We are proud to announce that Marcel Jacob will give us a daily updated news about the Talisman Farewell Tour.

it's Saturday in Bilbao. It's 20 25, we're leaving for the show in an hour. Today we were picked up at the airport by a dude that we all started to make jokes about - the result of ten generations of inbreeding, his mother was his sister etc. His driving was unsafe, especially as the band was placed in seats covered with old carpets and no chance of seatbelts.To our shock and dismay we later found out he was doubling as the house soundman for tonights show.

Just now he took us back to the hotel and brought a friend, and Jeff said "if a spanish cinematic version of Beavis & Butthead was to be made and needed actors, look no further". We'll see how this develops...

Anyway, let me back up. Barcelona, thursday. I hooked up with Stefania (Morese), Nath Voyen and her man Cherie/Jerry (not sure which one it is still :-)!! ), we went for a walk and some drinks. We then went over to soundcheck, which was ok, good stage, nice venue. That done, I asked the promotor 2 things: when was showtime, and could he recommend a nearby place to go eat. The answers were : 22 00 and just outside the venue to the left, the place with beertaps on the tables. Ok, a couple of us went over there and were met by the rudest waitress I've ever encountered, she really needed a vacation :-). She was angry with us for everything, the table we chose, how we strated to fill beer in our glasses, it was really funny. When I looked at the menu I got a little suspicious, it was a little too cheap...and sure, the food was awful, I only ate it because I was straving and didn't want to got through the ordeal of going somewhere else.

So, after dinner I went to the hotel where my dearest was staying, we hung out ;-) and she got changed, and we walked over to the venue. As we're right outside at 21 40 I pick up my cell and see that Frank TM had sent a text earlier letting me know showtime had been moved up to 21 45...not time to really get ready for the gig...these things make me a tad upset, needless to say the promotor was not my favourite guy that night.

But the show was fine, we did well I think, can't say I remember any highlights from our end but we had a really good time on stage, and I think the audience liked it. Of course it was a week night so they didn't go nuts, but it was a good response. 

There was a lot of signing, many people brought their whole collection to be signed...I don't really get that, one or two is enough ? After that was done we had a few people in tow walking back to the hotel, but the party didn't happen, because we weren't allowed to drink anything we'd brought, and the hotel bar was closed...so one by one everybody left, with just Jeff standing in the lobby as the last remaining trooper, moping ever so slightly :-)...well, I had my dear in hand walking to the other place for the night, which was a little silly since my room was way nicer...but apparently some sort of tit for tat is the deal, and she stayed in my room in Hamburg...weird.

Friday we left for Madrid. Flight was only delayed an hour, and Spanair was nice enough to let us go onboard and get seated before they tell us. Bumpy ride too. But Jeff is still very entertaining with his handluggage...is it never going to just break completely ?

We got in to the city fine though, amazingly little traffic, I remember Madrid to be clogged to the max, worse than Athens, so that was nice. We got in at a hotel real close to the venue, walking distance, nice too. And now me and my dear ( I have many names for her now, miss Perfection impersonated is one :-)!) shared a room...yeyh! 

Soundcheck was a mess, lost in the translation, poor Jeff had to do what he could...one might think a good idea is to have someone there who speaks english ? Anyway, the person who was doing monitors was a guy I first thought...then I saw it was a she :-)...she had her console in a small room at the side and she had to climb some stairs to get there, everytime she got on the stage she would bend down to check the monitors, and when she climbed back up to her little room she had to pull her pants back up :-)!!!It was a sight...  many problems with the gear, making me a little nervous about the show...

A bunch of us went out to grab food and drinks, me and Thierry Voyen shared a pitcher of Sangria...I didn't think it was that strong, but we had to drink kind of fast to try and finish it before going back to do the show, and oh boy did it kick in! I was really worried during thr first 5 songs, I was drunk and making a zillion mistakes and wrong notes :-)...but it was fun anyway. The audience was good to us, they got into it, it was working.

The thing I remember most though is the scene in the dressing room as I'm walking in after the last song: Jamie and Brian are discussing dance moves I think (I'm wearing earplugs, I don't really know what is being said, add to that that I am very nearsighted and not wearing glasses on stage !), and so I said on impulse we should walk back on stage like that...said and done, we squirmed and wiggled out in a line...spontaneous shit like that is what makes me love these guys, to do this tour with them...oh, and we also did a little stupid skit, Jeff announced he'd taught me some spanish, so I said "yeah, I asked how to say I love you in spanish to my girlfriend, this is what I learned: yo quiero chingar un pero" . As I am saying this, totally spontaneuosly I might add, I manage to think "uh oh, I hope my dear doesn't think I am calling her a dog" :-)...

After the show a bunch went out to a club, had drinks, waltzed around the streets of Madrid, found a food place called VIPS...at close to 4 me and my D called it quits and went back to the hotel, we were supposed to have a late checkout we had learned from our promotor, otherwise we'd have gone back a little sooner...maybe.

Well, the late checkout disappeared a little after noon, when hotel management threw us all out :-)...no pardon. I was butt naked and busy at the time, so I was less than happy!

Anyway, we made it here, I am now going to my room to get my stuff for the show, wish me luck!