A Highland Fling - feeling a little horse!

It's a dead giveaway, we know we've arrived at our destination when all we can see are fridges packed full of the drink known affectionately as "ginger"  by the natives and made from Girders .

Yes, you guessed it, we are in "bonnie" Scotland for the start of our first UK tour of 2010.

first stop is Kirriemuir , Angus, a "wee red toonie" just north of Dundee. A certain J.M Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, was born here and also Bon Scott from AC/DC, if we'd know we would've prepared a cover as a tribute!!

Bank Street Art Gallery is the venue for tonight's totally acoustic and wonderfully intimate gig. As it says on the invitation it's a "bring your own bottle" and "cushions" affair!

It's a real pleasure to play in such a setting, to a listening audience and a splendid evening ensues. The music and craic  flow and it's the sort of gig that makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside although that could be something to do with a man with a bottle of scotch who keeps filling our glasses!


Organisers Stuart and Kerry from Jagged Routes Music and Suzie at the gallery give us such a warm welcome that by the end of the evening we feel like we are amongst old friends.

It's a great start to the tour and a hidden gem of a place to play. A gig like this in every town would be a real asset to the UK music live scene.

We awake the morning after in the palatial surroundings of Dundee Travelodge! As we pack up the tour mobile we consider swapping it for the car parked next to us. Royles Royce owners staying in a Travelodge? - A sign of the times perhaps?

As we head south through the spectacular Scottish countryside  with great memories to take with us from Kirrie things aren't quite tickity boo. Claire has been feeling a little horse for the past couple of days and that little horse is about to cause us big trouble!

Tonight's show is at the Recital Rooms housed in the grand walls of the City Halls in Glasgow. Our dressing room, usually home to "the Gentlemen of the Orchestra" looks a little bit like a Chemist by the time we take to the stage as we do all we can to get the vocal chords working. 45 minutes later, with the odd squeak and missing note we make it through the gig. The Glaswegian audience give us a great reception and are more than forgiving for the throat problems. But the little horse is now considerably bigger!

Itis of the Larynx is the diagnosis and we have the disappointment of having to cancel shows in Aberdeen and Moray to give time for a full recovery.

For the next week Claire takes a vow of silence and large amounts of lemon, honey and thyme tea. Also steaming regularly while Ruby, the dog ,laps up the warm water! Of course the medicinal advice from the folk we meet up here is slighting alternative - hot toddies and Irn bru... shouldn't be too hard to get hold of!