Profiles

:: March 2007

Day two

Kandahar

The performance area

Up for noon, and a bus comes and picks us up for lunch; maybe this army life is not as bad as they make out. Then, we're off to have a look at the venue for the first two gigs, The Boardwalk in Kandahar. It’s a massive open space, about the same size as three football fields, with shops all around. There are local shops selling carpets and t-shirts as well as a Subway and a Burger King. It's huge, can hold about 5000 troops, and will be a nightmare to compere, though the band would love it, but if it rains the gig would get moved indoors, into a much more manageable space. I do a rain dance. I finally manage to get a call home through on the mobile, so at least I know all is well there, but to be honest that just makes me miss home a bit. After four hours of doing very little, we are sent back to our rooms for an hours rest before we go and open a new cafe.

After that, it’s time for dinner again. The food really is amazing, they have a huge tent where we get three square meals a day, and the choice is huge. We finish up there pretty quickly as there are a limited amount of tables, and go for a walk round the base in the heaving rain. There really is nothing to do here, it's such a busy work oriented place, that they don't really cater for spare time much, and there is no bar at all. By half ten, we're all in bed, listening to planes taking off, and choppers passing overhead on patrol. Gig tomorrow.

Day three

6.30 am. We're awoken to the sound of massive gunfire. As I lie in bed typing this, it's been going on for fifteen minutes, and between us we've decided that it doesn't sound that far away. Sporadically we hear big jets and big explosions, which we know must be a "good thing", but the shooting hasn't stopped. Me and two of the band are nervously making jokes about it, whilst everyone else in the room slumbers away, but to be honest, I'm a bit scared.

Toby meets a young Royal Marines Commando

8.30 am. Turns out, they were just practising. Smashing.

We spend today visiting all sorts of people who show us their kit and let us drive their big lorries, which is fantastic. For me, these visits are just as important as the gigs themselves, as it gets you a chance to meet the people who are here doing real jobs in very trying circumstances. We meet a young Marine Corporal who can't be any older than 25 who tells me he's lost three mates out here, something that I can't begin to relate to.

We spend all afternoon sound checking and at 5.30 the band all nip off for tea. Me and Tel stay in the room then pop over to the gig at The Boardwalk, which is a huge quadrangle with a covered walkway all, round it. There are seats for about 600 people, but they're all full and there are people stood all around the sides. The show opens with The CSE Dancers, who the troops all love, and then I'm on to introduce the show. It's all fine and by the time Terry's gone on, the girls have danced and the band has played for an hour and a half, everyone's had a blinding time.

Back to the room, donut, and bed. I want a beer.