We’ve been out for over a year now and in every country and every city we’ve visited, Chris has sung “This could be Paradise”. New Zealand though, gets my vote for it being closest to the truth. Of course we’ve arrived mid-spring, escaping a damp and chilly run into winter at home. Even so, it’s lush, it’s green and it genuinely is pretty damn wonderful.

I’ve been here a while already, staying with some old friends down on South Island. The band, however, have gone for the rather questionable approach of following the head-mashing 28 hour flight (and 12 hour time difference) by piling straight down to the stadium for a soundcheck the night before the first show.

The general consensus among the crew is that one of two things could happen. They’ll either be completely wiped out and they’ll turn up, have a look and go straight to bed – or they’ll be somewhat on the tired and irritable side. What happens though, is way better. There’s a giggly, daft air to the soundcheck. They’re clearly in that weird underwater stage of jetlag where it’s impossible to take anything seriously.

God Put A Smile gets a ridiculous, terrible pub-band heavy metal ending – complete with over the top fretwank nonsense from Mr Buckland. The C-stage dissolves into mangled lyrics and giggles as Phil Harvey and Anthony Martin (CM’s father) get the cricket gear out and blow out the jetlag cobwebs.

As the C-stage is finished up, Chris pulls out a tune that was knocking around while they were putting Mylo together. It’s funny hearing it again – something that never made it outside the Beehive walls echoing around the open air on the other side of the planet. It definitely still sounds good to me. There’s talk of studios to fill in the days off – who knows what’ll happen…

Soon, the sporting theme takes over and the soundcheck is abandoned. Will and Jonny head off to talk footy with Lighting Director Graham Feast and then the cricket becomes a full band and crew free for all.

As starts to a tour leg go, I can’t remember a more pleasant one. It may not actually be Paradise, but I figure if we ever get there, it won’t be all that different.

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