Day 8: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

The Nightingales will today head to the east coast of Britain, to Scarborough, for their eighth gig of the tour. But first they must depart from the Warrington Travelodge in which they have spent a luxurious night, sleeping off the rigours of the previous evening’s gig in Liverpool. The band slowly assemble, one by one, at Dave ‘Big Dave’ Wassell’s spacious and hygienic tour-bus. Big Dave has been up since eight o’clock and has already eaten his traditional two breakfasts. As the band gather at the open door of the tour-bus, Big Dave busies about the van clearing yesterday’s debris – empty cans and High Commissioner bottles, pizza boxes, fish ‘n’ chip papers, and fragments of anything from half-eaten kebabs to screwed up Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer wrappers. By the time the band are gathered and ready to roll, the van is pristine and Big Dave is looking to eat the first of his lunches somewhere en route to the coast.

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The Travelodge etiquette is long-established within the Nightingales tour camp. On arrival, a drunken Mark ‘Ace’ Jones leaps from the still-moving van, keen to get the band registered and into their respective rooms. The remainder of the band remain in the van while Big Dave drives several times around the half-empty car park, getting a feel for the layout of the space, using his van-driver’s knowledge, honed over the years, to find the ideal space in which to rest his beloved van for the night.

Having finally switched off the engine, the band finally decamp for the hotel where they will usually find Jones engaging in a friendly argument with the Travelodge receptionist. Fuming indignantly over some minor detail of the booking-in arrangements, Jones distributes the keycards – one to Kitson and Squires; one to Lloyd and Chippington; and one to Big Dave who requires a room all to himself, free from the band’s sleepless, post-gig chatter. The final keycard – which will access the room he will share with Apperley and Schmid – he clutches jealously to himself as he rolls one of his trademark liquorice-paper cigarettes, and totters outside to join the remaining smokers for the first of his final cigarettes of the night. My editor has arranged for me to have a room of my own for each night of the tour, and I reluctantly leave the band at the reception area to go to my own room, for my own working day is not over until I have filed my report.

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The journey to Scarborough is arduous but straightforward though excitement mounts as the band approach the coast: who will be the first to catch sight of the mighty, undulating North Sea? “The sea! I can sea the sea! I win! I win!” The voice is that of Robert ‘The Chief’ Lloyd. “I love the seaside,” he says quietly as though to himself, his eyes shining with childish delight at the thought of wading through the enticing, brown coastal waters.

But the journey has taken longer than the band has anticipated, and they are late for an appointment. It is International Record Store Day and David ‘Jehan’ Yates, the uniquely-talented artist who has created all of the Nightingales’ album covers to date, is playing with his band The Crumplehorns at a local record store in the town. Big Dave drops the band near the record store in the town centre, and I accompany him on his search for a parking space. By the time we reach the venue The Crumplehorns are packing away their equipment in readiness for the evening’s gig supporting their heroes – none other than the Nightingales.