Hercules shines on - April 10

Together again

Choc & Churros

Wolfgang, Steve and the Tower of Hercules

Nick Beggs reveals his new outfit
A short jaunt to Coruna, Galicia in the far north west of Spain, started a trifle early in the morning for our normally intrepid team. We had a "lie in" until 4am, but due to unforeseen circumstances we were still late for the flight - a mad dash for the plane in a Herculean effort, then only seconds later we were winging our way to the skies for a late April Fool's Day festival appearance.
In the evening Amanda, Jo and I explored the old town and sampled the delights of the local doughnut (churros) dunked in hot chocolate. On the 1st April itself a few of us managed to squeeze in a visit to the world's only ancient Roman lighthouse that still functions to this day - the Tower of Hercules, built in the 1st Century AD. What have the Romans ever given us...? Roads, irrigation, men in skirts, and apparently lighthouses! The tower is impressive, especially after climbing it when you're perched on the top hanging on for dear life against buffeting winds. It seems that wet Romans must have used the precarious pinnacle as an ancient form of hairdryer. An inventive bunch of marauders. I'm sure I'll discover at some point that they originally invented the mellotron 2000 years before the rest of us. After all, the Greeks did invent the water organ...
The arena show was indeed a late event, but Latins often seem wide awake at 11.30pm and just revving up for a concert when the British are usually heading towards a final mug of cocoa and putting the bat out for a night's shut eye. The night before the show whilst Nick Beggs and I were discussing the merits of top hats and all they entail, he hinted he had something special in the wardrobe department planned for the Coruna show. Indeed for the performance, gone were the platinum blonde plaits and PVC kilt... indeed gone with the wind to reveal a totally new stage personality, gliding eerily across the stage. We stomped and glided into the night until the bass pedals shook the rafters and rattled the teeth of our enthusiastic Spanish crowd.
All too soon after another recklessly short night's sleep it was chocks away as we headed back once again to Blighty on one of Ryan Air's crowded morning zoo flights. Was it all a dream or a Herculean achievement against the clock?
Great to have performed again in the land of firelight and flamenco and wonderful to have had such a warm reception. Hasta la vista amigos!


Sweet harmonies

Tubehead tearaway

Still lively at 1:30am!