alcabisso, portugal

travel a for 4 or 5 hours to Alcabisco at tiny club called Clinic.
it would have been nice to have a day off, but we have agreed to play this small gig.  lots of problems as soon as we arrive.  firstly, and most notably, the power converter does not have the correct plugs for me to be able to attach my equipment...this is a biggy...there are also sound wiring problems...the PA is phasing..so the first 3 hours or so of soundcheck was spent by the soundguy trying to figure out these problems and potential disaster.  we break for dinner, and come back still issues. not looking like the show will happen. we are wiped out...very tired.
finally everything is resolved.  we eventually play at 1:30am
to 35 people. -- fun gig.  some really great moments...Rant is our best version yet...can you believe it? but, we are exhausted.  travel is 2 hours back.  mostly sleep.

dinner (steak,rice, potatoes,soup,red wine)

vila nova de famalicao

dom carlos 505
wake up at noon. i have a massage scheduled at 12 for my aching shoulder...my friend kalaf has so graciously arranged for benico tanaka to work on that for a few hours...afterwards, checkout and travel to oporto.

vila nova de famalicio
hotel here is very old and very 70's (in a bad way).  finally get a good nites rest (10 hours)-- needed this badly. brunch at local restaurant (white fish filet, potatoes, salad, fresh oj)...then on to venue. a big modern theatre...casa das artes.
had a real nice sound check - long. not much bottom end here but we make do -- decide to stay at venue and pass up dinner, instead will devour catering and enjoy liesure time. chill in our own dressing rooms.  500 people for the show tonite...a really appreciative audience - good show - afterwards meet and greet, sell and autograph tilomo - soft lunch cd's and posters--drive back after show to lisbon. (4 hours)  long drive in pouring rain. i was co-pilot (urse+gint in back) with jorge driving. he was very tired and occasionally nodded off. crazy. i was wired from the show, and had the task of keeping him awake...finally arrive at airport. checkin is a nightmare.  excess baggage...so much stress trying to get through security, but finally make the flight.

vienna

hotel stefanie room 239
arrive in vienna, greeted by a smiling peter schachinger.
to hotel for 3 hours of sleep before soundcheck. we have played Flex twice before and have always had great shows here.  soundcheck is very difficult. can't get ursulas' vocal to pop out. it sounds very dead, lifeless, and flat on stage.  after several hours we give up and leave it to chance.  dinner (tuna, potatoes, salad, red wine)
to show: sound on stage is as we left it - horrendous. we feel disconnected - the audience is in it - but we are struggling badly--also a rude audient said some nasty things to ursula between songs - insults - this has never happened before - urse left the stage for a minute to get it together - it was bizarre. sonically very disappointing.  it's difficult when you work as hard as we do traveling to make a great show and the sound doesn't fly. 2 encores anyway. nice winddown after in the inimitable flex backstage.  to sleep by 5am.

basel, switzerland

hotel basilik room 319
greeted by Urs (director of kaserne basel theatre) taxied to hotel after gathering gear and luggage.  in bed by 11:30am for deep sleep until 3pm--walk to soundcheck.  crew here is fantastic. really on point. sound (jonas) lights (christoph). have a nice soundcheck--the sound here is incredible. i am excited to play the show tonight - lots of bottom end. after check -- dinner (chicken and asian noodles, vegetables, beer) back to hotel. 1 hour sleep. shower. walk to kaserne. tired. really tired. drink one red bull and on stage.
show: a great one tonight. one of our best of the tour. our soundman was dancing at the mixing desk all night. great vibe in the room. 'broken' is exceptional, as is 'Rant'...encore: supa sista.
meet and greet after...load out...go to 'interesting' restaurant with dave a friend of gintas..to bed by 4am...sleep until 9am...to airport and off to paris.

munich

max emmanuel room 419
airport fly into munich.
check in at hotel - nice room. sleep 2 hours before soundcheck at ampere. when we arrive we are missing lots of backline. has to be sourced out. no power converter to 110v...missing stands...gintas is missing hardware as well.  he has the biggest snare drum i've ever seen...loud as hell too...hahaha...sound is very weird in the room and in the monitors.
show: packed in audience. great turnout.  lighting is bad. it's very bright, no changes of scenes..sound is horrible and my guitar sound is not happening..scooped out mids...on top of all this convert markus reuter (tuner, centrozoon) is here in the audience...so i'm dissappointed he can't hear a good sounding show...it was another struggle for me tonite...makes for a lot of work to play thru rather than joy--two encores--meet and speak to markus after for a while...then after teardown, out with ben mono for currywurst...(dinner 1am)...then to a nice dj lounge...bavarian breakfast at 5am...sleep for 1.5 hours.
check out and leave for airport.

paris-the riot-foundation cartier

hotel dela paix room 31
airport is smooth. air france allows us no hassle, no overage fees--so we are happy! flight is good into paris.  upon arrival ursula and gintas bags are missing -- will arrive in the evening they say.  greeted by charlotte from foundation cartier -- todondori yokoo exhibit is there in the room we will play--drop gear there and check into hotel. gintas and i go out to find internet cafe and lunch...as we round a corner we are headlong into protestors running directly towards us...we literally dive thru a cafe door as they swarmed by us breaking windows and smashing things...including this cafe's massive window...smashed by flying chair. mayhem. riot police with full riot gear and shields come running from all directions to disperse rioters...it calms down eventually after 15 minutes or so...we watch the crowds marching...teargas canisters...crazy scene...back to hotel, and off to cartier for soundcheck.  crew not together here at all.  we are worn out, and wait for them forever it seems.we are rushed to get back to gig after soundcheck...a quick change...and back. it's sold out...line down the street. nice audience but inadequate soundsystem here. a disappointment, but we persevere.they love it -- urse has an exceptional show--especially running on no sleep or food--only interviews.  at the stage after 3rd encore, alex kidd is with us, and helene from les nubians (big hugs) with rossy de palma (director pedro almodovar's muse) says i am 'a magician, not a musician...the sounds you have from the guitar are magic..."  also, meet daniel (apollo heights) who is recording an album with robin guthrie (cocteau twins) producing...we wind down with champagne.  head to catering for 'dinner'...then back to hotel. gintas and i go out for a nite cap...we find a small pub that serves chimay, so i'm happy...a nice vibe and a dancing girl. what more could you ask for.
this day was packed with adventure, art, and culture. now sleep.

freiburg, germany

inner city 419
college town.
early out of paris. arrive in straussborg--picked up in a nice van by lutz.  lunch at truckstop-incredible.  we finally have a warm meal-deli trays get old after awhile--check in to our hotel-nice rooms. we are happy. off to soundcheck @ jazzhaus. it has been home to jazz for years (miles davis, art blakey, don cherry, etc have all played here)...now it's branching out to all musics. the stage is blessed with all their spirits. sound check is good. engineer is on it. people are warm and friendly here. back to hotel for a rest until gintas locks himself out of his room wearing only his boxers! he borrows my jeans and has to go to lobby 3 times before his keycard would work. hilarious. walk back to venue. nice packed audience. we have a great show with an attentive listening audience. 2 encores. supa sister, and song 4 billy.
dinner after: margherita pizza, salad, red wine)
chill...take gear back to hotel with help from crew from jazzhaus...brief hang til 3am...london dj drum n bass party...sleep until 7am.

dortmund, germany

park inn 512
4 hours of sleep. yea! drive 2 hours to zurich airport - sleep and doze- nice. a very helpful air berlin checkin attendant helps us with excess baggage fees- we fly to dortmund. we are still pretty tired especially gintas who 'stayed up all night'. arrive in dortmund germany and can't find the driver. wait for a while, make calls..then finally do, bust our gear and luggage up to parking garage and find his car is too small! ridiculous. can't fit our gear or us in this tiny hatchback...ahhh...then, gintas realizes he doesnt have his computer bag and runs from parking lot garage to baggage claim (12minutes away). we're all worried and beat down at this point. after 40 minutes he finds his bag at airport security...thankfully! urse and gintas end up taking a train into town. i drive in car with gear and luggage. hotel is 5 star...pavaratti and stockhausen have stayed here. rooms are incredibly nice, but unfortunately no time to enjoy them. off to sound check. we are exhausted, wrecked test patterns. our travel day was 8am to 5pm (2 hour drive to zurich and flight to dortmund) issues, then a 90 minute drive to dortmund. upon arrival to domicil club, we munch on sandwiches, chocolate, fanta, coffee and setup.
sound is incredible...great room...rush back to hotel (shower, change, shave) then to venue...Packed! people are ready to rock! i have electronic issues during show. i think voltage wasn't quite right, and made popping noises intermittently...i was never sure if my sound was gonna go out...crazy, BUT
it was nevertheless, an incredible show...we rocked literally so hard...audience loved it...2 or 3 encores...really had a nice time tonight...spoke to so many guitarists and people after who said how much they enjoyed the performance...
to bed at 2:30 up at 7am. breakfast, then an hour drive to zurich airport (urse is a frantic...thinks she has lost a pile of money, but later finds it...the road) driven by fritz. airport is crazy. air berlin (excess baggage charges). a security line that takes forever (with 2 guitars on my back)...finally to plane...last to board...crew is helpful...sleep for a little while.

bern, switzerland

hotel bern 331
greated at airport by christian krebs from turnhalle im Progr...
train into bern...taxi to hotel...meet christian there, and have a nice sleep for 3 hours while the others went to brunch. i was wiped out.  off to soundcheck. turnhalle is an amazing place filled with cool folks and impressive crew. soundcheck is good. we are good to go. dinner is wonderful...such friendly great people here...
show: place is packed. we killed it tonight. sound is on.
have a great show...2 encores...the vibe in the room is fantastic. one of our best shows of the tour. we enjoy it so much we stay until 3am, way past their curfew, but no one would leave even though it was a sunday night and everyone had to work early the next day. a memorable evening. back to hotel. shower. and s l e e p!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

zurich

novotel 420
our baggage and gear goes by truck to zurich from turnhalle in prog while we take the train after coffees with christian krebs. nice journey. we travel with moods promoter  christoph. upon arrival we walk to novotel and check in. nice rooms. after a long soaking hot bath...head to moods for soundcheck. our soundcheck engineer, willy, is exceptional. a liesurely check with the best catering spread of the tour.
dinner @ venue: (pork, potatoes, vegetables, salad, water)
show is another great one. a rainy monday night--we had a blast letting it fly. LOVE ending is a pullout.  encores: supa sista and circe. after winddown with fans at bar off to novotel. really enjoyed working with willy. the sound was exceptional.

madness continues

nonstop madness continues...recapping...last night played a power trio hit with tony catastrophe and tony whitfield (bilal)... insane chemistry in this trio...we went everywhere from hendrix to brazil to dub to new orleans to funkadelic..so much fun...look forward to more hits with this insane group...king and i finished 4 cues for a documentary on selma march for the right to vote in alabama 1965...footage from cbs tv, malcolm x, mlk, jesse jackson...mind blowing...the music very heavy sad, distorted riffs and slide guitar..beats...the ghost of sister g was with us on these sessions...miami vice is getting closer...waiting to hear from michael mann how our music is all fitting...at this stage i think we've done 9 scenes...so we'll soon see...secret voices has been exciting as well...did final mastering session on tuesday...jeff chestek and pete humpreys, two scientists of sound here in philadelphia...the album sounds incredible...it's a heavy one folks...it feels like a deep dark movie...one for the heads no doubt...after the session, pete played us some out takes from the 'young americans' sessions that he engineered back in the 70's for some guy named david bowie...haha
it was incredible to hear this...luther vandrose sang back grounds on the record as well...his first recording session!
we heard an early take of 'young americans' which was alot different than the version we're all used to.  now bowie is singing ' i'm afraid of americans' ... great stuff.

whitney, nyc, miami vice

whew...continued craziness...but, just the way i like it...a few weeks back played the whitney museum with the sister gertrude morgan project...it was great to be playing that music again...hoping 2007 we will do much more...it's in it's potential stages...but for nyc...some really great moments...'god's word' and 'wound in his side' were two of my favorite moments...nice turnout and appreciative audience even though sound (due to the space), was less than superb. stayed the weekend in nyc with king's manager over in williamsburg...had the pleasure to enjoy that area and great restaurants for a few days...as well as catching allan holdsworth, jimmy johnson, and chad wackerman at the iridium for a tremendous show...back to philly...working towards the next 1k release SECRET VOICES...final mixes and tweeks have been completed with jeff chestik...fantastic mixes...last tuesday a mastering session with pete humphreys at masterwork...gonna probably have a tweek on one track...but sounds superb...will work with ben langsfeld saturday on digipak design with stefano ricci's excellant artwork for the cover...also, finishing yet another scene for the miami vice film...on sunday we begin scoring a new film as well dealing with the selma march for the right to vote from the 60's...alabama...heavy stuff...incredible footage...MLK...so a crazy week ahead...at the last minute yesterday we were able to secure tix to radioheads first us concert kicking off here in philly at the tower theatre. amazing show, sound, and production.  one of the best sounding shows i've ever attended.
what a band. an incredible night at the tower.