These last four shows in Sweden, all on our regular circuit, are what remains of the bookings from 2020 when Covid put a halt to everything on 12th March, leaving us to travel home on Friday 13th (yes, really), wondering when we would resume again. Nobody guessed that it would be October in the following year that we would once again play those familiar songs. Once back on the road we discovered just how important live music is for everyone, band and audience alike. In our travels we have made strong relationships with the venues where we play and the people who attend and this is the foundation of our ability to return again to those same places and enjoy a very warm welcome from our music loving audience. On my flight to Copenhagen I was singled out for attention by a KLM stewardess who simply said “Welcome home”. I don’t know why this was said because I don’t originate from Denmark but, like the stewardess herself, I travel everywhere and am made to feel at home in so many places. Halmstad Teater certainly felt like home on Friday night, this being our fourth appearance at this lovely venue. The audience reaction was magnificent and the time seemed to pass far too quickly. Similarly on Saturday at Vaxjo Konserthus there was a very intimate feeling of being connected to the audience at all times. The humour onstage is helping to relax everyone and ensuring that not every night is exactly the same. There is great musicianship in the band now and songs that I have performed thousands of times before have grown and developed into better live versions. Forty seven years on from our original hit we are taking nothing for granted, just making sure that the Smokie that tours now is right at the top of our game and ready to make people’s night out one to remember.