It’s been a long time since we did a multi country trip but this is how we are ending our summer tour in 2023. Gone are the days when we played Denmark in the afternoon and Sweden in the evening, chartering a jet to fly us between the two countries. In the days leading up to our show at Burgarena Finkenstein I was eagerly anticipating the joy of playing at the castle amphitheatre, an impressive outdoor gig with a breathtaking view, but the weather forecast showed rain in the evening and, sure enough, as we struck up “Have you ever seen the rain?” the heavens opened and unleashed their fury on the empty castle grounds. Meanwhile we were inside, waterproof and playing to a full house of very happy punters. Two flights on Austrian Airlines, via Vienna, took us to Denmark where we were booked to entertain the golf enthusiasts at Himmerland at the end of the day’s play. A small crowd soon approached the stage, no doubt reeled in by the fun we were having, and the younger ones connected once they heard songs from the 80’s. Initially we were just the band at the end of an event but we ended up feeling that everyone was happy that they heard Smokie that night. I woke up to many birthday messages on the morning of 8th July and a flight to Helsinki to play our final summer show in the sizeable grounds belonging to well known Finnish drummer Kisu Jernstrom. With an audience numbering around nine hundred the place was buzzing with excitement and anticipation as we pulled into the backstage area. These final three shows could not have been much different from each other, variety being the operative word, and they have neatly put the lid on a very successful 2023 tour to date. Now it’s time to take a break and do all those things that I don’t have time for whilst I’m touring. Smokie resumes again on 19th September in Krefeld, Germany, but for now I wish you all farewell and have a great summer.