Blue Sky Diaries - Part 5

February 6 & 7, 2001

The only two days in my life where I needed my voice and I am so bunged up with the cold and a chesty cough that I cannot do my vocals. Not that I need perfect pitch mind but after a day’s medication, I got three lines in to the first take when Neil shouts into the cans - "See you in a couple of weeks Steve!"

So here I am in a couple of weeks. And what a day it has been. From the moment, at seven o’clock, that I poured the boiling kettle over the windscreen of my car and then remembered I was taking Janice’s car I should have known that the devils were against me. As I crawled to the garage for petrol it suddenly struck my carefree attitude that if this snow was lying on the motorway I might not make my plane. When I reached Glengormley at the time I should have normally been at the airport realised that the 15 miles left at 35 miles per hour would have me struggling I phone Jani to see if she could find out had my plane been delayed. She phone back - it had been cancelled.

The airport was mayhem and I felt for the poor British Midland staff who had made it through the snow. Half the staff hadn’t and the other half had three times the work load. They did well, even at dealing with obnoxious men complaining and we seemed set to go at 12. Then 3! Its is all very rock ‘n roll as I killed time reading three papers watching the goings on of Ash’s drummer who like me was probably going to make a record. Him and me eh - I laughed. Still I got a few moments with David Alderdice an old friend from school and University got to read a bit of Bill Drummond’s book "45" and eventually got to Derby for 6 o’clock.

Note should be made in these Blue Sky Diaries of the Air Stewardess on the flight. If I ever write that novel that I’ve been promising myself then this guy gets a chapter. He was just quirky and full of one liners. As we boarded he says "Been waiting eight hours in the snow, but I guess everything else ids peachy Sir". A woman asks for a newspaper and he retorts, "Bored with us already mam, I’ll see what I can do". As he gives me a diet Pepsi instead of a diet coke that I’d asked for he says "we don’t have the real thing sir but I hope this’ll quench your thirst!" Every line is a witty one and it could be very annoying but it is not. I wonder about what his friends think of him and is he loved or hated. A character.

Sam is there at the airport and it is always a thrill to see him. By the time we get to Blue Sky, Neil and Phil are there all ready. Phil had a bit of a flu and Sam was there to give his spoken word man the help he needed. Off we went and I found myself not so much out of time as I thought I would be. There were many suggestions as to the drama or mainly lack of it of my delivery and I found myself actually beginning to know what I wanted and be confident with it. Especially on Winter Trees where I felt we could do a little bit with my voice to prevent every song being the same tone. I stood firm and did it as I thought. I’m a novice but I guess that by the time we have got to our tenth album it’ll fit me like a glove!

Sam gets a phone call to tell him that there is a bit of a family crisis back in Lancaster and he has to go home immediately. With Neil having a flat tire on the way into the studio, Phil away home with flu and me stuck at an airport for eight hours we are wondering if someone doesn’t want us to do this record. To keep it from veering too much towards the charismatic I suggest that maybe it is God!!!!!!

Neil and I are left for a while and Neil does a marvellous job at encouraging me with lines like "it sounds like a record". I enjoy working with Neil and indeed thoroughly enjoy the whole experience even if we do have no time to relax and reflect and listen and all of that. It is four hours of intensive work but I think we do it good. Mal Pope who will do backing vocals along with Neil’s wife Julie, arrives and is immediately captured by Seven Wonders, which he keeps on singing. Has to be a good sign. Everything I have worked on tonight, and we’ve only had time to listen to what we were working on, sounded great. I just want it mixed now and all sorted. The backing vocals tomorrow does frighten me abit. Will it make it sound too big and nice? I do not see what we do as a backing vocal thing but I need to trust that they all have a handle on what is us!!!

We finish and go off to the Raj for a very pleasant meal and then I go to the Travel Inn on my own for a short night’s sleep. The next morning as I fly up the middle of Lough Neagh quite low in the bluest of winter skies there is snow across the hills beyond and the whole thing looks amazing. I smile and think those words on Seven Wonders:

Gazed across the snow covered fields of Derry
Looked into the eye of God
He winked at me in the dawning
With a reassuring nod.

Yeh, I reckon it’s not God that doesn’t want us to do it!!!!!!!!!

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