Bev Bevan Diaries - ELO Part 2 in Argentina and Brazil 1994

Friday December 9th

Slept well. Walked around the city and what an impressive and vibrant place this is! Good looking people they are, too, with real style.

Reminds me of being in Italy.

In the afternoon found the "Roxy" theatre for a soundcheck. Lousy drum kit and some naff rented equipment. Horrible catering food, which apparently was supposed to be lasagne. Not on stage until 10.30pm.

The crowd a little quiet at the start, but got wild by the end of the set. Ridiculously hot and I was soaked through. Minibus back to the hotel, bed at 2am, with a 5am wake up call to look forward to.

Saturday December 10th

Checked out of the hotel by 6am, but left most of our luggage there as soon returning. Louis Clark has managed to run up a 400 dollars extras bill!

A very tired band and crew driven to the airport in an ancient charabanc to get a flight to Sao Paulo in Brazil, where it was cooler than Argentina, and overcast. Drove into the sprawling mass that is Sao Paulo, the main sights of interest the sad and teeming shanty towns.

Checked into a rather smelly little hotel. Warned at the hotel desk not to go wandering around the city.

Left in cars around 6pm to drive to the venue - a large cabaret-style place. Not on stage until 11pm. Not much of a crowd and it was a hard slog. Drove back through the dodgy red light area to our hotel and again glad to hit the sack, around 2am.

Sunday December 11th

Another ridiculously early wake-up call. Soon at the airport and in and out of Brazil in less than 24 hours. Nice flight back to Buenos Aires, and glad to be back at the Sheraton. Another well-needed siesta.

In the evening we played live on a TV show that resembled a cross between "Top of the pops" and "Noel Edmunds House Party" with Argentina's answer to Pan's People up on stage with us.

Afterwards driven to the "Marea" restaurant near the port for a wonderful meal sitting under the stars on a warm and balmy evening. Another late night and felt very tired again.

I'm getting too old for all this long-distance travelling !

Monday December 12th

Incredibly hot day, reaching 110 degrees at one point. Interview at a nearby TV studio for a local pop show. Back to the Sheraton for some sunbathing by the pool, but just got too hot.

In the evening it was a second show at the "Roxy". Not as good as the first night. Soaked through again by the end of the night, after giving that crappy drum kit a good pounding.

Tuesday December 13th

Good sleep, breakfast, and then a day of Christmas shopping in beautiful downtown Buenos Aires.

Around 6pm it was goodbye Argentina and we boarded a plane to Sao Paulo again. Short wait there before getting the long flight back to Madrid, then on to Heathrow. Then, to borrow from Chris Rea's great festive song: I'll be "Driving home for Christmas".

Hoo Bloody Ray !!!