Tatty42

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bundesmusikparade.de&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

(translated in Google for your convenience)


Yes, I've just got back from Germany, where I participated in the above, as well as at two other venues. I'm hoping to have the photos uploaded by this evening, so if you're eager enough to be reading this now (which I doubt anyone will be), keep an eye out for the album appearing somewhere on this space!

Thursday 16th Feb.
So, 6.30pm, the coach left from Castlefor, and drove to Dover (picking up a few people on the way). We arrived at the port to discover two rather bad things:
The ferry had been delayed by 45mins
Our french horn player discoverd she had left her hand-luggage-bag-thing in a KFC at a service station.
Obviously, one of these was much worse than the other, as we found out later. Having borded the ferry, said horn-player's boyfriend manages to call the service station, who find the bag, except minus passports and euros. Not good.



Friday 17th Feb. Ballsporthall, Frankfurt a Main
Arrived at the venue in time for lunch. Strange pasta shapes and a mince of some sort. Passable, but could've been better. Had finale rehearsal and "our slot" rehearsal. Drank some free beer and eventually the show started. We were the first band on, after the orchestra of nations. Made it through the show, without too many mistakes (sort of), and made it to the hotel about 11.00pm.



Saturday 18th Feb. Donau Arena, Regensberg
Got up at 6.00am, had breakfast (highly recommend German breakfasts) and set off for the arena at 7.30am. Got there about 10.30, and learned some of the other bands were arriving late, for whatever reason, so finale practice was cancelled. In fact, we didn't get any practice of any sort, so went straight on about 3.30pm. Left arena at 6.30pm, made it to hotel for about 10.30pm. Spent best part of night in hotel bar, singing songs with some of the French. Threw in the towel and went to bed about 3.30am. N.B. Bass section was last complete section at bar!!!



Sunday 19th Feb. Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart
Got a lay-in on account of short distance to arena, so got up about 9am, for a shower and brekkers. Largest arena so far; 7,000+ in attendance. For some reason, finale practice was cancelled again, and we were also informed:

@ We'd forgotten to return a key to the hotel
@ We were being blamed for singing in the rooms til 4am

This was all done over the PA system, so we really were not amused at the compere's lack of tact. Drum Major (apparently) almost asked if he thought Dresden was our fault too! Anyway, I'm told that later, we got an apology for that. During the finale, the compere decided he sounded good over the PA, and spoke for age, about what I don't know. Feet were killing by the time we stepped off and I really was glad for the excuse to move my legs! Left arena about 6.30pm, headed through Belgium and into France, for Calais.


Monday 20th Feb.
Caught 6.00am ferry, and arrived at Dover at 6.30am UK time (crossing took 1.5hrs). Coach back to Castleford, dropping people off on way. Arrived back in Wakefield at 1.15pm, lift home turned up at 1.30pm. Came home, had bath, wrote this, saved photos, went to pub, then bed!



Bloody good time though!

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bundesmusikparade.de&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools

(translated in Google for your convenience)


Yes, I've just got back from Germany, where I participated in the above, as well as at two other venues. I'm hoping to have the photos uploaded by this evening, so if you're eager enough to be reading this now (which I doubt anyone will be), keep an eye out for the album appearing somewhere on this space!

Thursday 16th Feb.
So, 6.30pm, the coach left from Castlefor, and drove to Dover (picking up a few people on the way). We arrived at the port to discover two rather bad things:
The ferry had been delayed by 45mins
Our french horn player discoverd she had left her hand-luggage-bag-thing in a KFC at a service station.
Obviously, one of these was much worse than the other, as we found out later. Having borded the ferry, said horn-player's boyfriend manages to call the service station, who find the bag, except minus passports and euros. Not good.



Friday 17th Feb. Ballsporthall, Frankfurt a Main
Arrived at the venue in time for lunch. Strange pasta shapes and a mince of some sort. Passable, but could've been better. Had finale rehearsal and "our slot" rehearsal. Drank some free beer and eventually the show started. We were the first band on, after the orchestra of nations. Made it through the show, without too many mistakes (sort of), and made it to the hotel about 11.00pm.



Saturday 18th Feb. Donau Arena, Regensberg
Got up at 6.00am, had breakfast (highly recommend German breakfasts) and set off for the arena at 7.30am. Got there about 10.30, and learned some of the other bands were arriving late, for whatever reason, so finale practice was cancelled. In fact, we didn't get any practice of any sort, so went straight on about 3.30pm. Left arena at 6.30pm, made it to hotel for about 10.30pm. Spent best part of night in hotel bar, singing songs with some of the French. Threw in the towel and went to bed about 3.30am. N.B. Bass section was last complete section at bar!!!



Sunday 19th Feb. Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart
Got a lay-in on account of short distance to arena, so got up about 9am, for a shower and brekkers. Largest arena so far; 7,000+ in attendance. For some reason, finale practice was cancelled again, and we were also informed:

We'd forgotten to return a key to the hotel
We were being blamed for singing in the rooms til 4am (****ing french, reciting the songs we'd taught them!)
This was all done over the PA system, so we really were not amused at the compere's lack of tact. Drum Major (apparently) almost asked if he thought Dresden was our fault too! Anyway, I'm told that later, we got an apology for that. During the finale, the compere decided he sounded good over the PA, and spoke for age, about what I don't know. Feet were killing by the time we stepped off and I really was glad for the excuse to move my legs! Left arena about 6.30pm, headed through Belgium and into France, for Calais.


Monday 20th Feb.
Caught 6.00am ferry, and arrived at Dover at 6.30am UK time (crossing took 1.5hrs). Coach back to Castleford, dropping people off on way. Arrived back in Wakefield at 1.15pm, lift home turned up at 1.30pm. Came home, had bath, wrote this, saved photos, went to pub, then bed!



Bloody good time though!

Random time to post, but that's what journal's are for, right?

So, I'm off to Germany on Thursday. Getting a little worried about it now, first time I'm properly doing this marching & playing thing is going to be somewhere the band's been invited because they were /so/ good last time. Hope it all goes OK anyway!

Got other important things to tend to before then, like an interview! Argh!!!

Seem to have caught a cold from somewhere. Bummer.

....that was a long time ago. So long, I've forgotten all the smiley codes. And I had to look them up then!

Not totally convinced anyone reads this, so I'm going back to this bottle of red....