Neil Innes Music

Bonzo Dog Band Tour Diary
by
Yvonne Innes

Part One	Part Two	Part Three	Part Four
NOVEMBER 14th MANCHESTER No gig today so could lie in bed till midday before the long haul to Manchester. Larry, Mickie and Bob went to Jenners - a huge department store in Edinburgh for gifts for their families - don't know what Micky's son will make of the small set of bagpipes though, great fun in the bus.

Everyone is enjoying this tour so much they don't want it to end. Some of the crew said it was the absence of 'star' type people and it is true that everyone -Bonzo's, houseband and crew are getting on famously-just enjoying being there. There were a few hiccups at the beginning as sound and lights were working the programme out, but now things are running smoothly and you almost want the whole tour to start from here. In the bus at midday and immediately there was a Twaddle '8' and the game lasted all 6 hours to Manchester. Others slept or read. Johnny is going into the recording studio with singer Victoria Beebee on Monday with rehearsals on Sunday after the final Bonzo show. Wishing he hadn't agreed to do it now - hadn't anticipated being so tired. But the tour has been gruelling. Neil and I know that four back to backs is almost too much-three is better. It gives time to refuel. Going back to Johnny-he is part of the SAS band (Spikes All Stars), formed by Spike Edley (keyboards) and Cozy Powell (drummer)-both very well known in music circles. There are a basic 4 musicians plus 2 brass plus 2 backing singers. Lots of 'stars' come along to sing their own or other peoples' songs and the basic line-up go to festivals all over the world and are joined by particular 'stars' in each country. The band musicians have to be quick, learning the music in about 20 minutes. There is a Christmas show at Bisley on the 8th and 9th December; at Basingstoke on the 5th and at The Brook Southampton on the 7th with Toyah and Kiki Dee. Should be great fun so go along if you can. All the info about all the gigs and more will be on their website SAS.com Arrived at the hotel around 5.30. A quick rest then down for supper. Evenings off during a tour are often not at all restful, as the adrenaline still starts pumping around showtime, so its difficult to relax. Neil and I had a meal at the hotel and then Neil attempted to put his feet up and watch TV, as did Johhny and a couple of others. The rest went out to eat, came back to the bar and stayed up till 2am. Vernon fell asleep in the corner , which was a first for him.
NOVEMBER 15th MANCHESTER Vernon, Rodney and Sam went for a tram ride. Neil and Micky played golf. Johnny and Steve stayed in bed. Roger took a train from Kingston. Ade bought a bike for his daughter and Phill came up from recording a Buzzcocks show. Andy Roberts drove up from a Brighton gig with Roger McGough.
All together for rehearsals at 5pm in The Manchester Apollo, a hugely ornate ex-cinema.
The food was sparse only just going round with some guys having to make do with tacos and fruit. However there was a pool table so once the guys were on stage I played myself, which, I have to say, is a lot easier than playing anyone else. Needless to say I won.
Steve and Rodney with Mickey looking on.
The show was a stunner. They just get better. Neil got a huge cheer when he reminded the audience that Manchester was where 'Urban Spaceman' was written. In those days open sites within towns were called urban spaces rather than 'brownfield sites' as they are now. Passing by one Neil thought 'if there are urban spaces there must be urban spacemen' and, wondering what they would be like if there were some was where the song came from. Most warming part of the show is always the Head Ballet, which just involves the Bonzos. They sit in a row and move their heads to the music. For the first part of the song they are all looking one way and then the other in unison and then Sam looks up instead of across and the whole thing descends into chaos. At the end, they stand, link hands and take a bow, and the applause from the audience has to be heard to be believed. It is really at that moment that the audience can applaud the Bonzos themselves, lined up in front of them after 40 long years. I'm sure there are many tears.
Sam, Neil, Rodney, Larry, Vernon, Bob and Roger
Then the final number -'Busted', with Phill and Ade acting out a brilliant interpretation of the song, with everyone on the joining in on the chorus's. Back to the hotel- to the bar, out for a curry and to bed. Bus had to leave early the next morning to get to London before the rush hour. NOVEMBER 16th IPSWICH Some went by sleeper the night before, some flew down, some took the bus. Neil and I took a virgin train which got us to London in 2.5 hours, then another which got us to Ipswich in an hour and suddenly we were home…. To a mountain of mail - mostly junk. Miles cooked us supper and then we all watched a James Bond film, which shows how tired we were. We did manage to load the washing machine but that was all. NOVEMBER 17th LONDON Back to London for the last two shows of the tour at the Hammersmith Empire in Shepherds Bush. Checked in at the hotel and then straight out to rehearsals. Mixed reactions to going home for a day. Basically everyone has loved being together and doing the tour. Going home for a few hours was enough time to say hello and goodbye again, but also enough to make people realise the tour was very nearly over. But tonight most of the guys bought their wives - lovely to see Phill's wife Shelley and David's girlfriend Susie again. Vernon and Angie are very old friends - we had rooms in the same house in the art school days- dark and dirty and smelling of boiled cabbages..the house that is, although I don't think we smelt so good- one rusty bath in a cold room, between seven students. No showers then.
		Angie actually looks no different to how she was then - no hint of grey - so apologies for not getting a better picture of her
Larry's wife Sarah came to the Empire, taking a short break away from their two year-old twins. Larry told us how demanding they are during the day, so that in order to get any work done at all he has to get up at dawn. Then around 7am, the twins wake up and creep into Larry's studio and sit on his knee talking quietly or drawing-oooh.
		Mickey, Steve and Johhny
		Larry, Ade, Bob and Vernon
		Rodney in original Bonzo jacket
		Neil discussing next tour with Peter??
The Empire was packed shoulder to shoulder downstairs and hardly a spare seat anywhere else. The stage was marginally smaller than some others so they were a bit packed in, but right from the word go the audience were with them. Paul Merton is joining the gang for the two London gigs so is having a bash at 'Rhinocratic Oaths' and 'The sound of Music'. He is reading the words - has been too busy to learn them and they are not the easiest words to speak. I remember Adrian being pretty excited the first time he managed to start and finish with the band. A nice moment when David sings one of the verses in Busted, about an iron never needing repair - suddenly there was Smithers, the guitar tech, standing next to him holding up an…..you guessed it ……iron. David nearly corpsed when he saw it. Only downside apart from the ridiculously tight security which saw most of the band's guests waiting out in the rain, was the merchandising, which the venue insisted was done by their own staff - who would know nothing about the Bonzos or the merch. Examples of the goods were stuck behind the sales desks so no-one could see what was on the CDs or the DVDs or feel the quality of the tee-shirts. The Empire also demand a payment of 25% of all stock sold. They lose out in two ways. They lose by having to pay their own staff when ours are there to do it and they also sell a fraction of what our own highly-charged and knowledgeable sales team can sell, so they lose again on the 25%. Difficult to see any point in doing things this way. Of course we lose as well. Tours are expensive and the main profits are made on the merchandising. Still they do hold awfully good parties and tonight it went on till ………am. NOVEMBER 18th LONDON Nice not to have to move out of the hotel till midday. Went and sorted out Isabella's birthday present - an oven from Argos. This little girl is a nurturer already - rejecting cars for prams and dolls, and liking nothing better than making pretend cups of tea for everyone, so now Max can have his toys back. So -the last gig and there is a photograph of everyone involved in the tour. This is the one time I am not there from the beginning so I miss it. Luke, Mariko, Miles and Maggie came, plus just about every relative of all the Bonzos. There was not a spare particle of air to be had. Great show - everything was played for the last time and with tremendous gusto. The audience were crowded like sardines and still managed to sound ecstatic, singing along, shouting back and cheering loudly after solos. Bill Bailey took the piano for Keynsham with great encouragement from the audience and the band. At the beginning of the tour Neil had decided not to sing all of Keynsham because it was quite high for him, so the first verse at least was left to David. Over the two weeks, however, his voice has become a lot stronger and now in these last two gigs he goes for it and sings with David. Fabulous song. Everything seemed larger than life in the last two nights - things went wrong but it didn't stop anyone. Afterwards it was good to hang loose and relax-no more touring, no more shows at least till after Christmas for Neil. Good also to meet the other halves - the two Judy's married to Rodney and Sam and Angie, Vernon's other half. Also fantastic to see Tom, who loved the show, and Danny - a great friend and amazing pianist/cellist. He and Tom regularly play jazz venues. The lovely Mark Steele also turned up - in fact the party was studded with younger performers who had been smitten by the Bonzo's early recordings. Sam presented Phil and Ade with paper cartoon models of themselves looking very much like Laurel and Hardy. All the crew were at the party and when the Empire closed it's doors, the party carried on back at the hotel. The pressure was well and truly off the Bonzos, but most of the crew could only enjoy a short break before they were off on the road again with different groups with different demands. Sad to say goodbye, but then we were all going to see David and the 'Bootlegs' at the Albert Hall in a week's time. We know we will see Neil (sound) and his crew again, and having been reunited with the band and the Bonzos, would probably see much more of most of them socially. What an amazing time and how lucky we are so to be doing this. Thanks Bob. Below - a few pics which you might enjoy.




Roger and his amazing Robots

Johnny and Bob Kerr		Vernon and Neil
Peter and Dean		David with girlfriend Susie
		so it's 'Goodbye' from him
and 'Goodbye' and a huge thankyou from us

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four