Today is the big Australia Day celebration. From the website:
About Australia Day
Australia Day. Celebrate what's great.
Australia Day, January 26, is the biggest day of celebration in the country and is observed as a public holiday in all states and territories.
On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation.
It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
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So there ya go! What it means to me is an almost-Labor Day type weekend and gazillions of people everywhere. All the shops, restaurants and bars are crowded. The beaches are insane, the ferries all packed to the hilt. Drunken revelry at it's finest. A lot of the bars are staying open tonight until 4, 5, even 6am.
I didn't really get into too much today.
I grabbed dinner at Rossini, down by the docks at Sydney Harbour, only a block from the hotel. Sat outdoors and people-watched the crowd. So many people! The food was terrific. It was among the best fish & chips I've ever had, the best being a little chip shop in Nottingham, UK, that I've been to a few times.
After that, I ran into a bunch of crew folks in the hotel lobby and dragged them across the street to Jackson's for a few rounds.
Uncharacteristically, I split shortly thereafter and was back in my room, in bed by shortly after midnight.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Show Day in Sydney, Australia
Can you say 56,863 crazy Aussie rock fans? Great show today here in Sydney!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Another Day Off in Sydney
Not much on the agenda today. Picked up my laundry from the fluff 'n fold a few blocks away, spent a little time at Starbucks, and hung out in my room catching up on stuff. Spragoo (the monitor engineer) called and asked if I wanted to go the Doyle's for dinner with him and a couple of other guys. Not the Doyle's here in the harbor area, but the original Doyle's At The Beach, over in Watson's Bay. It's about a 25-minute cab ride vs. a 5-minute walk, but it's the original.
I've never been before, but I've been told it's a bit of a roadie's paradise to hang out there during the day. Best seafood around, and they have lots of outdoor seating right on the beach. During the day, there are usually quite a few topless sunbathers right on the beach in front of the restaurant. And Lady Jane, Sydney's most popular nudist beach, is nearby.
You can find the menu for Doyle's At The Beach HERE.
The food was expensive, but terrific. Between the four of us – me, Spragoo, Robert (FOH Engineer) and Bob (audio tech) - we had several appetizers, 4 dinners, a cheese tray for dessert, lots of beer, 2 bottles of wine, and several glasses of port. The tab came to $528 AUD (about $465 USD) before tip. It was worth every cent.
A few photos shot from our table:
Back to the hotel around 10:00, with just enough time for a nightcap across the street at Jackson's.
I've never been before, but I've been told it's a bit of a roadie's paradise to hang out there during the day. Best seafood around, and they have lots of outdoor seating right on the beach. During the day, there are usually quite a few topless sunbathers right on the beach in front of the restaurant. And Lady Jane, Sydney's most popular nudist beach, is nearby.
You can find the menu for Doyle's At The Beach HERE.
The food was expensive, but terrific. Between the four of us – me, Spragoo, Robert (FOH Engineer) and Bob (audio tech) - we had several appetizers, 4 dinners, a cheese tray for dessert, lots of beer, 2 bottles of wine, and several glasses of port. The tab came to $528 AUD (about $465 USD) before tip. It was worth every cent.
A few photos shot from our table:
Back to the hotel around 10:00, with just enough time for a nightcap across the street at Jackson's.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Day Off in Sydney, Australia
Happy Half-Birthday to me!!!!!!
I'm forty-nine and a half today. Six months to go, gonna be the Big 5-0. Gonna get my AARP card and start flaunting it.
In the meantime, I've got today and tomorrow off in Sydney. What's not to like about that?
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In case you were wondering:
fletcher \FLETCH-er\ noun
: a maker of arrows
Example sentence:
The fletcher presented the village’s archery champion with his most recent design, an arrow crafted to travel in a steady course through any headwind.
See a map of "fletcher" in the Visual Thesaurus.
Did you know?
“Fletcher” is one of a number of English words that once commonly referred to occupations but are now better known as surnames. “Fletcher” came to English from the Anglo-French noun “fleche,” meaning “arrow”; our verb “to fletch” can mean “to furnish (an arrow) with a feather.” Other names for occupations that are now commonly used as surnames include “cooper” (a person who makes or repairs wooden casks or tubs), “collier” (a coal miner), “chandler” (a person who make candles), “sawyer” (a person who saws wood), and “wainwright” (a person who makes wagons). And, of course, there are names such as Baker, Carpenter, and Miller whose origins are more or less self-explanatory.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
--------------------------------------------
Home early tonight. Hope to make a couple of phone calls to the US before bedtime…
I'm forty-nine and a half today. Six months to go, gonna be the Big 5-0. Gonna get my AARP card and start flaunting it.
In the meantime, I've got today and tomorrow off in Sydney. What's not to like about that?
--------------------------------------------
In case you were wondering:
fletcher \FLETCH-er\ noun
: a maker of arrows
Example sentence:
The fletcher presented the village’s archery champion with his most recent design, an arrow crafted to travel in a steady course through any headwind.
See a map of "fletcher" in the Visual Thesaurus.
Did you know?
“Fletcher” is one of a number of English words that once commonly referred to occupations but are now better known as surnames. “Fletcher” came to English from the Anglo-French noun “fleche,” meaning “arrow”; our verb “to fletch” can mean “to furnish (an arrow) with a feather.” Other names for occupations that are now commonly used as surnames include “cooper” (a person who makes or repairs wooden casks or tubs), “collier” (a coal miner), “chandler” (a person who make candles), “sawyer” (a person who saws wood), and “wainwright” (a person who makes wagons). And, of course, there are names such as Baker, Carpenter, and Miller whose origins are more or less self-explanatory.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
--------------------------------------------
Home early tonight. Hope to make a couple of phone calls to the US before bedtime…
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Show Day in Sydney, Australia
Tonight was one of the 2 "one-off" shows we're doing here in Australia. Meaning that they're not Big Day Out Festival shows - just Rage Against The Machine and an opening act.
We're playing the Sydney Entertainment Center, or SEC for short. Not too large of an arena, but the point of the show was to do something a bit more intimate for the fans than a gigantic 55,000-plus show like the one we're doing here on Friday.
Still, we sold out the 10,850 seats in just a few minutes the day the show went onsale. Poof, gone just like that.
I watched the first 3-4 songs tonight and took a few photos.
Came back out and watched the last song of the set, and then the 2-song encore. I tell ya what, I have never been to or seen a show where not one single person left before the band came out to play the encore. I was out at the front of house mix position and could see the entire crowd from there. No one, I mean no one, came walking down from their seats to exit the building. I was speechless.
It's amazing to watch the crowd when Rage is onstage. The last song of the night is "Killing In The Name" and it's just in-fucking-sane. Tonight, while they were playing it, I got goose bumps head-to-toe for the first time in my life. I mean, ever. It was intense!
After we all got back to the hotel following the show, we (a bunch of crew folks and one bandmember) all went across the street to Jackson's, our adopted bar for the week. We're staying at the Four Season's Hotel right by Sydney Harbour, practically in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Jackson's door is maybe 80 feet from the hotel entrance.
I met a whole bunch of interesting people tonight, and had a great time. The lights finally came on and we pretty much got tossed out around 4am.
We're playing the Sydney Entertainment Center, or SEC for short. Not too large of an arena, but the point of the show was to do something a bit more intimate for the fans than a gigantic 55,000-plus show like the one we're doing here on Friday.
Still, we sold out the 10,850 seats in just a few minutes the day the show went onsale. Poof, gone just like that.
I watched the first 3-4 songs tonight and took a few photos.
Came back out and watched the last song of the set, and then the 2-song encore. I tell ya what, I have never been to or seen a show where not one single person left before the band came out to play the encore. I was out at the front of house mix position and could see the entire crowd from there. No one, I mean no one, came walking down from their seats to exit the building. I was speechless.
It's amazing to watch the crowd when Rage is onstage. The last song of the night is "Killing In The Name" and it's just in-fucking-sane. Tonight, while they were playing it, I got goose bumps head-to-toe for the first time in my life. I mean, ever. It was intense!
After we all got back to the hotel following the show, we (a bunch of crew folks and one bandmember) all went across the street to Jackson's, our adopted bar for the week. We're staying at the Four Season's Hotel right by Sydney Harbour, practically in the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Jackson's door is maybe 80 feet from the hotel entrance.
I met a whole bunch of interesting people tonight, and had a great time. The lights finally came on and we pretty much got tossed out around 4am.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Travel Day to Australia
Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep -- 5:45am was a wee bit early today. Flying to Brisbane, Australia, then we'll travel 45-50 minutes by car to the Gold Coast area.
The Gold Coast is Australia's leading tourist destination, and has a variety of exciting activities that make it the country's holiday playground. It has over 30 miles of golden sandy beaches, as well as the World Heritage Rainforest just a short drive away.
The Big Day Out site is only about 15 minutes from where we're staying, which is the Marriott Resort.
The view in one direction, taken from my balcony on the 10th floor:
The other direction:
I’m only a block or so from the beach, but I probably won't make it there today.
Wound up working in my room for most of the afternoon. Got out around 7:00 and walked around for about an hour. I was kinda surprised how little there was, near the hotel, in the way of bars and restaurants. Wound up back at the hotel, in the bar. Only had a couple of beers, then headed back to the room to finish catching up on the blog. Ordered a small cheese and fruit plate from room service for dinner around 10.
I'm actually gonna get some sleep tonight, as my call time isn't until 8:45 tomorrow morning.
--------------------------------
Neglected to mention that Serj Tankian, the singer from System Of A Down, came to our show in Auckland yesterday. He and Tom Morello (Rage's guitarist) are old friends, so he came to hang out. I worked for System for 4 years and hadn't seen Serj in awhile. Got to sit down with him for about half an hour and get caught up on stuff. Turns out he owns a house in New Zealand these days, so he didn't have too far to travel. Showed me some photos of it - beautiful house, right on the shore.
The Gold Coast is Australia's leading tourist destination, and has a variety of exciting activities that make it the country's holiday playground. It has over 30 miles of golden sandy beaches, as well as the World Heritage Rainforest just a short drive away.
The Big Day Out site is only about 15 minutes from where we're staying, which is the Marriott Resort.
The view in one direction, taken from my balcony on the 10th floor:
The other direction:
I’m only a block or so from the beach, but I probably won't make it there today.
Wound up working in my room for most of the afternoon. Got out around 7:00 and walked around for about an hour. I was kinda surprised how little there was, near the hotel, in the way of bars and restaurants. Wound up back at the hotel, in the bar. Only had a couple of beers, then headed back to the room to finish catching up on the blog. Ordered a small cheese and fruit plate from room service for dinner around 10.
I'm actually gonna get some sleep tonight, as my call time isn't until 8:45 tomorrow morning.
--------------------------------
Neglected to mention that Serj Tankian, the singer from System Of A Down, came to our show in Auckland yesterday. He and Tom Morello (Rage's guitarist) are old friends, so he came to hang out. I worked for System for 4 years and hadn't seen Serj in awhile. Got to sit down with him for about half an hour and get caught up on stuff. Turns out he owns a house in New Zealand these days, so he didn't have too far to travel. Showed me some photos of it - beautiful house, right on the shore.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Show Day in Auckland, New Zealand
First Big Day Out show today. I did quite a bit of walking, checking out the entry gates and perimeters. On the advice of fellow tour accountant Chris Risner (Tool, Nine Inch Nails), I bought that big, floppy sun hat the other day. And you better believe it came in handy.
The crowd was over 47,000 strong today. This is what the stadium looked like from the far end. What you see here is a dual-stage main stage area inside the stadium. A total of 13 acts played these 2 stages, alternating on the Orange Stage and the Blue Stage, starting at 11am, with Rage Against The Machine on from 9:20 to 10:30pm.
Click on any of these photos to enlarge them:
The "main stage", as seen from the far end of the stadium.
From behind the main stage. Click on the photo to zoom in and you'll see the Super Loop on the stadium floor. There were more carnival rides spread throughout the festival grounds.
In addition, there were 5 other stages spread out across the festival site, including 2 which were set up inside gigantic tents. Fifty-eight other acts played on those stages throughout the day.
It really is a Big Day Out for these kids.
I watched the first 3 songs by Rage, but went back to my trailer after that. I've got plenty of time to see the whole show.
Back to the hotel by about 1am. Have to get up at 5:45am to fly to Brisbane, Australia.
The crowd was over 47,000 strong today. This is what the stadium looked like from the far end. What you see here is a dual-stage main stage area inside the stadium. A total of 13 acts played these 2 stages, alternating on the Orange Stage and the Blue Stage, starting at 11am, with Rage Against The Machine on from 9:20 to 10:30pm.
Click on any of these photos to enlarge them:
The "main stage", as seen from the far end of the stadium.
From behind the main stage. Click on the photo to zoom in and you'll see the Super Loop on the stadium floor. There were more carnival rides spread throughout the festival grounds.
In addition, there were 5 other stages spread out across the festival site, including 2 which were set up inside gigantic tents. Fifty-eight other acts played on those stages throughout the day.
It really is a Big Day Out for these kids.
I watched the first 3 songs by Rage, but went back to my trailer after that. I've got plenty of time to see the whole show.
Back to the hotel by about 1am. Have to get up at 5:45am to fly to Brisbane, Australia.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Rehearsal Day in Auckland, New Zealand
OK, here's something I neglected to mention – and with my twisted brain, I think this is the coolest thing I've seen here so far…
At all of the intersections here (at least the intersections in the downtown area), the traffic from ALL 4 directions gets a red light at the same time to allow ALL pedestrians to cross streets in any direction, even diagonally. It lasts for 30 seconds, which is more than enough time to cross. It's so smart, yet looks so funny. There are people going every which-a-way, including crossing in a big X through the center. Yeah, I know, I should get out more…
Today, we loaded into a building on the festival grounds and set up the band's (HUGE) monitor rig for them to come in late afternoon and rehearse for about 90 minutes.
Afterwards, the monitor rig, along with the backline gear, was moved to the main stage. During which time, we relocated our production office to the trailer compound backstage that we'll be using tomorrow for show day.
Got back to the hotel around 10:30pm and everyone was too pooped to party. I went around the corner to the Queen's Ferry Pub alone for a couple of quick pints of Monteith's Golden. At least I had the (smokin' hot and very nice) bartender to chat with…
At all of the intersections here (at least the intersections in the downtown area), the traffic from ALL 4 directions gets a red light at the same time to allow ALL pedestrians to cross streets in any direction, even diagonally. It lasts for 30 seconds, which is more than enough time to cross. It's so smart, yet looks so funny. There are people going every which-a-way, including crossing in a big X through the center. Yeah, I know, I should get out more…
Today, we loaded into a building on the festival grounds and set up the band's (HUGE) monitor rig for them to come in late afternoon and rehearse for about 90 minutes.
Afterwards, the monitor rig, along with the backline gear, was moved to the main stage. During which time, we relocated our production office to the trailer compound backstage that we'll be using tomorrow for show day.
Got back to the hotel around 10:30pm and everyone was too pooped to party. I went around the corner to the Queen's Ferry Pub alone for a couple of quick pints of Monteith's Golden. At least I had the (smokin' hot and very nice) bartender to chat with…
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Day Off in Auckland, New Zealand
While walking through the terminal at LAX on the way to the security checkpoint on Monday night, a couple of photographers sprinted by me and started snapping shots of 2 girls who were walking about 20 feet in front of me. I figured they must be somebody because those guys were just shooting and shooting. I wound up right behind them at the X-ray machine and it turned out to be Michelle Rodriguez, one of the hotties from the TV show "Lost." She was also in the first "Resident Evil" movie, which is in my all-time Top 10 movie list, as well as "The Fast And The Furious", "Blue Crush", "S.W.A.T." and bunch of other stuff. See if these shots ring a bell…
So, anyway, she was with another gorgeous babe, and it was taking them forever to get all of their shit out of their bags & pockets, and get their shoes off to put through the machine. Michelle was trying to hold her 17" Apple MacBookPro in one hand and pull her friend's boot off with the other and having a hell of a hard time doing so, so I grabbed her laptop and held it for her so she could use both hands to pull off the boot. She thanked me, and a minute later, started chatting while we were standing there.
Turned out the she and her friend Alex (Alexandra) were on their way to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and were on the same flight I was. I saw them in the first-class lounge, and they were both friendly and chatty, so I wound up talking to them about all kinds of stuff, and I invited them to come to the show on Friday. Don't know if they'll show up, but I'll sure hook 'em up if they do. It's not everyday you get to meet a famous actress and she turns out to be a nice person.
So we didn't have anything to do today. We'll load in to the gig tomorrow. I spent a couple of hours wandering around the shopping district near the hotel. Bought some chewable vitamin C and a big floppy hat at the Billabong store. Baseball hats just won't cut it here with all the walking around I'll be doing at all the festival sites. Need more coverage and protection from the sun.
On the way back to the hotel, I ran into Yvonne, the band's masseuse, and she asked if I'd like to join her for a drink and an early dinner. Sounded good to me, so I tossed my stuff into my room and off we went. She wanted to go to the nearby alleyway, which is where we found an outdoor table at the Queen's Ferry Hotel Pub.
What a great place. We got a fruit and cheese platter – amazing local cheeses.
Eventually, a bunch of other crew folks joined us. Much revelry ensued, many pints of Monteith's Golden Lager were downed, and local folks became friends.
Made it back to my room around midnight…
So, anyway, she was with another gorgeous babe, and it was taking them forever to get all of their shit out of their bags & pockets, and get their shoes off to put through the machine. Michelle was trying to hold her 17" Apple MacBookPro in one hand and pull her friend's boot off with the other and having a hell of a hard time doing so, so I grabbed her laptop and held it for her so she could use both hands to pull off the boot. She thanked me, and a minute later, started chatting while we were standing there.Turned out the she and her friend Alex (Alexandra) were on their way to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and were on the same flight I was. I saw them in the first-class lounge, and they were both friendly and chatty, so I wound up talking to them about all kinds of stuff, and I invited them to come to the show on Friday. Don't know if they'll show up, but I'll sure hook 'em up if they do. It's not everyday you get to meet a famous actress and she turns out to be a nice person.
So we didn't have anything to do today. We'll load in to the gig tomorrow. I spent a couple of hours wandering around the shopping district near the hotel. Bought some chewable vitamin C and a big floppy hat at the Billabong store. Baseball hats just won't cut it here with all the walking around I'll be doing at all the festival sites. Need more coverage and protection from the sun.
On the way back to the hotel, I ran into Yvonne, the band's masseuse, and she asked if I'd like to join her for a drink and an early dinner. Sounded good to me, so I tossed my stuff into my room and off we went. She wanted to go to the nearby alleyway, which is where we found an outdoor table at the Queen's Ferry Hotel Pub.
What a great place. We got a fruit and cheese platter – amazing local cheeses.Eventually, a bunch of other crew folks joined us. Much revelry ensued, many pints of Monteith's Golden Lager were downed, and local folks became friends.
Made it back to my room around midnight…
Monday, January 14, 2008
Travel Day to New Zealand
I've been insanely busy lately. I actually stayed out on the R. Kelly tour right up to the end, splitting at 5pm on the day of the last show, which was in Richmond on Friday the 11th.
Left the wrap-up in the very capable hands of my friend Janet Taylor. She can handle the accounting aspects of it with her eyes closed. No way I could stay and finish because I was previously committed to another tour.
So, anyway…
Got home Friday night and met Paige & Greg, Jeff & Kim, and Ossie for dinner at Bonefish Grill. Afterwards, I hit Northside, my neighborhood old man bar, to catch up on neighborhood scuttlebutt.
Saturday, I was up and running by 7:30. Had a million errands to run, then had a 6pm show to go to – Mike Farris, who was amazing – then ran downtown to see the Nevers at Slim's.
Sunday was crazy busy, too. Got done with everything just in time for Paige to pick me up and drive me to the airport. Flew to LA, where I'm still sitting in my room. I'm at the Radisson LAX as I write this, but I'm leaving to go to the terminal momentarily.
We've got an 8:30pm flight to Auckland, New Zealand to start the tour. I'm going out with Rage Against The Machine for a month.
What I really want is some time at home. One day off between tours just isn't enough time. The good news is that I have 4 weeks off when I return in mid-February.
I'll try to get back to some regular blogging while I'm Down Under. And some good photos, too.
Check back soon!
Left the wrap-up in the very capable hands of my friend Janet Taylor. She can handle the accounting aspects of it with her eyes closed. No way I could stay and finish because I was previously committed to another tour.
So, anyway…
Got home Friday night and met Paige & Greg, Jeff & Kim, and Ossie for dinner at Bonefish Grill. Afterwards, I hit Northside, my neighborhood old man bar, to catch up on neighborhood scuttlebutt.
Saturday, I was up and running by 7:30. Had a million errands to run, then had a 6pm show to go to – Mike Farris, who was amazing – then ran downtown to see the Nevers at Slim's.
Sunday was crazy busy, too. Got done with everything just in time for Paige to pick me up and drive me to the airport. Flew to LA, where I'm still sitting in my room. I'm at the Radisson LAX as I write this, but I'm leaving to go to the terminal momentarily.
We've got an 8:30pm flight to Auckland, New Zealand to start the tour. I'm going out with Rage Against The Machine for a month.
What I really want is some time at home. One day off between tours just isn't enough time. The good news is that I have 4 weeks off when I return in mid-February.
I'll try to get back to some regular blogging while I'm Down Under. And some good photos, too.
Check back soon!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Day Off in Savannah
Up and at 'em at 8:30 because I've got a big workday today. All the stuff I blew off yesterday had to get done today. I even ordered room service (which I never do) so I wouldn't have to leave the room.
Every 20 minutes, I'd look out the window to see these monster freighters going by. They were huge. I just had to stare at them. Some had 9 story towers on top of the decks. I counted the sea containers on one as it went by. It held like 1300-plus of them. Amazing.
Each one of those sea containers you see stacked on the back of this ship is as big as the 53-foot trailer on an 18-wheel truck. By my count, there are 106 of them on just the back row:
Click any photo to enlarge.
Got sick of the room around 7 and called Janet to see if she wanted to grab dinner. We found a sushi joint a couple of blocks away. Interesting place. A bunch of slacker art-school college students working and dining there. The food was decent and cheap.
At one point, as things there were winding down for the night, our waiter was sweeping under the table of the booth directly behind me. Suddenly he swept out a pair of black panties. From under the table? WTF? A different kind of sushi, indeed…
Went to bed early – 5:30's coming much too early tomorrow.
Every 20 minutes, I'd look out the window to see these monster freighters going by. They were huge. I just had to stare at them. Some had 9 story towers on top of the decks. I counted the sea containers on one as it went by. It held like 1300-plus of them. Amazing.
Each one of those sea containers you see stacked on the back of this ship is as big as the 53-foot trailer on an 18-wheel truck. By my count, there are 106 of them on just the back row:
Click any photo to enlarge.Got sick of the room around 7 and called Janet to see if she wanted to grab dinner. We found a sushi joint a couple of blocks away. Interesting place. A bunch of slacker art-school college students working and dining there. The food was decent and cheap.
At one point, as things there were winding down for the night, our waiter was sweeping under the table of the booth directly behind me. Suddenly he swept out a pair of black panties. From under the table? WTF? A different kind of sushi, indeed…
Went to bed early – 5:30's coming much too early tomorrow.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Day Off in Savannah
Damn, it seemed like that bus ride was gonna go on forever. By the time we got to the hotel at 4pm, I just wanted to get the hell away from everybody on the bus. It ain't no fun sometimes, taking an 800-mile drive with 9 other people jammed into a 45-foot submarine.
Dashed up to my room and got online to deal with some work stuff. I'm working on pieces of 3 different tours at this point. Still finishing off some Josh stuff from Australia, in full swing out here on the R. Kelly tour, and doing advance work for my upcoming tour of New Zealand, Australia and Japan with Rage Against The Machine. Of course, being a day off, I don't want to do too much, especially this late in the day.
Grabbed a shower and called Janet to see if she wanted to go to dinner. Yep, the lovely Janet Taylor, who I've worked with for years. We've done several tours together over the last 5 years, so I trust her to come in here and take over for me on the last few shows. Her tour with Mannheim Steamroller just ended, and she lives in St. Louis, so it was pretty easy for her to just come to the show there yesterday, and then jump on the bus last night.
We spent 20 minutes or so walking around down by the river checking out menus. Wound up grabbing a drink at some joint. For whatever reason, they only had 3 kinds of beer there – Michelob Light, Mich Ultra, and Miller Lite. Huh? No Bud?
We each had a Crown Royal and ginger ale instead.
No atmosphere, so off we went. Eventually found a good place to have dinner. I got the scallops and oysters, Janet had crab legs and boiled shrimp. Waaaaay too much food. We staggered out of there, stuffed.
Went back to the hotel bar, where a bunch of crew folks and some of the dancers were hanging out. A couple of idiot crew guys were completely wasted, to the point of being embarrassing. One of them kept pissing off the staff by lighting up, even though it was a no-smoking bar. He was about to get his ass whipped when he finally quit that shit. I hate when crew guys act like morons, because they represent all of us. Six months from now, no one that works here will say "That guy from New Jersey was a jerk", they'll say "All those R. Kelly people were a bunch of assholes." That's one of the reasons I rarely hang out with crew people on the road – they just don't know how to behave and I don't want to be associated with them.
Made it back to my room around 1 and did a little websurfing…
Dashed up to my room and got online to deal with some work stuff. I'm working on pieces of 3 different tours at this point. Still finishing off some Josh stuff from Australia, in full swing out here on the R. Kelly tour, and doing advance work for my upcoming tour of New Zealand, Australia and Japan with Rage Against The Machine. Of course, being a day off, I don't want to do too much, especially this late in the day.
Grabbed a shower and called Janet to see if she wanted to go to dinner. Yep, the lovely Janet Taylor, who I've worked with for years. We've done several tours together over the last 5 years, so I trust her to come in here and take over for me on the last few shows. Her tour with Mannheim Steamroller just ended, and she lives in St. Louis, so it was pretty easy for her to just come to the show there yesterday, and then jump on the bus last night.
We spent 20 minutes or so walking around down by the river checking out menus. Wound up grabbing a drink at some joint. For whatever reason, they only had 3 kinds of beer there – Michelob Light, Mich Ultra, and Miller Lite. Huh? No Bud?
We each had a Crown Royal and ginger ale instead.
No atmosphere, so off we went. Eventually found a good place to have dinner. I got the scallops and oysters, Janet had crab legs and boiled shrimp. Waaaaay too much food. We staggered out of there, stuffed.
Went back to the hotel bar, where a bunch of crew folks and some of the dancers were hanging out. A couple of idiot crew guys were completely wasted, to the point of being embarrassing. One of them kept pissing off the staff by lighting up, even though it was a no-smoking bar. He was about to get his ass whipped when he finally quit that shit. I hate when crew guys act like morons, because they represent all of us. Six months from now, no one that works here will say "That guy from New Jersey was a jerk", they'll say "All those R. Kelly people were a bunch of assholes." That's one of the reasons I rarely hang out with crew people on the road – they just don't know how to behave and I don't want to be associated with them.
Made it back to my room around 1 and did a little websurfing…
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Show Day in Augusta, GA
I somehow managed to develop a head cold while I was at that bar Firehouse the other night. I woke up with that funny "scratchy" throat feeling yesterday and it's worse today. Whatever it is, I need to burn it off before the 13th when I get on a plane for New Zealand.
Today's show is at the James Brown Arena, part of the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center Complex. Check out the sign:
Note the "GFOS" under the microphone – you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it. I'm thinking that it should actually be "GOS" since it stands for Godfather of Soul. Maybe down here it's God Father.
Today's show is at the James Brown Arena, part of the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center Complex. Check out the sign:
Note the "GFOS" under the microphone – you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it. I'm thinking that it should actually be "GOS" since it stands for Godfather of Soul. Maybe down here it's God Father.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Day Off in Augusta
Happy Doggone New Year, Everybody! Damn, I'm gonna turn 50 this year. Gonna get my AARP card and everything. Cool.
We had a pretty long haul to Augusta, arriving mid-afternoon. The cold snap has the entire Southeast just freezing. It's gonna be in the low-20's here tonight. Even as far south as Key West, Florida, it'll be in the 40's. Sure wish I was sitting at home and it was snowing like hell.
The only bar open in downtown Augusta was a rock 'n roll dive bar called Firehouse. I wound up over there by about 7:30. There were only 3 customers when we first walked in. I had run into Kurtis, our head rigger, while walking around looking for someplace to eat, so he tagged along with me. They didn't have food, but after a few good tips on rounds of beers, I asked Amber, our lovely bartender, if it would be OK to order a couple of pizzas. No sweat. Pies were ordered and shared, much beer was consumed.
I finally left around 11:30 to head back to the hotel. Musta been about 20 degrees by then. That was one cold walk home. Maybe I should have packed long pants for this tour.
Nah…
We had a pretty long haul to Augusta, arriving mid-afternoon. The cold snap has the entire Southeast just freezing. It's gonna be in the low-20's here tonight. Even as far south as Key West, Florida, it'll be in the 40's. Sure wish I was sitting at home and it was snowing like hell.
The only bar open in downtown Augusta was a rock 'n roll dive bar called Firehouse. I wound up over there by about 7:30. There were only 3 customers when we first walked in. I had run into Kurtis, our head rigger, while walking around looking for someplace to eat, so he tagged along with me. They didn't have food, but after a few good tips on rounds of beers, I asked Amber, our lovely bartender, if it would be OK to order a couple of pizzas. No sweat. Pies were ordered and shared, much beer was consumed.
I finally left around 11:30 to head back to the hotel. Musta been about 20 degrees by then. That was one cold walk home. Maybe I should have packed long pants for this tour.
Nah…
Monday, December 31, 2007
Show Day in Miami
Have I ever mentioned how much I despise the state of Florida? I have absolutely no use for the place. It can break off and fall into the ocean for all I care.
So, anyway…
Happy New Year, everybody!
Don't be this guy:
So, anyway…
Happy New Year, everybody!
Don't be this guy:
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Show Day in Columbia, SC
I was born about 6 blocks from today's venue, in Columbia's Baptist Hospital. The date was July 23, 1958 – not too long ago.
Here's a photo someone took on Christmas night at the PourHouse in Raleigh. This guy looks suspiciously like me, and even has a necklace similar to mine. The thing is, I would never wear such a sexist t-shirt, would I?
Would I?
Here's a photo someone took on Christmas night at the PourHouse in Raleigh. This guy looks suspiciously like me, and even has a necklace similar to mine. The thing is, I would never wear such a sexist t-shirt, would I?
Would I?
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Christmas Day
Today would have been David Enloe's 51st birthday. Instead, he passed away 4 weeks ago today. I haven't felt motivated to write anything in my blog since then, mostly because I wanted to leave my last couple of blog entries at the top of the page, as a small tribute to my friend.
I'm writing again now…
I'm writing again now…
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
David Alan Enloe, 1956-2007
The phone rang at 3:57am. David's gone. He passed away shortly after 3am.
He was my friend and I will miss him.
I am grateful that Terry called me and told me I needed to come home now to see him. And that I could be there for his last night on this earth. And that I told him that I loved him, because people don't seem to say that to each other nearly enough.
Mostly, I will be forever grateful that David Enloe had room in his life for me to be his friend.
Rest in peace, my friend.
--------------------------------------------
The Fabulous Knobs - David's hair, second from left
David Enloe
The Woods (David center)
David
David and more David
He was my friend and I will miss him.
I am grateful that Terry called me and told me I needed to come home now to see him. And that I could be there for his last night on this earth. And that I told him that I loved him, because people don't seem to say that to each other nearly enough.
Mostly, I will be forever grateful that David Enloe had room in his life for me to be his friend.
Rest in peace, my friend.
--------------------------------------------
The Fabulous Knobs - David's hair, second from left
David Enloe
The Woods (David center)
David
David and more David
Monday, November 26, 2007
Going Home To See David
Got my rental car and headed for Raleigh. I didn't have any CD's with me, so I tried to listen to the radio. It was all crap, so I pretty much drove in silence the whole way home. I had rented a 2007 Toyota Highlander, which is one of the two vehicles on my "short" list to buy. Now, I just need to drive a Honda CR-V. Nothing wrong with the Highlander, but I’m leaning toward the Honda.
Dropped the car at the airport and Greg Howard picked me up and gave me a ride home. Dropped my stuff and had just enough time to check for emergency email when Terry called to say he was on the way to the hospital.
I jumped in the car and met him there.
Poor Terry's been doing double-duty here recently. Not only is his best-friend-for-life David here at Wake Med, but his dad Carl has been here for 2 weeks for a heart procedure. Carl's in the ICU, so I can't go visit. Only family is allowed, and even then they're only allowed in there for 15 minutes at a time, 5 times a day. Weird.
So, up to David's room we went. I've known David for 27 years, so I knew it was him as soon as I saw him, but anyone who didn't know him well would never had recognized him.
David has advanced liver disease, which has the unfortunate side effect of Encephalopathy (google it). He's very gaunt due to the weight loss, and his skin is a peculiar shade of yellow. His breathing is very labored at this point and I'm not really sure he even knows who's in the room with him.
Terry and I settled in for the evening, and then Jack Cornell showed up. Over the course of the evening, a few more visitors dropped by. Peter Holsaple, Robert Keely, and Kevin Nunnery all showed up.
Some history here - I first saw a band called The Fabulous Knobs back in 1980, when I lived in Charlotte, NC. They consisted of David Enloe and Keith Taylor on guitars, Jack Cornell on bass, Terry Anderson on drums and Debra DeMilo on vocals. They were one of the most amazing bands I've ever seen – a distillation of everything good about the Rolling Stones, the Faces, Chuck Berry and James Brown. Nuff said.
All of my close friends in Charlotte became friends with everyone in the band. Every time they came to town, we would all go to their shows and throw afterparties at our homes for them.
After they broke up, David, Terry and Jack, along with Dan Baird (from the Georgia Satellites) became The Woodpeckers. After Dan left, the other 3 guys became The Woods.
The Woods were the first band I ever worked for. I was hired to be David's guitar tech. Were it not for him, I'm certain I would not have the career I have now.
David was also a great friend. We've been drinking buddies for 27 years. We've shared the best and worst of each other's lives throughout those years. Hell, at one point in my life, I got so tired of driving home to my place after leaving his apartment nearly every night that I rented the apartment across the hall from him. Staggering 10 feet was a hell of a lot easier (and smarter) than driving.
He helped me through the big breakups of my life (you ladies know who you are), and I like to think I helped him through his 3 marriage cycles.
One of the things that impressed me most was when he went back to school in his mid/late thirties to get his degree. That was not easy to do.
There are so many stories I could tell, but I can't sit here typing all day. Maybe we can have a drink one night and toast to David over it. I promise I'll tell you some stories then.
So, back at the hospital, it was only Jack, Terry and I after about 9pm. Then those two finally split around 10. I bunkered down and wanted to stay until David's brother Mark got there. I'd already decided to go home and get some sleep, then come back in the morning to relieve Mark from his overnight duty. Poor guy's been sleeping in a chair in the corner of the room for a few nights now.
Before I left, I told David that I loved him. I had probably said that to him 5 times tonight – maybe he heard and understood, maybe he didn't – but I just felt like saying it again.
I left about 11:30. Straight home, aspirin for my splitting headache (never ate today), then to bed by 12:15…
Dropped the car at the airport and Greg Howard picked me up and gave me a ride home. Dropped my stuff and had just enough time to check for emergency email when Terry called to say he was on the way to the hospital.
I jumped in the car and met him there.
Poor Terry's been doing double-duty here recently. Not only is his best-friend-for-life David here at Wake Med, but his dad Carl has been here for 2 weeks for a heart procedure. Carl's in the ICU, so I can't go visit. Only family is allowed, and even then they're only allowed in there for 15 minutes at a time, 5 times a day. Weird.
So, up to David's room we went. I've known David for 27 years, so I knew it was him as soon as I saw him, but anyone who didn't know him well would never had recognized him.
David has advanced liver disease, which has the unfortunate side effect of Encephalopathy (google it). He's very gaunt due to the weight loss, and his skin is a peculiar shade of yellow. His breathing is very labored at this point and I'm not really sure he even knows who's in the room with him.
Terry and I settled in for the evening, and then Jack Cornell showed up. Over the course of the evening, a few more visitors dropped by. Peter Holsaple, Robert Keely, and Kevin Nunnery all showed up.
Some history here - I first saw a band called The Fabulous Knobs back in 1980, when I lived in Charlotte, NC. They consisted of David Enloe and Keith Taylor on guitars, Jack Cornell on bass, Terry Anderson on drums and Debra DeMilo on vocals. They were one of the most amazing bands I've ever seen – a distillation of everything good about the Rolling Stones, the Faces, Chuck Berry and James Brown. Nuff said.
All of my close friends in Charlotte became friends with everyone in the band. Every time they came to town, we would all go to their shows and throw afterparties at our homes for them.
After they broke up, David, Terry and Jack, along with Dan Baird (from the Georgia Satellites) became The Woodpeckers. After Dan left, the other 3 guys became The Woods.
The Woods were the first band I ever worked for. I was hired to be David's guitar tech. Were it not for him, I'm certain I would not have the career I have now.
David was also a great friend. We've been drinking buddies for 27 years. We've shared the best and worst of each other's lives throughout those years. Hell, at one point in my life, I got so tired of driving home to my place after leaving his apartment nearly every night that I rented the apartment across the hall from him. Staggering 10 feet was a hell of a lot easier (and smarter) than driving.
He helped me through the big breakups of my life (you ladies know who you are), and I like to think I helped him through his 3 marriage cycles.
One of the things that impressed me most was when he went back to school in his mid/late thirties to get his degree. That was not easy to do.
There are so many stories I could tell, but I can't sit here typing all day. Maybe we can have a drink one night and toast to David over it. I promise I'll tell you some stories then.
So, back at the hospital, it was only Jack, Terry and I after about 9pm. Then those two finally split around 10. I bunkered down and wanted to stay until David's brother Mark got there. I'd already decided to go home and get some sleep, then come back in the morning to relieve Mark from his overnight duty. Poor guy's been sleeping in a chair in the corner of the room for a few nights now.
Before I left, I told David that I loved him. I had probably said that to him 5 times tonight – maybe he heard and understood, maybe he didn't – but I just felt like saying it again.
I left about 11:30. Straight home, aspirin for my splitting headache (never ate today), then to bed by 12:15…
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Show Day in DC
Fifth show of a five-in-a-row run. Today's show is at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.
Terry Anderson called me at 5:00 today and as soon as I heard his voice I knew it wasn't good. He said that David Enloe wasn't doing well. I told him that I was already planning to fly home on December 3rd to visit him for a couple of days. He said that I should come sooner because David likely wouldn't last that long. David has been functionally ill for several years now. Technically speaking, he's got liver disease. He has been hospitalized for a few weeks now, and was in recent days moved to a "rehab/nursing" facility. But he had an episode yesterday that led to him being admitted to Wake Medical Center.
So, I went into a mad scramble to get home tomorrow. Cancelled my flight to Little Rock and rented a car, thinking I'll drive home instead. On the one hand it's probably just as quick as screwing around with the airport, and on the other hand, I'll enjoy the quiet time to think. The drive is about 280 miles.
The hotel sucked when I got here. The AC ain't worth a damn. And I saw a cockroach in the bathroom. I can't tell you the last time I saw a bug in a hotel. And this is an Embassy Suites, which are usually immaculate. Oh, well, I'll get my 5 hours of sleep.
Zzzzzzzzz…
Terry Anderson called me at 5:00 today and as soon as I heard his voice I knew it wasn't good. He said that David Enloe wasn't doing well. I told him that I was already planning to fly home on December 3rd to visit him for a couple of days. He said that I should come sooner because David likely wouldn't last that long. David has been functionally ill for several years now. Technically speaking, he's got liver disease. He has been hospitalized for a few weeks now, and was in recent days moved to a "rehab/nursing" facility. But he had an episode yesterday that led to him being admitted to Wake Medical Center.
So, I went into a mad scramble to get home tomorrow. Cancelled my flight to Little Rock and rented a car, thinking I'll drive home instead. On the one hand it's probably just as quick as screwing around with the airport, and on the other hand, I'll enjoy the quiet time to think. The drive is about 280 miles.
The hotel sucked when I got here. The AC ain't worth a damn. And I saw a cockroach in the bathroom. I can't tell you the last time I saw a bug in a hotel. And this is an Embassy Suites, which are usually immaculate. Oh, well, I'll get my 5 hours of sleep.
Zzzzzzzzz…
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Rehearsal Day in Columbus
Pyro guy Reid gave me a few tips on how to fuck with someone on any tour that pisses you off. Take some small gauge multi-strand copper wire and cut it into tiny lengths. Then sprinkle it in the offensive person's bunk. Let 'em try and sleep on that crap.
Ouch!
Ouch!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Load-in Day in Columbus, GA
3:50am – woke up sweaty, hot.
3:54am – got out of bed, walked toward thermostat, kicked coffee table, broke fucking toe!
Great way to start my day! By 1pm it's almost completely black and it hurts like a bitch.
3:54am – got out of bed, walked toward thermostat, kicked coffee table, broke fucking toe!
Great way to start my day! By 1pm it's almost completely black and it hurts like a bitch.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Day Off in Chicago
My friend Jillian came and picked me up at the hotel around lunchtime. I hadn't seen her in probably 7 years. She's a lovely as the day I first met her back in 1993 when I was on an American Airlines flight with the Cry Of Love guys and she was a Flight Attendant on the plane. I'm sure I said something completely stupid to her, but we became friends, anyway, and still are…
Day Off in Chicago
Or more specifically, a day off in Hoffman Estates, IL, 30 miles outside of Chicago.
We had to load out of the venue last night because of some previously contracted events. We'll be loading back in on Monday morning. In the meantime, I've got a few days off here.
Hoffman Estates is where the Sears Centre is located. It's a very nice, if smallish, new venue. Great place to do production rehearsals. Not a great place to be staying in the Marriott located a half-mile from the venue. There's a new shopping center a block from the hotel, but not much else.
Restaurant choices include the hotel's lobby restaurant, a Subway, a Jimmy John's, a Panda Express, and a place called Claim Jumper. I skipped lunch today, and opted for Claim Jumper for dinner. Had a pretty decent appetizer, the Avocado Rolls. Had the Cedar Plank Salmon for my entrée. Stupid-sized portions of both. I think I left more of each than I ate.
When I first walked in and sat at the bar, I was a bit perturbed that they were OUT of Budweiser. Let's see, it's only the BEST-SELLING BEER IN THE ENTIRE USA, but you can't seem to keep your inventory straight.
OK, whatever. I drank Pacifico Beer instead.
The atmosphere of the place was sorta like a Stonewood Grill crossed with a J. Gilbert's, with just a touch of "generic sports bar" thrown in. Pleasant enough way to kill a couple of hours.
I was back in my room by 9pm.
Bored.
We had to load out of the venue last night because of some previously contracted events. We'll be loading back in on Monday morning. In the meantime, I've got a few days off here.
Hoffman Estates is where the Sears Centre is located. It's a very nice, if smallish, new venue. Great place to do production rehearsals. Not a great place to be staying in the Marriott located a half-mile from the venue. There's a new shopping center a block from the hotel, but not much else.
Restaurant choices include the hotel's lobby restaurant, a Subway, a Jimmy John's, a Panda Express, and a place called Claim Jumper. I skipped lunch today, and opted for Claim Jumper for dinner. Had a pretty decent appetizer, the Avocado Rolls. Had the Cedar Plank Salmon for my entrée. Stupid-sized portions of both. I think I left more of each than I ate.
When I first walked in and sat at the bar, I was a bit perturbed that they were OUT of Budweiser. Let's see, it's only the BEST-SELLING BEER IN THE ENTIRE USA, but you can't seem to keep your inventory straight.
OK, whatever. I drank Pacifico Beer instead.
The atmosphere of the place was sorta like a Stonewood Grill crossed with a J. Gilbert's, with just a touch of "generic sports bar" thrown in. Pleasant enough way to kill a couple of hours.
I was back in my room by 9pm.
Bored.
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