Tech supremo Rob reports from the Isle of Wight – the first of two blogs from Keane’s first festival show of the summer…
Hello again folks. Here’s the lowdown from the place that I spent all day, rather pretentiously, calling ‘Isla Blanca’.
The Rolling Stones had commandeered an entire Travel Tavern as their dressing rooms ((let’s hope they booked online and got the special weekend rate) – which meant that all flushing toilets within a mile were reserved for Mick ‘n’ Keef only. I won’t elaborate.
The Stones travel with a quite mind boggling amount of people and equipment. Particularly impressive were the full-size snooker table we saw being carried into the dressing rooms, the touring satellite dish for Mick’s room and the assistant (in her own golf cart) who delivers fresh fruit to the stage minutes before the band arrive.
In the background here please note: (i) The Travel Tavern (not sure if Alan Partridge was turfed out for the weekend or if they locked him in his room),(ii) The small army of security guards keeping us away from any facilities with running water and (iii) frankly oversized signs.
Keane, being big stars as well, were allocated this single cone to reserve their bus parking space.
Richard warms up before the show in the living room of one the top-of-the-line Pine Creek brand motorhomes provided for the ‘other’ bands.
Meanwhile Tom’s practising in the bedroom.
And Tim’s on his way back from doing an interview.
Top tour manager Colin has lots on his mind. So he’s ‘forgotten’ to mention to Tom that the massive ego ramp in front of the stage is reserved for The Rolling Stones.
Which means that our hero spends a lot of the show running up and down and getting to know the people nearer the back of the crowd. Although in this shot of my preview monitor he seems to be trying to buy an ice cream.
Here’s Richard after the show in his spanking new Isle of Wight Festival T shirt.
This is my hand-written setlist, in case anyone’s interested.
The festival closed with a pretty spectacular fireworks display which also featured a lot of flaming debris landing outside the dressing room.
Being back in Europe means that we’re reunited with some old friends: lighting crew chief Shep, sound techs Tom and K and truck-driving legend Dan. Dan can get his pantechnicon into places where I couldn’t park a moped and, more importantly, the mere sight of him makes us all speak in West Country accents.
This is an ‘arty’ shot of the Rolling Stones motorcade and police escort driving past us on its way between their aftershow at the Brewer’s Fayre (a quality establishment attached to the Travel Tavern. I’m really hoping that Mick and Keith had the combo platter to share) and the helipad.
Next stop Norway. More when I can.
Rob