On Tour With Ben Caplan: Part Two

The band and I have been having a great time on this long strange trip. This tour in Australia has brought me a lot of firsts so far. I'll list them for you:

1. At Woodford Folk Fest, I experienced my first public performance in over 40ºC heat. (I almost passed out on stage!)
2. Around the festival grounds, my first time interacting with fans in gym shorts and a t-shirt. (too hot for the standard trousers and snappy jacket!)
3. My first time feeling a huntsman spider crawl up my leg and into my shorts. (I was terrified. Still get the cold shivers thinking about it.)
4. My first time crowd surfing at a folk festival and leading a procession of fans through festival grounds pied piper style with a megaphone. (It's a good time. I recommend it.)
5. In Melbourne, my first time kicking a fan out of a gig. (A disruptive heckler who was also wasted drunk and twerking in the front row. Very distracting! To be fair I asked her to chill out a few times...)
6. And tonight – my first gig in Newcastle. Looking forward to it!

Yesterday was a well deserved day off, which of course led to the obligatory hotel room jams

and we all discovered something new about our friend the fiddler. Turns out Jaron is a mean juggler!

And now we're back on the road, making the drive. Observe the bassist, Tamara Murphy, in her natural environment. Listening to tunes with the road whizzing past.

So it's Newcastle tonight and then two gigs for the Sydney Festival. Lots to look forward to.