Craic On

Riccardo DeLussu

Riccardo DeLussu, from Cagliari in Sardinia an island off Italy, booked into the Cosy Cottage for the DylanFest a number of months back. He then asked the owner if there were any cafes or bars where he could play a few Dylan songs or maybe put him in touch with the DylanFest organizer.

So they passed on his email and I contacted him to say that I could get him places to play.

Booked Flights

So he booked his flight – three of them – from Cagliari to Paris, from Paris to London, from London to Dublin – and he still had a long bus journey to take from there to Derry and then a taxi from there.

However, things went wrong. One of his flights was late and so he missed his connection.

I got a call from him saying that he was stuck at Heathrow airport and his luggage was lost. He tried to get a flight to Belfast but he was too late and the last Airporter bus would have gone by the time he arrived. He came to Belfast the next day.

Not the Airporter

I had told him to get the Airporter bus outside the airport and I had arranged for Sean Lake to pick him up at the Airporter bus  station.

Unfortunately it was another bus he took from Belfast, an Ulsterbus, and while he was waiting at the Foyle Street bus station, Lake’s taxi was waiting at the Airporter station for him.

He called me up to say he was freezing as he had only the clothes that he travelled from Italy in. His luggage was still lost.

I told him to call back in 10 minutes if Lake’s hadn’t arrived. They hadn’t – as they were at the Airporter stop. I managed to work out that he was at the wrong bus stop so I called Lakes and it got sorted out.

No Luggage

He got here last night. However, his luggage hadn’t. It still hasn’t today.

It seemed that it got sent to Paris. Even though he told them he was going to Belfast instead they sent the luggage to Dublin.

The problem is that, although he has his guitar, he needs a DI box to play it. That’s in the luggage as well as his harmonica and guitar strap.

The luggage has now been sent to Carrickfin as that was deemed the nearest airport. So he still hasn’t got it.

He came down my house and we called Air Italia. It seems that they will pay for it to be delivered.

He is hopeful that it will come today but Carrickfin still haven’t been in touch even though I asked Air Italia to tell me to call me right away.

Gigs

So, he may not have his DI box, harmonica and guitar strap by tonight.

He will be supporting Jacques Mees tonight in Rosatos and will be playing in Maguires tomorrow (Saturday) at 4pm and the Redcastle Hotel at 8pm and then in Maguires on Sunday at 4pm.

He has prepared two one hour sets to play and has come a long way to do it. Let’s wish him success.

And don’t ask him if he had a good journey here.