Enjoy a good breakfast on the roof terrace with view of St Peters. No complaints there. Meanwhile Swan is on a plane from Luton; it took off at 6ish so she didn't get any sleep at all. We will meet her at termini so pass the time by checking out tonight's venue, which is lucky as the wrong way which we go is quite a lot further (this is significant later).

All goes well with meeting Swan and  dumping her stuff at hotel. However there is a fly in the ointment, a text from Sam, who is with Mab, tells us there is a problem with the guestlist tonight. The gig is sold out so buying tickets is not an option. Apparently Franco Battiato has over invited on his guest list and there is no room for Mab's friends. The band suggest we meet them at the venue when they arrive from the hotel and go in with them at 5.30 (and see what happens).

Not much we can do but sweat and have lunch. Pleasant restaurant in the area of the Coliseum. Back to the hotel to freshen up and change. Here we have a dilema - what to wear. We decide that Mab t-shirts may not be right for breezing in with the band. Personally I decide on a high visability approach. I want to be remembered as around all evening like part of the crew so wear my distinctive designer Little Fish t-shirt (see Sunday for picture). It won't seem like I've just sneaked in.

As the hotel is so close to the venue, (about 10 minutes walk in the heat), we cut it rather fine. I see the coach drive up just as we are approaching, with a little jog I join the Mab party as they walk from the coach, Voltane and Swan lag behind and are almost cut adrift but Alice dawdles for them. So we're all in the venue. Apart from the girls we meet Sam. Veronica, Stephano and Natalyia who have all come out from London too (mostly on different flights).

Nice to meet everyone. We chat and sit around and take snaps and watch the soundcheck. As we don't have passes we have to stay with Mab. When they are taken to their dressing room around 7.30 we go with them. There is a sense of optimism but the uncertainty hangs heavy. Lisa announces that it is arranged that a security guard will let all seven of us in as long as we are in the prescribed place at 8.15. The venue will apparently hold around 3000, but most ot them seem to be upstairs. relatively few seats downstairs with quite a lot of space behind.
After maybe 10 minutes the security guard appears and leads us through to the auditorium. We must stand by the mixer desk. Collective sigh of relief. Everyone looks reasonably confident, as if they're supposed to be here. Later the soundman brings in two other people without passes who give the air of escaped prisoners, with furtive glances all around. The show starts with a little set from a  cello and piano duo. Our view by the sound-desk is excellent (and obviously the sound is good).

 Franco does a mixed set with a lot of variety. For some songs he is joined by part or all of Mab, some not. Mab get to play on their own whilst he takes a break. Wonderful to see them again and great to share the experience with the rest of the Mab contingent.

None of us get thrown out.

After the show we all follow the soundman through security to the hospitality room where we find the girls eating a hearty supper of rolls. So we join them for a ham sandwich and a can of beer. They have enjoyed the show, but their coach leaves for Naples at 9.30 in the morning.

We stroll back to the hotel around midnight.

Quite a different experience to Venice where being on my own emotions were bottled up. Here we share and relive experiences (particularly managing to sneak in); So now that I come to share the experiences with you, they have paled a little. That is not to say that Venice was better, just different.