The Baker Gurvitz Army tour was full of surprises - the first gig was at Edinburgh University, where there was a stabbing at the entrance door - followed by Strathclyde University, Glasgow, where we finished the gig to find that our van had been stolen! Welcome to Scotland! We had been paid by cheque -it was 1 o'clock in the morning, in the middle of Glasgow, and we had hardly any cash. The BGA road crew managed to fit the equipment into the back of their artic - thanks guys, what would we have done without you? So where do we go? The Glasgow constabulary saved the day! They put us up for the night in a cell in Glasgow central police station. For security reasons, we were locked in - no beds, just a slightly raised section of the concrete floor! They gave us mattresses - made of 1-inch thick low-density foam! In the early hours, we were given some breakfast, which was gruesome! About an hour later, we were let out from the cell. We were offered a cup of tea, which we refused, saying that we had already had one. The sergeant laughed, saying "- surely, you didn't drink that, did you? That muck is for the prisoners!" - The van was found later that day, in the Gorbals, with only a side window broken.
Talking of spending time in a cell - we also played a gig at Chelmsford Prison! The van was searched on the way in and out (think about it!) - we had tea served to us by a murderer in the governors' office! - played to a captive audience that was so-o-o-o stoned you just would not believe it - and received the following letter! Another great gig!
The film "Porridge" was filmed at Chelmsford - but we didn't meet Norman Stanley Fletcher!
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