I dragged my aching body out of bed (it really does get harder as the years go by, especially after a gig), and into a hot shower. Our promoter, Mike was my ride to Denver airport: a cheerful, stocky chap, with seemingly boundless enthusiasm. He was downstairs, waiting for me when I staggered into the lobby with all my baggage. We quickly loaded up and set off in the growing dawn light. MIke and I chatted all the way down the Interstate 70, whilst taking in the scenery. I have never been up here in Summer, and so I was somewhat taken aback by the sheer spectacular beauty all around me (not to say that the winter scenery is any less beautiful, but just totally different). As the sun crept over the jagged horizon, I saw more and more breathtaking countryside. I know it is strange for me to have settled in Florida, a state that hardly varies more then 500 feet in elevation in its entire length, and if the truth be known, my heart really pines for more topographical change. So my eyes were positively feasting on the view.

We descended onto the Front Range, and through Denver, to the airport. Mike was telling me something of the background behind exactly how Denver International Airport came into existence. It seems there is a lot of speculation surrounding the then incumbent mayor of Denver, one Mr. Peña. He has been widely accused of profiteering (along with his cronies), by buying up huge tracts of land (prior to the actual site of the airport being announced), and making a killing, by selling the land around the new airport to the businesses that inevitably came. According to many, the airport was not even necessary. The existing airport was closer to town, not running at full capacity, efficient and convenient. The question on many lips is:”why move it to 40 minutes out of town, in a barren piece of wasteland?” This adds a certain amount of weight to the speculation of ‘insider dealing’.

Now, I wouldn’t mind the airport being there, if it was a masterpiece of modern technology, and the resulting efficiency for all those using it. Sadly, it has been plagued with problems since it opened. The computerised baggage control system is a nightmare: bags never end up on the right carousel, and the screens announcing where your baggage is purportedly going to end up has always been completely wrong whenever I have been here. Security is without question the longest, and most inefficient of all the (many) airports I have used since September 11th 2001. I checked in 2h15m BEFORE my flight, and it STILL took me over an hour to reach the departure gate. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the delays and inefficiencies. This is supposed to be a spanking new, state-of-the-art, technologically advanced facility. Unfortunately, the reality is that it is poorly designed, and badly made. Today, just to add insult to injury, the lady attending to us at the boarding gate had all the patronising distain of a bad kindergarten teacher. I was glad to finally get on the plane!

My flight was uneventful, especially after the stresses of the last two days. St. Louis airport was half dead, too. So I took a cab downtown to my hotel, and checked in. Downtown St. Louis was even more deserted. Nothing happens here on a Sunday. During the week, enough businesses still have offices downtown, but weekends, and the place is a ghost town. As I checked in at the Missouri Athletic Club, I was informed that none of the hotel’s wonderful facilities would be open today. “What, not even the pool?” “No”, came the reply, and forget about the restaurant. So there was nothing for it but to head straight over to the Edward Jones Dome (The Rams’ field), and set up for rehearsal.

I am here in St Louis to play for the Partylite convention. Partylite is a company that has been around for over 30 years now, and they sell candles and other accessories. The level of success is quite something. For the past few years, they have rented the St Louis Rams’ dome for their event. And so I am playing for their opening night (Wednesday). The scale of this event rivals anything we did with Elton John and Billy Joel. It’s a huge production.