Keith Roberts

Vocals - Acoustic Guitar

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IRELAND 2006

A TALE OF FOUR CITIES, 70 AMERICANS, 5 BAND MEMBERS, 2 CREW MEMBERS
AND STEVE!!

Just left on our sort of European tour, Ireland and Denmark at least!! It was the toughest goodbye I have had with my family. Not because of the length of the tour or even the distance. Mostly because the little man is now starting to fully understand that Daddy is going away and wont be there to tuck him in tonight.

He knows what I do for a living, God knows he has seen a lot more rock and roll shows then most kids his age, and I think he digs it. But the sad part is also sinking in now, rock and roll means going away sometimes and that part is hard for him. I wish it could be done some other way but it cant. A band has to tour sometimes.

Anyway, I may be over emphasizing his sadness, its probably more my sadness. Maybe Daddy now fully realizes that he has to go away and leave them from time to time and he doesnt want to miss a moment of the little mans growing up.

So I have taken steps to lessen the blow. We now have two computers that have isights. For you non Mac users that is what we call cameras. I can now see and talk to Jake live from any country I am in, very cool. Will try it out for the first time in Ennis tomorrow. Fingers crossed that they have good internet at the hotel!!!

The airport was nuts as usual today. We have so much crap to fly with that we had to enlist the help of some of the folks that are following us on tour. It was quite the sight to see Wally and Francine (long time Dub fans) checking in cymbals and a bag of merch. Those rockers!!!

Once we got that nightmare out of the way it was up to the international bar for a pint and a burger. Diets are usually the first casualty of a tour. First the bad food moves in and then comes the lazy days where you really intended to run for a while or even a fast walk but ya just couldnt quite get your butt out of bed. Doing gigs late at night and then enjoying some 'refreshments' afterwards is not conducive with a healthy lifestyle. It just isnt!!!

Now that I am on the plane I have met a great bunch of travelers who are all coming with us on the first half of this voyage. 10 dates in Ireland. Right now we have people on flights from Los Angeles, Chicago and New York all coming to join us in Ireland for an adventure. That is a very cool thing. Everyone on this plane seems excited to kick it off. I hope they all nap a bit because when we get to Ireland it is already morning and the day has begun. I will be going straight to the hotel and back to bed but they will see the Blarney Castle........oh yeh, they will be tired tonight

Thats all from day one............talk soon....

K

I wrote the above on the first day of our trip with the idea that I would write a few paragraphs everyday. It is now over two weeks later and I am finally getting back to this, what a putz!!

What can I say, things in Europe are fast and furious and you don't always have time to think nevermind write. Anyhow, here are my recollections of the trip so far.

Day two we landed in Dublin for a brief stop over and then headed for Shannon. But not before we had the first creamy pint of Guinness on Irish soil, the first of many I am sorry to say... As we arrived in Shannon the weather was remarkably mild as it was to be for the whole Irish trip. Sun was shining and it was almost warm!!! Further prove that there is something wrong with the world temperatures right now. I remember Nov being rainy and freezing when I was growing up. One of the main reasons I was late for school.

We met up with Steve our trusty driver for the adventure and headed off to the first hotel. Like all the rest of them it was a beauty. Nice rooms, friendly staff (although none from Ireland, immigration is booming in the emerald isle). We had decided to stay at the hotel bar for the first night so everyone could get to know each other. At once it was apparent that we had a hell of a group. It was like a party where everyone already knew everyone. I could tell that we were going to have a great time from that night on.

The first show was the following night in Westport. Another fine hotel and a show at Matt Molloys. It is a small little place so we decided to play acoustic, sitting down. The place was packed with our group and curious Irish. I also had a few friends drive down from Dublin and the guest of honor, my Mum!!

We went on a little late (no, not the Dubs, on late, never!!) as I had left my guitar in the hotel room, nice, what a plonker. I raced back and grabbed it and we hit the stage by 10.30pm. It was a wonderful night to start off the trip as everyone sang along and danced for the duration of the show. Afterwards it was back to the hotel bar for another all nighter. My God there were a lot of all nighters.

The next day was a day off in Westport. I spent the afternoon with my Mum while the rest of the band and crew milled around town eating and drinking and even taking in a movie. It was a good chance for me to catch up on family matters and afterwards I met up with the gang in town. There is something magical about a night out in Ireland. I can never quite put my finger on it but I'm sure all those that were there would agree. You sort of float through the night from pub to pub. You always meet a few characters as you go. I was happy to bump into some Irish folks who had seen the show and loved it, first timers. I told them to spread the word in Galway where they were from and that we would be back again soon.

Getting up in the morning is never easy in Ireland. At least the band could make it a little later then the rest as we were not touring the countryside. The group however were up and at it by 8am usually as they took in the beautiful scenery through bloodshot, hungover eyes (some worse then others). My heart went out to them as I awoke at the crack of noon and headed down for our van.

Off to Derry today, across the border into what is still technically the UK. Dave was astounded to hear that his Euro was no good here. Having just mastered the coins and notes of Southern Ireland we now had to master her Majesties currency, the pound. We stopped right at the border and exchanged our cashola and then raced on to the hotel. I really liked that hotel, another top class gaff. You can see all the hotels on our home page. It was another night off for us and a big dinner was planned for everyone in the restaurant. There were 4 group dinners included in the trip and I managed to make two of them, one more then last year. Well done me!!

After dinner a few of us headed off to see the club we were playing at the following night. I had found Sandinos on the web and it turned out to be a great choice. From the place itself to the staff it was probably my favorite venue of the whole tour. We had a few pints there that night and then returned to rock the place the night after. This time it was full on rock show and it felt good to let loose again. As usual the Americans sang along as the curious Derry folk joined in. Back to the hotel and more liver abuse......

I saw a few very funny shirts over the trip. One said the Liver is evil and must be punished and one was worn by our driver Steve. It said. alcohol is my religion, will you join me in a prayer, nice!!

We left Derry the following morning and headed for the most spectacular location of the journey, Newcastle. Still in Northern Ireland it lies at the base of the Mountains of Mourne. The hotel was stunning, my favorite of the bunch.

Unfortunately during soundcheck the previous night I had inadvertently stabbed myself in the eye with a guitar string. What a gobshite. We had chosen not to bring a guitar tech on this tour to save a bit of moola and now I was seriously regretting the decision. After I did it I really felt very little pain but the next morning all hell broke loose. For the entire drive it weeped and hurt like a bugger. I could not open it in the light at all. As soon as we arrived in Newcastle I went to an eye doctor. He confirmed that I had ripped the protective cover off the eyeball and that it was now becoming infected. Bollox I thought, a one eyed front man. Had it been done before. Would I now need to invest in a parrot and a wooden leg?

All kidding aside I was freakin out. He gave me some anti biotics and told me to see another doctor in Dublin if it got any worse. I was well pissed off. Here I was in a beautiful setting that I could not even look at without an aching feeling in my eye. I went back to the hotel room totally bummed out and proceeded to pour the medicine into the injured curry pie (slang for eye in case anyone is paying attention).

By showtime it had not improved. Word had spread that I had damaged myself (mostly because I was telling everyone) and my one eye looked like I had been on heroin all week. I decided to wear my sun glasses to help with the lights. Im sure many thought I was just trying to look cool but I assure you that was not the plan that night.

Thanks to the help of some serious pain killers and adrenaline the show was actually a success and I returned to the room to celebrate by pouring more gunk into my eyeball, and a pint or two at the hotel bar for medicinal purposes only of course.

Miracle, the next morning I was actually feeling better. The aching had gone and I could actually open the eye in daylight. I immediately returned the parrot and the eye patch, took off the pirate outfit and we headed for home, Dublin City!!!

This was was a big night, Whelans was the venue, well known rock spot and loads of family and friends on the guest list. I was so relieved that the eye was better but nights of talking , singing, boozing and the rest had taken its toll on the old vocal chords. I didnt care. We just got up there and did the best show of the tour. My Mum was there again as was Brens. Brothers and sisters and friends galore were in attendance and we had a blast. The Americans in the group did us proud as usual and packed the place singing and roaring along to every song. I was delighted to say the least. Always a great feeling when you arrive back to the place you were born and show that the last 15 years have not been a complete waste of time. Jubilant is the word. There was only one thing to do, back to the Burlington hotel bar for an all nighter!!!

Wow, the last day. Woke up quite a lot later then usual. It was big relief that all had gone so well on the trip but a little sad that it was almost over. Everyone seemed to get along famously and besides the dodgy eye incidence, all was well. I had promised a pub crawl in Dublin for the last night and was somewhat apprehensive as I was not feeling the May West (slang for best, are ya with me?). But the show must go on so I bravely dragged my lazy arse out of the bed and prepared for one last knees up.

We started at the bar my Father had frequented for over 30 years before he passed away last year. By the time we got there we had regrettably lost a few along the way to other bars but most made it in and joined me in a toast to my Dad. It was a moment. Enough said.

After that we crawled all the way back to the hotel, stopping at ODonoghues, OBriens and a few more on the way before settling in at the hotel bar again for a farewell pint.

It was a sad farewell. Many new lifelong friendships were made and everyone seemed to have had the time of their life. I am glad and proud that we were able to accommodate.

That following morning the group flew back to the US while we headed for Denmark and the start of another adventure......more on that later.

K

P.S. The computer worked amazingly well and I was able to see the family live almost everyday. Well worth the investment for you travellers.

P.S. The next Ireland trip is roughly scheduled for March 2008.....

THE AMAZING HOTELS WE STAYED IN ON THE IRISH TRIP

The Woodstock Hotel. Ennis http://www.www.thewoodstockhotel.com

Hotel Westport. Westport. http:// www.hotelwestport.ie

Great Southern City Hotel. Derry http://www.greatsouthernhotels.com

Slieve Donard Hotel. Newcastle http://www.hastingshotels.com

Burlington Hotel. Dublin http://www.jurysdoyle.com

THE DANISH CONNECTION

For information on booking the Young Dubliners in Europe contact Thomas H Hansen. BUKS Int. Gunloegsgade 15, 2300 Copenhagen S. Denmark. +45æ 3296 1092. buks@worldonline.dk