Into The West

After a 15 hour drive to Des Moines and a 10 hour stop off at a hotel for our drivers to sleep it was another 12 hour drive to get us to Denver, Colorado. There wasn't a whole lot to do in Des Moines so we decided it was time for "Lampy Carpark Cookout".
Its become somewhat of a tradition to have a barbeque in carparks whether its after a gig or in the middle of a long drive. My lighting tech Mikey did have a little too much to drink before trying to put together the BBQ unit. But i guess when you've been drinking and end up reading the Spanish side of the instructions, it does get a little difficult.

Anyway we eventually got it together and got the grill fired up

Anyway, after the rest stop and the remaining 12 hour overnight drive. We arrived in Denver for what was left of our day off. While we were out walking around the city we saw an guy running out of a bank being chased by armed guards. My first real life bank robbery, very strange.

So, as anyone who has read this blog over the last few years will know that i have a little tradition when in Denver of going to a restaurant called the Buckhorn Exchange. It is a wild game restaurant which serves up such deliciaces as Buffalo, Elk, Yak, Ostrich and the always fantastic grilled rattlesnake.
Rather tasty decor too eh!!


Anywho, after a great dinner it was time for some sleep before the early load in the following morning. Unfortunately Red Rocks is probably one of the most awkward venues to load the gear into as you have to dump the trucks a half mile away a the nottom of the hill and then cross load onto a flatbed truck which can drive up the steep incline to the stage as a regular trailer would never make it up there. luckily its worth it once you get to the stage. Its is definitely one of the most beaultiful natural amphitheatres in the world.


Although i have no idea why the venue staff decided to arrange the bottles of water in the bands dressing room into something resembling a coffin.


It is however 6480 feet above sea level so its definitely much thinner air up there. Its always funny watching the crazy people who run up and down those steps for altitude training. I managed to make it up and back once at speed and thought my lungs were gonna explode.


Its always great doing shows here as its such a picturesque venue.









We also got to do something a little different when Brandon decided he wanted to go for a wander during the show.



So next up we are off to California so its back to the bus for another long long drive. This time its a 14 hour drive to Elko, Nevada (I've no idea where it is either!!) with a short stop over before another 10 hour drive to Sunnyvale, CA just outside of San Francisco before the show at Shoreline Amphitheatre.