Tuesday, 25 November 2008

oct 11th bournemouth- manchester palace 15th oct

get the train to bournemouth on my own from cardiff absolutely broken and shattered but full of good memories and pix from the past couple of nights. i get to the venue and settle down before going for a quick drink with the band. another great night tonight, were doing amazingly well on this tour! we were even ready for 7.30pm only to find out it was an 8pm show thanks to toyah and her pranks!! shes the naughty one on the tour haha she's usually focusing all her mischief on the boys though especially nicky so we tend to just get involved and encourage her as its never directed at us! grab a chinese after the show as i havent even managed to hardly eat today before heading to the hotel for a semi early night and no partying whatsoever!!

norwich

travel to norwich with emily,jordan and ben listening to avenged sevenfold. get to norwich and its a really nice place though a bit too quiet for me, some nice scenery though and on arrival i go for a walk with chloe and a good gossip about our love lives! we chill out in the dressing room watching tv up until show time and toyah bought us some lovely chocolate cakes so we sat and stuffed ourselves for a little while. the show went really well again, unfortunately because i never stayed up to date with the blog some of the gigs are hard to distinguish which is a good sign because if there was anything wrong i would remember.

manchester

manchester palace is awesome, this was my favourite to date along with bristol, maybe because being from manchester i remember going there to watch shows with my nanna and telling her i wanted to be on stage and do that, considering i never trained as a dancer until i was 17 i think ive done pretty well. it was great as i can walk there from my flat in about 2 mins so i got to spend most of the day at home, sarah my friend from the glitter kittens was with me and bought a ticket for the show so we could go out after. this is the 2nd time shes seen it this tour, she loves it! we dropped my stuff at the theatre, did all the routine set ups, hello's and catch up's then went to grand central to meet the other glitter kitten who was coming-scarlet. had a quick gossip with her before running off to get ready for showtime!! i couldnt wait i was so excited as loads of my family were there too, my mum and brothers and sisters, my nanna and uncle and aunties etc so that was great, i think i had 13 coming to see the show. the show was amazing, the crowd was buzzing and we all did really well, it was packed for such a big venue. all my family loved it, henry and arthur's mum and dad were there as were the millers, nickky's parents, steve's wife nicky and chloe's boyfriend paul so it was a nice get together. we did a massive signing that only ended because the theatre started to shut the theatre and started (politely) throwing people out! we all changed and went to grand central to party, me, the girls, the band and everyones partners and my 2 brothers and sarah. we had a few drinks before going to the salisbury around the corner to carry on drinking bumping into some vamps fans on the way! we had a quick chat to them before getting very drunk in the pub! i carried on with my bro's and sarah til around 4 am which was a laugh, we were drunken dancing in the pub and talking welsh the last i remember but i do know it was a good night!! i got given a pint of red wine courtesy of jade which pretty much finished me off haha happy days!! bring on the hang over..

oct 6th bristol hippodrome/burnley 8th

i absolutely love this venue for some reason, its massive and on the main road in the shopping area so your right in the thick of. the dressing rooms are nice and i like going shopping so all good, we all got there pretty early so me and the girls head off for food before soundcheck which runs smoothly enough so me and shereen head off to the pub for a quick drink. my friends are coming from cardiff tonight which is brilliant and im looking forward to seeing them, unfortunately the special someone i was dying to see the show couldn't make it as we was busy and just got back from touring too which is gutting but in the business were in you get used to not seeing the people you love, you have to start booking in time with friends and sometimes go months without seeing anyone properly, this is the only major down side to the job that effects me on the road. it makes you feel lonely sometimes which is why were so lucky to have a cast and crew of people that are genuinely friends! anyway we get ready for show time and it couldnt have been better, the crowd were amazing and the show was tight and full of energy, i loved every minute. after we headed to the signing which was great fun as always and i met my friends annie and mag! they were so impressed by the show and seemed really proud of me which was great, i quickly changed so i could go for a drink with them for a good girly catchup before they had to head off back to cardiff. all in all a great night, one of my faves so far!

burnley

drove down with emily and got there super early so went shopping with nickys mum lesley who was here to watch the show. everything was going fine until we found out chloe had been involved in a crash on the motorway in her new car bless her. we were all panicking but luckily she was unhurt just shaken up. she got there late all stressed so we had a chill in the dressing room with her and got psyched up for the show. the venue is quite small so its only a few hundred strong in the audience and its a squeeze getting on and off the stage during the show.
tonight seemed to fly by and before i noticed we were packing up to head home!! im excited about my time off though as i have a big party weekend lined up!! woo!! cant wait!!

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

tour bus part 1....rock n roll?!!

Get up at 5.30 am meet chloe at piccadilly station then i drive us to pick emily up to head to Nottingham to meet evenyone at the tour bus, our home for the next few days!! Emily had put her bed order in already with shereen who lives closer so usually gets there before us, im not bothered where i sleep as long as its not on the top layer, you see the bus we have this year has a row of bunk bed style cabins in groups of 3, i dont fancy climbing in and out of the top bunk especially after a few beers so luckily when i get there i find a bed on the bottom floor, basically lower than floor level so being small i develop a sort of roll in to bed tecnique from the aisle which suits me perfectly and i feel out of it and private-well as private as you can be on the bus! We have the same driver as last year, geordie Andrew which is good news as we already know him and know what we can and cant get away with!! We head to Basingstoke and i go back to bed, im shattered after only 2 and a half hours sleep, when i wake up were pretty much there. We do the usual set up, well the band do while we go for a wander around the town before soundcheck and show time. Have a good show and get ready to get back on the tour, unfortunately i dont have much gossip tonight as after my non stop party schedul for god knows how long i go to bed pretty early considering and miss out on most of the partying this night but i did hear lots of acdc being played and was almost tempted to jump out of bed and go mental when motorhead ace of spades came on but as its not that easy to jump out of my bed and i was trying really hard to be good i managed to contain my urge to rock out! i think everyone watch The Lost Boys to round the night off as Nick had never seen it before. Bit gutted i missed that but i have seen it enough to re enact the whole movie so probably best i caught up on sleep.

Bedford

We climb out of the bus in the centre of town and walk to the theatre, me and chloe in our pjamas with ben and jordan (not in pjamas by the way). you get disolusioned on the bus and any normality goes out the window, i can honestly say i dont leave my house in my bed wear and walk down the street but somehow when on tour this seems logical! we get to the theatre and use the showers, i end up in the boys showers while chloe uses the girls to save time, there was no boys in there with me at the time might i add although ben did keep popping in to shout through the door that i needed to hurry up as him and jordan were waiting for us to go the pub.
we got ready and went into town realising after asking for directions we were down south!!
We had a couple of drinks early afternoon, theres a sort of tour no mans land time of day where theres nothing to do while they set up the stage etc and you feel a bit of a spare part and that time for me is usually filled by shopping and viewing the city centre or popping to the pub for some food and a beer. We go back to work realising we have the best job in the world and do another rocking show. The signing was a little stange this time as there was loads of really young kids there without adults screaming over the boys in the band and saying things to them they really shouldnt know about! we do the signing and pack for the bus, had a laugh tonight and it was nice as all the girls including toyah had a big room to share. Loved the show tonight, full of energy after my giant sleep!! woo, this is the life!! Stay up and have a few drinks on the bus all of us, its nice to have time to chill out and have a laugh with each other. We spend the night parked at the services which is good for me as i prefer sleeping when the bus isnt moving. We party for most of the night before getting some sleep on the way to Skegness.

Skegness

it looks a bit like a ghost town when we arrive to be honest, we sit in the dressing room and i feel a bit like i need to go let off some steam but theres nothing to do and i hate that, we set stuff up then me and chloe go for some food and a 'romantic' stroll along the beach front, its nice to get some sea air and clear the lungs before the show after the partying and living on the bus!
Another fun show, i always feel a panic getting on and off this stage for some reason though as theres loads of corridors but its all good. After the show we all go into town for a drink in a bar called something LA. its pretty dead and crap really especially for a friday night, welcome to skegvegas!! brilliant!! we have a few drinks and its fun enough as the whole cast is out. All us girls ended up dancing on the little stage to dodgy dance music and after a few drinks decided to entertain the crowd with our routines from the show to different songs hahaha, they didnt know what had hit them. Me and Emily decided to have a go on the pole too (why they had one i dont know because the people on there weren't the type of people you want to see on a pole to be fair). We had a little go and i managed to impress by putting my trapeze moves to the test on the pole to much success thank god, i would of looked sexy too if i didnt have jeans a jumper and ugg boots on haha ah well. Everyone headed back to the bus but me and chloe felt like we had more dancing to us, as the bus was staying outside the theatre we decided to run to a club on the way and danced the night away like to maniacs. they should of given us a job cos we got the club back to life and everyone back on the dance floor. Eventually all sweaty and danced out we headed back to the bus and went to bed after a chill out with the band. a good night really, i get back into my little bed, stick my ipod on drunkenly text some mates before drifting to sleep.

Kings Lyne

feel good suprisingly for the last tour bus day and have a really good show, the dread is that on the way back i will have to drive from the bus in the middle of the night home so i sensibly make sure i get some sleep on the way home, sat up for a bit chatting to steve and chloe then off to bed i go. We got off the bus about 4.30am which really messes your head up then me,chloe and emily have the awful drive back to manchester. chloe stayed at mine and we were so shattered when we got back to real life!! a great few days though, i loves it!!



Skeg

first few shows!!

september 12th Retford

After these last couple of weeks rehearsing the time has come for us to have an audience and i cant wait!! i love it when its new enough for you to feel slightly nervous and the adrenelin is definately in full flow, its lucky for us that we get to have a rehearsal week in the theatre of the first show as we know all the entrances and exits and have had time to get used to the size of the stage and spacing and stuff. Thats the hardest thing about touring a show i think, having a different size stage every night, different dressing room, different route to get on and off and sometimes the stairs to lead us on and off the top of the crypt round the back are in different places which always makes me think one day il run off in the dark the wrong way and drop however high it is which would be not good!!
Anyway day one we potter about all day going over details, routines, setting up our costumes and generally mentally preparing.
7.30pm comes quickly enough and its show time, there is two photographer's here tonight for promo pics and the end result was awesome, the show went really well and everyone was on a high! Arthur and Henry's mum and dad came as well as Nicky's as a suprise for the lads and they said they loved it so there we go, one succesful show down god knows how many more to go but i cant wait!! Rock n roll!!

Sep 13th Milton Keynes

This theatre is amazing its like a tv studio so you can see the audience in front of you quite closely aswell as there being seats on the sides which i love, it means you cant lose your character for a second because people can see you all the time. Toyah isnt with us tonight as she had a show booked previously to joining the tour with us, a big open air show so we have had to adjust parts of the show so that it still works without her. It's a bit scary to adapt after only doing one show but it worked brilliantly. The band are absolutely wicked this year, because they get on so well and are real rock and rollers they work great together on stage and everything goes well!
It's a great show with a manic signing after, everyone was lovely and we got time to really hang out in the bar with fans and chat properly rather than be rushed in the foyer by theatre staff.
We get packed up as quick as possible to head home, me and emily had high hopes of getting back to Manchester in time to go to Sankeys for my friends night and dance the night away but sadly we dont get home til 4am so thats out of the question! Gutted, ah well off to bed we go.

Sep 17th Doncaster

I really remember this venue from last year for some reason, maybe its because my friend and ex boyfriend came last year or something but its quite an intimate stage so again a case of adapting the show and the little details in the show.
We got a bottle of wine for the girls backstage and sat there early having girly chats and bonding as we havent had much time together yet and its great because theres four of us know. We all get on really well which is lucky and really rare i imagine in a show, Chloe is the new dancer and she's really great, easy to get on with and a laugh! She already knows Emily and Shereen from the Dolly tour but we all feel like we have all known each other ages which is great!
Toyah is back and the show is back to normal, it went well although as the ceiling was quite low i kept smacking my hand on the ceiling and the light rig when we were dancing on the crypt, ah well..

Sep 29th Buxton

im just back from Ibiza and doing my own Glitter Kittens gigs so im a little worse for wear but dying to get stuck in again, we set up, soundcheck and have a quick trip to the pub to be fed and watered. My friend Sarah is coming to the show tonight and she very kindly did my make up for me backstage so i could feel like a star haha, we all do our own hair and make up and sometimes thats the only part of the day i dread, it always feel like a chore but the second im made up i feel instantly better and ready to rock and by the time the fangs go in then i cant wait to face the audience!
The show goes well for everyone but i feel exhausted after all the shows and partying in my 11 days off and feel a bit mad at myself for feeling like im not really going for it, Sarah said she loved it though and was so impressed bless her waving her Vampires Rock foam hand in the audience haha. We all head home, the show is starting to stick in my head and feel natural now, the first few dates always feel edgy for me, i have to have a set list and costume list on hand so im certain what happens next but im getting to the point where its all making sense without that which is great because thats when you can really go for it and get stuck in!

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

vampires rock

For those of you who havent heard of Vampires Rock yet it's a touring show that combines rock music with theatre, it's a great show thats been touring for 4 or 5 years i think and i was lucky enough to join the cast as a dancer last year, i absolutely loved it!! This year however is even better than the last, we have a brand new sexy rockin band that all the ladies will love as well as all the amazing main characters from last year and the legend that is Toyah Willcox is also on board for the tour so it's definately not to be missed!!
i've made this blog purely as a diary of touring with the show and behind the scenes goings on and i know there are many hardcore fans out there so hopefully this will be a little taster of the stuff you dont get to see on the tour, im going to try keep it updated though i must warn you it will probably get behind as il be touring with the show aswell as my own show The Glitter Kittens but i will do my very best!! i aim to add pix from the show from our own private collections and hopefully keep you informed on the goings on with the cast and show in general.
Below is the little press description of the show along with tour dates.

A show like no other, with a twist of rock and a hint of musical theatre, and jam packed with the greatest anthems you know and love, you’re guaranteed to be on your feet!

Set in New York in the year 2030, the undead are among us and livelier than ever, none more so than in club ‘Live and Let Die’, where aspiring singer Pandora (Emily Clark) arrives to audition for the resident vocalist position.

Little does she know, that the only job on offer is to be the eternal bride of evil Baron Von Rockula! (Steve Steinman)

Cue a host of classic rock, played live by the Baron’s hand picked band, The Lost Boys, and a hint of comedy, as the Baron and his sidekick, Stringfellow (Mike Taylor), attempt to convince Pandora to lose her soul to rock and roll!

With songs made famous by the likes of AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf, Joan Jett, Suzi Quatro, Queen and many more, you’ll be rocking in the aisles (or on your knees with your air guitar above your head!)

An amazing stage set, pyrotechnics to blow your mind, beautiful dancers and of course Steve Steinman’s famously powerful vocals and sense of humour, make sure this show is not to be missed!

TOUR DATES

SOLD OUT
Fri 12th Sept

Majestic Theatre
Retford

01777 706 866
www.majestictheatre.co.uk

SOLD OUT
Sat 13th September

Stables Theatre
Milton Keynes
01908 280 800
www.stables.org

SOLD OUT
wed 17th Sept

Doncaster
Civic theatre
01302 342 349
www.doncastercivic.co.uk

SOLD OUT
Mon 29th September

Buxton Opera House

SELLING FAST
Wed 1st Oct

Basingstoke
The Anvil
01256 844244
www.doncastercivic.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Thur 2nd Oct

Bedford
Corn Exchange
01234 269 519
www.bedfordcornexchange.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Fri 3rd Oct

Embassey Theatre
Skegness
08456 740 505
www.embassytheatre.co.uk

SOLD OUT
Sat 4th Oct

Corn Exchange
Kings Lynn
01553 764 864
www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Mon 6th Oct

Bristol Hippodrome
0844 847 2325

SOLD OUT
Wed 8th Oct

Burnley Mechanics Theatre
Burnley

01282 664 400
www.burnleymechanics.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Sat 11th Oct

Pavilion Theatre
Bournmouth

0844 576 3000

SOLD OUT
Sun 12th Oct

Theatre Royal
Norwich
01603 630 000
www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Wed 15th Oct

Palace Manchester
0870 401 3000
www.palaceandoperahouse.org.uk

SOLD OUT
Thur 16th Oct

Palace Theatre
Mansfield
01623 633 133
www.mansfield.gov.uk

SOLD OUT
Friday 17th Oct

Palace Theatre
Mansfield
01623 633 133
www.mansfield.gov.uk

SELLING FAST
Thur 23rd Oct

Bedworth Civic Hall
0247 637 6707

www.civichallinbeworth.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Fri 24th Oct

Alexandra Theatre
Birmingham
0844 847 2294
www.alexandratheatre.org.uk

SELLING FAST
Sat 25th Oct

Harrogate International Centre

0845 130 8840
www.harrogateinternationalcentre.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Sun 26th Oct

Wolverhampton Civic
0870 320 7000
www.wolvescivic.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Wed 29th Oct

Cliffs Pavilion
Southend On Sea
01702 351 135
www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Thur 30th Oct

Royal Centre
Nottingham

0115 989 5555
www.royalcentre-nottingham.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Fri 31st Oct

Ipswich Regent
01473 433 100
www.ipswichregent.com

SELLING FAST
Sat 1st Nov

Broadway Theatre
Peterborough

01733 316 100
www.thebroadwaytheatre.co.uk
TOYAH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THIS SHOW

SELLING FAST
Sun 2nd Nov

Derngate Theatre
Northampton

01604 624 811

SELLING FAST
Thur 6th Nov

Playhouse Theatre
Weston S Mare
01934 627457
www.playhousetheatre.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Fri 7th Nov

Pavilion Theatre
Exmouth
01395 222 477
www.exmouthpavilion.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Sat 8th Nov

Princess theatre
Torquay
08448 472 315
www.princesstheatre.org.uk

SELLING FAST
Sun 9th Nov

City Hall
Salisbury
01722 434434
www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Wed 12th Nov

Eden Court
Inverness

SOLD OUT
Thurs 13th Nov

Rothes Hall
Glenrothes Fife
01592612121
www.rotheshalls.org.uk


SELLING FAST
Fri 14th Nov

Aberdeen Music Hall
01224 641 122
www.boxofficeaberdeen.com

SELLING FAST
Sat 15th Nov

Blackpool Opera House
0844 856 1111
www.blackpoollive.com

SELLING FAST
Sun 16th Nov

Empire Theatre
Sunderland
0844 847 2499
www.sunderlandempire.org.uk

SELLING FAST
Wed 19th Nov

Spa Pavilion
Leamington Spa
01926 334 418
www.royal-spa-centre.co.uk

SELLING FAST
Thur 20th Nov

Victoria Theatre
Halifax
01422 351 158
www.victoriatheatre.co.uk

SOLD OUT
Sat 22nd Nov

Palace Theatre
Newark
01636 655 755
www.palacenewark.com

SELLING FAST
Sun 23rd Nov

Central Theatre
Chatham

SELLING FAST
Thur 27th Nov

York Grand Opera House
0870 606 3595

www.grandoperahouseyork.org.uk

SELLING FAST
Fri 28th Nov

Forum Theatre
Billingham
01642 552 663
www.forumtheatrebillingham.co.uk

VAMPIRES ROCK
CHRISTMAS TOUR

SOLD OUT
Tues 2nd Dec

Hull New Theatre, Hull

01482 226 655
www.hullcc.gov.uk

EXTRA DATE DUE TO
PHENOMENAL DEMAND

Wed 3rd Dec

Hull New Theatre, Hull

01482 226 655
www.hullcc.gov.uk

SELLING FAST
Thurs 11th Dec

Preston Guildhall
0845 344 2012
www.prestonguildhall.com

SELLING FAST
Fri 12th Dec

Futurist Theatre
Scarborough

01723 374 500

http://www2.futuristtheatre.co.uk/

SELLING FAST
Sat 13th Dec

Worthing Assembly Hall
01903 206206

www.worthingtheatres.co.uk

SPECIAL ARENA
PERFORMANCE

SELLING FAST
Sat 27th Dec

Echo Arena
Liverpool
0844 8000 400

www.accliverpool.com

DUE TO DEMAND WE HAVE ADDED EARLY 2009 DATES

Thur 22nd Jan
Octagon theatre
Yeovil

TOYAH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THIS SHOW

Fri 23rd Jan
Kings Theatre
Southsea

TOYAH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THIS SHOW

Sat 24th Jan
Queens Theatre
Barnstable

TOYAH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THIS SHOW

Fri 30th Jan
Darlington Civic
Darlington

TOYAH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THIS SHOW

Sat 31st Jan
Grove Theatre
Dunstable

TOYAH WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THIS SHOW

Fri 13th Feb
Waterfront Hall
Belfast.

Fri 27th Feb
Concert Hall
Perth Scotland.

2009 Halloween Tour On Sale Now

2009 Edinburgh play house on sale now Monday 5th October 2009