Mr Webmaster, Andy - pls block this Mr Raffles. He may change his moniker, but we will always know.
Steve deserves much better.
Thank you, RACHEL & Don

Let's get back on track now shall we? The afternoon travelling to Birmingham was most enjoyable as Pandorah had the pleasure of me driving her to the hotel {her bag weighed a ton}, then my brother Alan turned up so we shared a few beers with friends old and new and Pandora asking the barman for a slimline pint of fosters cos i said i was on a diet and that was all i drank these days really made me laugh! Sorry Deb, had to be said. As for the show, well I think you guys have said it all, I have nothing to add except thankyou Steve and all involved, plus me having the honour of driving the lovely Cheri and Kathy back to Milton Keynes. Good company Sat/Sun one and all too numerous to mention. P.S. cut Ray some slack, his credentials as a fan are impeccable. xxx

Hello everyone i really enjoyed the whole night, i came from the isle of wight (I was the person with the tattoo on my basck if you met me) was ment to come with 2 other friends but 1 pulled out, shame. I met Jamres very brifley in the break on the side of the stage. I think he can do better by having a FULL orchestra and choir. AMAZIN night!

On a lighter note,

I nipped into the Symphony Hall around 6.30 to check the start time (it was indeed to be 7.30 on the dot).

In the long reception area/atrium that runs down the middle of the building (the building is split between the Symphony Hall and the International Conference Centre - ICC) I was struck by the number of guys dressed in suits and bow-ties and the number of women dressed in evening gowns and posh cocktail attire. Blimey I thought, Harley fans have really pushed the boat out tonight!

I repaired to the Brasshouse for a beer and was relieved to see other Harley fans in jeans and old tour T-shirts. Hoorah!

On my way back to the Symphony Hall I offered to share my umbrella with a winsome maiden in a posh evening dress (but no coat nor umbrella) who was struggling to keep her golden locks dry in the driving rain.

She told me that she was on her way to the ICC for her company's annual awards ceremony. Ah, that explained many of those I'd seen earlier done up to the nines!

The company was Specsavers.

Later on I did have the delicious hope that perhaps one or two of the ICC punters had wandered into the Symphony Hall by mistake, sat through the whole of Human Menagerie and at the interval had come out asking "Well the entertainment is top-notch, but when does the awards ceremony begin?".... only to be told "Should have gone to Specsavers!"

Exquisite!!! Last time I heard most of those songs was at the 'garden party' at crystal palace waaay back...

All my thanks to everyone who was involved in setting this up.. I know it takes a lot of work..

As to any glitches in the performance.. So what!!! Just makes it all the more real..

On a purely personal note: Elizabeth who was with me at the gig was crying during Sebastian because it was her nephew's (now deceased) favourite song. I was crying as well, but for my own reasons.. so there we were, the two of us, tears streaming down our faces, but grinning from ear to ear.. Thanks Steve for the songs, the emotions and the memories...

And thank you, my friend.
And thanks to all who were there and made me feel so wanted.
It was a special feeling. I had a ball up there. A ball!
A few lyrics dropped here and there - that's the right way to put it - and I don't give a tupp'ny damn. Happens to every performer at some time, every performer, and the moment passes. Why would anyone even consider bringing that up after all we all went through? Absurd, that's the only word for it.
Haven't read all these 120-something posts yet, but Rachel has mentioned that there's been a few exchanges. Love the banter. We don't like self-importance, though. Seems oddly out-of-place on a musician's website. It's only rock 'n roll.....Diary to come later - but frankly, I'm still quite high! Let me settle first.
Steve
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