| Chris' latest news |
Sunday, May 04, 2003
SARS has really started to be the blue bruise of this tour. Everywhere we go people are wearing masks and avoiding going out to public places, a crazy knee jerk reaction really compared to working in the malarial belts etc..... the press really do exagerate things to frenzy like proportions. 29th April, a great gig to a 20% expectations of audience at Chia Yi University 30th April, I gave a talk in the morning to the SYSU management course students, hopefully this was of some sort of use? In the afternoon the quartet headed north from Kaosiung to Chang Jung University, due to SARS the concert had been moved outside. Again a brilliant response but very reduced numbers. 01st May, a two show day in Kaosiung, temperatures taken to all students attending the lunchtime show at Cheng Shui Institute of Tech. Not the most encouraging thing prior to a concert, followed by the delightful visit to Wenzao College, the young students made us so welcome, probably the most rewarding concert so far. 02nd May SHOW CANCELLED DUE TO SARS! We all drove down to Kenting on the southern tip of Taiwan. coral seas, amazing day relaxing and swimming, a great boost for all. 03rd May, Chia Yi Cultural Centre, an outside concert supported in strength by members of a local wind band, people of all ages attended, a great family day out. Beautiful people. Evening concert CANCELLED due to SARS. 04. May found the quartet heading back to Taipei again with a concert in the large Hsin Chuang Cultural Centre, all 800 seats sold, 90 people turned up, temperatures taken by masked centre workers, Pete Whyman (as ever) was the coolest at 34. 4 cent. I came in at 35 cent. The management had up until two weeks ago been looking into relaying the concert on a big screen, then SARS arrived and......... 05. May, we head east again to Tzu Chi College of Tech. (we hope!) . The concert on the 06th has just bitten the SARS dust and then we end back in Taichung on the 7th for a final performance at Providence University. I'll keep you posted via this Blogger. Whilst we were in Kaosiung we met up with a great guy who runs a Festival in the mountains of Taiwan, combining artists of all forms with local aboriginal peoples. Check out this link to WAC , Worldwide Arts Collective', we'd love to be involved in some way in the future. Also, I'll post details of a brilliant Belgian beer bar, when I've rid myself of the hangover. Watch this space, it's quite a find!! Check out the Press: Taiwan News & Taipei Times On a more personal note, I'm delighted that my boyhood team Stoke City have just avoided religation from the English first division. Phew, well done you Potters! Check out the brilliant fanzine The Oatcake for news of this crazy team. PS, why the oatcake, the oatcake is a delicious 'pan cake' made in North Staffs, once you've tried one you'll be hooked. Cheers, Chris C on tour with the Delta sax quartet. |
