The Sandy Amphitheatre made for a wonderful day. On arriving, I mentioned to Robert that the last section of the journey had been more bumpy than usual – and he suggested that rather than trying to sleep, I should have opened the blinds, as there were apparently stunning views as we descended the mountains (which I am sure seemed even better from the large windows at the rear of the bus).
Four and a bit circuits of the perimeter of the venue, together with its car parks and grassed areas made for an easy 3 mile morning jog (easy to conceive, less easy to accomplish in the heat and the altitude), and the venue itself is a wonderful place to enjoy a concert. A slightly less good place for a Royal Package, as at 5pm there was no shade anywhere in the amphitheatre. So the attendees and the speakers (except Robert who sensibly spoke from the stage) suffered together.
This was the “home gig” for Paul Richards from the California Guitar Trio, “ a son of Bountiful, Utah”. It was attended by many of his friends and family, which always makes for additional nervous tension – and which may have contributed to a slight variation on Punta Patri, although all in all, it was a triumphant return for the prodigal son.
