29 Feb, 2012 PainKiller!
It was Paris in springtime. (Well, almost.) And all was going even better than we had hoped for inside the charming venue that we had looked forward to playing so much.
The sold-out audience seemed intent on having more than a good time and although only 4 songs into the set, I could already tell that the band would be improving yet again on the previous night´s show. I guess that is just a sense you develop among other things through years and years of touring.
Anyway, it was right then that it happened, it hurt like hell and it still does more than 36 hours later. What was it that happened? Well, rather embarrassingly I am talking about the hamstring muscle that I might have torn in a moment of far too much exuberance, all caused while careering around the stage at the Casino de Paris.
But y´know maybe it is not all bad news. After all a hamstring injury is something common to professional footballers, and in my still childish dreams I still envisage being one of those at some point. (I know I may be nearly 53 but in my dreams I am still in my early 20´s)
But of course, reality is something different and for me that is where the appealing football comparison had to end. Because although the reaction was painfully bringing a little tear to my eye, there would be no glancing over at the substitute bench and asking for someone to replace me in my moment of great need. No chance of that! In fact we still had another two hours to play before I could consider soaking in hot baths or strapping ice cubes to the tender part. Being so I knew that I had a very long night in front of me.
In the end it was just another unforeseen incident, not one I would have wished for, but touring comes loaded with moments like this. And guess what? You just have to get on with it. Back in ´82 while touring America with New Gold Dream we even continued playing shows the night after I had broken my nose. Not the best vocal sound as you can imagine – but we had no insurance and needed the money so the gigs had to go on. More than that we would have hated cancelling for any reason and in doing so letting people down.
I also learned something very useful and interesting back then, something I knew would see me through the rest of the set in Paris. Fact is, natural adrenalin is a wonderful painkiller and thankfully there was no lack of adrenalin during the set on Monday night.
We live and fight another day!
Jim Kerr