We’re driving overnight to Newcastle from Sheffield after our gig at the Leadmill. The M1, Junction 42 to be precise. The first night of the tour brought a new support band to the fold, The Mescalitas, an all girl three piece. The most pertinent question they posed us was: how many people does it take to get a Vox AC30 guitar amp out of a newly-purchased flightcase?

Ten?

One person with a saw?

One person with a drill?

One person with a hammer and chiself?

Answer: none of the above. It’s still stuck in there. They borrowed our amplifier in the end. Oh, and as soon as the gig was done, we were hurriedly ushered out of the building to make way for a Skool Disko. I’ve never been to a Skool Diskol-type event before, but I do know that at the school discos I went to, there were far less people wearing stockings and suspenders. Those women wearing stockings and suspenders should clearly have been refused admission until they returned with an A-line skirt and a briefcase.