So, after the calamitous cancellation of the Helsinki show on Sunday, the tour has ended up on an extended hiatus in Stockholm. We arrived Saturday night and will finally play a show tomorrow (Tuesday). In the meantime, we’ve been sleeping 14 people in two hotel rooms (and trying to hide the fact), and exploring the city. Stockholm, I can confirm, is gorgeous, particularly the old city, which is on an island in the middle of the river. It’s interesting coming to an old city in Scandinavia – this end of Europe has the distinction of not having been steamrollered too badly in the 20th Century, and thus being genuinely old (rather than part or whole reconstructions). My only misgiving, other than the cold – it’s snowing – is the European habit of closing everything from museums to record shops on Mondays, thus derailing the day of culture that I planned first thing this morning from my corner of the dormitory.

It’s nice to spend some time in one place for once and actually get to see a city I’m in. As noted below, my experience of Berlin and Cologne consisted of some dressing rooms and some strangers’ floors. It’s got me in a pensive mood. I’ve been getting to know the Gaslight and PBC guys a little better, setting the world to rights over excess-Valentine’s bottles of champagne and so on. Working on demos of new material too, which is always encouraging. Trying to fill the gaping holes in my knowledge of Scandinavian history. Bettering myself, ha!

Some points of interest, to help pass the working Monday. A friend of mine is running in the London Marathon to raise money for the Parkinson’s Disease Society. You can find out more and help out here. If you’re a Last FM type of person, you should go and join this. And finally, some words of wisdom (at long last).