The Point, Dublin

After breakfast a constant stream of technicians and musicians with their standard issue wheeled bags straggle across the Point Plaza from our hotel into the Arena. Only a couple of intrepid souls from our party had ventured into Dublin Town the previous night to witness the shenanigans in the streets. Twenty years ago you would have expected to find a few casualties recovering in darkened corners on dressing room sofas or in hammocks slung under the stage after such a night—or even have been in search of a safe place to settle your structure yourself. But this is a very professional world and there was no hangover braggadocio in evidence at the bean-to-cup-machine in the canteen about excessive quantities of Guinness consumed the previous night.

So as per usual everything was ship-shape by lunch time, no fuss, no stress, no leprechaun hats from the night before, ready for Simple Minds' arrival.

Three shows in we were also getting the hang of this. Playing as the opening act on big arena shows puts a lot of stress on our crew. For the headliner there is, necessarily, redundancy built into almost everything to do with the equipment and the logistics. We operate on a similar basis—bring at least two of everything mission critical; instruments, amps, cables, strings, plectrums, socks, toothbrushes and underwear (most of which can even, at a pinch, be sourced or repaired at the venue in an emergency); and don't get on the last boat or plane if you can possibly avoid it.

But when you are the opening act there is inevitably a tight window for your crew to get the back line on stage and running, no matter how accommodating and efficient the main entourage is (and Simple Minds' are both in spades). Factor in our stubborn insistence in using equipment that was conceived and designed and maybe actually made before 1976 and you have a recipe that always has some potential not to work. None of this makes Gavin and Brian's life any easier when they move our stuff on to the stage at 5.05pm each day and power it up for the first time after it has spent another night in the back of a truck. But only the third show and this was slick as it gets.

It may have been a quiet St. Patrick's night in Dublin for us but the night at the Point more than made up for it. We felt at home on the stage, we could feel the atmosphere building as the audience grew and as we left the stage after Nothing Ever Happens an ovation from what looked like, from where I was standing, a full house. Thank you.