I'm not quite sure of the last time we visited Calgary, could it have been with the Straits? a long time ago it seems. One thing I remember from the last time here is the incredible scenery with the beautiful green expanses and the majesty of the Rocky mountains in the distance. It's the Calgary stampede this week which bills itself as the greatest outdoor show on Earth, and for ten days it exists as the largest event in Canada. Certainly it's the largest internationally recognized Rodeo in existence I believe it goes back to the first ever Calgary exhibition in 1886. All of this is completely irrelevant since we didn't get to witness any of it apart from seeing Ben wearing a pink cowboy hat, which of course I failed to photograph. A consequence of not having a sound-check and arriving at the gig from Vancouver quite late.



The venue for tonight's show is a magnificent symphony hall home to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The acoustics were noticeably excellent and the band all noticed a studio-like sound during the show. Not necessarily a good thing when you're not expecting it. Once we all got used to the sound we realized the audience was very much a listening crowd. Not a sound during the quiet passages and the first crowd I can recall for a long time that waits until the very last note of Rome and Juliet before applauding. They were VERY quiet right up until after we'd finished Local Hero and when we came down the front for our traditional bows, they erupted. What a din. We waved goodbye to them and to Calgary and were off on our plane again heading back to Vancouver for a day off.





Calgary airport...looks like a McDonnell Douglas F18 to me, this thing just looks fast doesn't it. If I was ever offered a ride in one of these, I'd say yes.