was so funny. Thank you, you crazy, ‘kin Billie’s in Milano, what a great time!!!
After the show we did a runner back to Blighty. I was home by 2am and in me bed and lights off for 3.
Got up late that morning and popped down the village again for a spot of brunch. Got back to me drum and decided to go for a drive around the local area. Went and found a great rubber dub in the next village along called Chalfont St Giles. Great watering hole called Merlin’s Cave, good drop of IPA in there I can tell you. After a pint I decided to have an early supper. Found a gem of a restaurant called ‘Cape Fish’ just at the top of the hill up from the village green. I had a great starter of Scallops followed by a fantastic piece of Sea Bass. Lovely jubbly!!!!!!!!!!! After dinner I went for another wee drive and ended back at my place a little after 8pm. I watched some telly and had an early night.
Tuesday we were off to Zurich. We left London at 1:30pm and arrived at the hotel for 4pm. After checking in I decided to go to the gig early. Me old china Danny Zimmermann was going to meet me, he is the artist relations man for Paiste cymbals.
I arrived at 5:30pm and did a small interview with Danny for a top Swiss news program that will be aired tonight. The cameras were at the factory as well. I’ll tell you more about that in a little bit.
I had a special room arranged for my guests from the company. Ted Voellmy the financial director and a group of the production guys came. I haven’t seen Ted for an age and it was great to see him at the show, as well as the rest of me chums.
We hit the stage at 9:05pm and had a blast. I did however make a complete balls up on BTATS; I had a ‘Kin brain fart right at the point of the second swell just before the end of the song. I completely missed it. We got out of it well and things seemed to be a wee bit on the quick side from there on in. After the show, Harry, Bruce and meself had a chuckle about it but in general all thought that it was a storming show. What do I know!!!
After the show I took a shower and went to meet with Danny, Ted and the guys. We had a drink and then said our farewells. I got back to the hotel by 1:30pm and made last orders in the bar. Had me night cap and went to bed.
The next morning I was up and ready for a 1 pm departure from the hotel. I was due a visit to the Paiste factory, Geezer was coming with me especially as he has so much history with the family as well, after all he did tech for me for 13 years AAAAHHHEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I haven’t been to the factory in such a long time. I usually take a pilgrimage at least once a year to present to the production guys a gold record from myself as a token of my appreciation to them for their great workmanship and commitment to meself. I love this part of me job. I get to shake their hands and they stop work for the afternoon and we have a beer or two and a laugh. This time Ted had arranged a picnic table and food and wine along with copious amounts of beer,
Bless ‘im.
We all had a fantastic time.
I presented to the guys an award for the last three studio albums.
It will look good on the wall next to the vending and coffee machines that already have a number of our gold discs on it.
I am honored to have such a wonderful relationship with this family and the workers, they make such great sounding cymbals.
I Love you guys I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After my presentation, they gave me a wonderful 26” cymbal that all the production guys had signed and there was a very nice message written on it thanking me for being a great ambassador for the company. It most definitely bought a tear to me eye I can tell you.
We finished up around six after everyone had left to go home. Danny, Geezer and meself decided to go visit with me very dear friend Bobby Leiser. He was the man responsible for me getting my number one deal with Paiste way back in the late seventies.
He hasn’t worked with Paiste for the last 16 years. He has his own company called ‘The Swiss Cheese and Chocolate Company’, they retail and rent music equipment. What a crazy name for a rental company AAAAHHHEEE. He has a new home in a village which we would pass on our way back to Zurich and so we decided to make the wee detour and go see him and his lovely misses, Dominique, she runs a wee bar out of their home called Bar Luna, and Bobby has made a sort of museum of Hammond organs named, ‘The Hammond Gallery’. What a lovely, sweet and peaceful feeling there was in his home. I was very happy to be able to go and see them both.
We took a glass of beer and a wee drop of local wine and then made our way back to town. We were all feeling very hungry and so Danny took us to a great, French restaurant that he new. We had a great meal.
After dinner we had a wee libation in the bar at the restaurant, It was called Jules Verna. Great place, can’t remember the name of the restaurant though, bollox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After dinner we got dropped back at the hotel. We said goodbye to Danny and I hit the hay
What a phenomenal day it was. Thank you to everyone at ‘Paiste’ for the most memorable visit yet
This morning we made the journey to Stuttgart. It was a short flight and we arrived at the hotel for 3pm. I had a spot of room service and then wrote this diary. It’s a little after 4:45pm so I’m going to have a wee siesta and then head down to the show.
Me old china, Christian, from HK audio is at the show today. He has brought me a powered bass monitor cab. I had one of them in Japan and it really had the ‘Kin Bollox I can tell. Anyway I’ll get to see him later and speak at you lot later.
Stay safe and well
God bless you all.
=Nicko=
Rod in Manchester
"We had a fun moment though when Adrian’s guitar lead got caught up in the rotating wheels of the tank during Iron Maiden – which Bruce announced after as a true Spinal Tap moment of guitarist eaten by tank!!!
STILL AT MANCHESTER BLOODY AIRPORT FRI DEC 15 3.15 pm
So the flight has now been delayed a further hour – be quicker to walk soon. Three and a half hours at least late for such a short journey. Maybe its weather conditions. Anyway at least got time to continue and maybe even catch up!!
So to Cardiff – got train down there. I do enjoy travelling by train especially compared to schedule flights and the perpetual inconvenience of flying and security and queues etc etc etc. Anyway easy ride and got to Cardiff about 4.
One of the nice things about touring is meeting up with various old friends along the way and in Cardiff is one of my best mates from Uni, Tudor, who is a Prof and head of research at Cardiff Uni Hospital. One of the brightest people l have met – he was lecturing the Russians on cardiology when he was 27!! We met in the bar at 5 to catch up for a couple of hours before the show. Always interesting to see him – years ago he told me about chaos theory way before it became “fashionable”. It was such an exciting concept l called Bruce who like me enjoys these type of quirky theories and l think it was woven into some of his songs at that time.
It’s small gig in Cardiff, only about 7500 and sold out very quickly months ago. It’s called the CIA – Cardiff International Arena – but how they can call it an arena is beyond me. No disrespect intended but the “arena seating” is strips around the side. The audience is crammed on the floor and the sound sort of rotates around the curved hall. And it was unbelievably hot. The audience as always in Cardiff was good but even they were wilting by the end. But we do like to do a show in Wales – l think we have on every tour and we have always had great support there going right back to the early days and Newport – and this is the most appropriate venue. And anyway the Welsh are a nation of rugby fans so it’s always a pleasure to get to talk rugby with the locals – it was pretty tough in Italy and Germany!!
We have been meaning to get together with the Trivium boys for a few beers for ages but due to differing travelling arrangements and various local problems of closing times and distances we hadn’t managed it. But back in the good old UK you can pretty well guarantee if you have a decent hotel you can keep the bar open if drinks are still being bought. So we all convened in the hotel bar after the show with sundry friends and colleagues and managed to keep the bar open for quite some time.
Deserved lie in the next day then drove up to Birmingham with Bruce. He has a pretty fast car for the tour and we got there in minutes!!!! You can imagine – not that Bruce has an appetite for speed of course!!!
Great show that night which led to a major and excellent review in the Times!!! Now that makes a change!! The NEC is a very good hall and again we have played it many many times. Sold out ages ago about 11,500. The place was packed and also packed with band friends inc apparently about half of the Aston Villa FC who Steve brought along as he had a game earlier. Major mayhem everywhere but we are used to it.
After the show l drove back to London with Andy our promoter. Stayed near Marble Arch which his sat nav finally found after varied detours. I really don’t trust those things, they usually manage to find all the traffic lights
Went in to the new Phantom offices the next day. Starting to take shape. Had various meetings then went to see Dragonforce in the evening at the Astoria along with their mgr and my old mate and ex Sanctuary colleague the notorious Liverpool FC fan Steve McTaggert. I was instrumental in signing the band to Sanctuary records with Steve about 3 years ago and they have really come on. Terrific metal band and 2 sold out nights at the Astoria with incredible audience reaction and communal spirit almost reminiscent of early Maiden. Good guys too and from all over the world. If you haven’t already check em out.
After went along to the live nation (our promoters) xmas party. Great – it was at a bowling alley and also had table football. Bowling at 1.30 am – why not!! Really good night all round.
Got the train up to Manchester the following day – yesterday dec 14 – for the show at the MEN Arena. Another great venue, cap about 15,000 sold out a few weeks ago, first time we have sold it out for some time. Went straight to gig from station to catch up on a load of stuff with Dickie and Ian and a few things later with the band relating to 07. This was a fantastic show. Sound was amazing and so was the audience. It’s always a great feeling after a completely full on show and this was another of them.
We had a fun moment though when Adrian’s guitar lead got caught up in the rotating wheels of the tank during Iron Maiden – which Bruce announced after as a true Spinal Tap moment of guitarist eaten by tank!!!
Another unusual thing happened straight after the band finished. I was on the desk as usual and turned round to find the desk area barricades being forced over by a whole melee of young fans trying to get something given out by the security lady. The barrier was falling over. I checked what it was and it was ticket stubs. I asked a couple of fans if they had tickets and they said yes so l didn’t see what it was all about and as the barriers protecting the gear were being pushed back l just grabbed all the tix in handfuls and threw them out. Found out later that when those standing in the arena come in their tickets are taken and they are given wristbands. Then at the end of the show these tix are given back to fans on the way out and at the desk if they want them. I don’t think the hall realised how determined Maiden fans are hence the barrier potential problem. But if any of you guys missed out on a ticket as l grabbed ‘em my apologies – we will be aware next time and work it a better way. I can fully understand why the kids want a ticket as a souvenir – surely there is a better way though.
Short visit to bar after show, slept well, got to airport for 12 and still here at 4.30. Time to see if we have a plane yet. I won’t be at next few shows until EC but more after that. If you are going to be at Glasgow, Newcastle or Sheffield look after the guys for me!!!
Ps when l woke up this morning of course Sky 1 was on for the cricket …..Yet another disastrous day following a really good day for England. So from now on …..PLS DON’T MENTION THE CRICKET