By Touring out of Hank
My two most abiding memories of touring with Joe were the Tranzit van with the couch in the back, and
an incident that happened at "Avenue Motor Inn" in Wanganui.
The van:
It was "TMF" and was often overloaded (It was overloaded with just Joe and me, let alone the rest of
the band and the gear. But in all the time that we used it had only one hiccup when we had to do major
surgery in Hastings, and play the gig that night. So rust well mighty steed, you have earned the rest.
The incident:
While on tour we were playing at the "Avenue Motor Inn" in Wanganui,
nice place, and pretty flash for us country boys. Patsy had finished
her sets and the band was rocking into the last set when we were
approached by management to do an extra set. "Name your price" they
said so it was agreed that the following fees were to be paid at the
end of the extra set.
Helen (Bass player) a bottle of Southern Comfort, Ray (Lead Guitarist)
a bunch of buds. (Budweiser beers), Joe (Steel player, Les (Drummer) a
bottle of "JD". The set finished we all adjourned to the bar and
proceeded to drink our pay. After a couple of hours we had all had
enough and Joe was the first to say time for bed. With that he rose
unsteadily from the table and went to bed. The shortest way back to our
room was through the dining room and out the door at the back of the
stage. However the staff had reorganised the dining room for breakfast
and had reorganised the tables.
Let me set the scene for the finale. Joe with half a bottle of Jack on
Board no lights in the dining room and Joe thinking he remembered
where all the tables were when we went into the house bar. So Joe went
to bed like an icebreaker carving its way through sheet ice.
Tables, chairs, cuitlery, crockery, salt and pepper shakers and
tablecloths - all left upturned askew and downtrodden in the wake of
the good ship 'Mutu'.
Kia Kaha Ehoa
Les
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1) January 23rd, New Plymouth, Private function |
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