Category Common Rotation UK Tour ’05

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

Jory and I went down to the West End to look for a piano rental.  I found a fellow with a guitar at an internet shop and asked him and he pointed me to Denmark St.  What a time we had looking for that mysterious street.  What a quest! Everyone who gave us directions must have had their mental maps on a gyroscope. 

L = directions, I = communication, i = map made of marbles

And one lady wouldn’t respond when I asked her.  And I mean she wouldn’t acknowledge me.  Perhaps, I had ended my sentence in a preposition and she wouldn’t answer until the sentence was ended properly.  Or its the other thing.

We finally found Denmark St. and no one rents pianos on that strip of music stores.  But I did take  someone’s advice and found a place.

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

I’m getting ready to get on the plane.  My car-service driver got lost on the way to the airport.  She was real nice though and I left early enough for no worries.  No harm, no foul. 

I got the new Wired.  My trips coincide with new issues.  I also borrowed my friend’s Fortean Times magazine.  It has map of cool places to visit.  I should have plenty of time to see some of these places.

I got a text from Jory last night.  He kissed Erin Gray at the Sci Fi convention where Common Rotation was playing.  She’s still hot.  I just watched Six Pack again this week.  She makes it with the great Kenny Rogers.  His soundtrack contribution, Love Will Turn You Around, is one of my favorite songs.

I look forward to drinking with my buddies and having good times this week.

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

Dammit!  I got a memory stick and dv tapes for my camera and didn’t pack the second half of the power cord.  Damn my eyes!

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

I rented a piano for the show last night.  I got a good deal on it and the chaps who hired it out were really nice.  I had a hard time finding the place and everyone I asked in the neighborhood had no idea what street I was looking for.  I found a bus map and made my way to garage that rented instruments.  I got a nice Lose Weight Exerciseed key piano.  It was much heavier than the one I have and I was in a hurry to get to the show so the fellows called me a car service.  When you call a car service, make sure you ask how much ahead of time and that is what they did. 

The car was a brand new Mercedes and I was quoted £10. 

"This is the most expensive neighborhood in London believe it or not," the renter in Hampstead told me...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

I got a donner kebab the other day in Glasgow. It was the best donner kebab I’d ever had. Eric had 3 of them. The taxi waited for him to go back for another one. It topped off a weird night.
After the show we took our things to the tour bus and went out and about. I was very happy to be hanging out with Scots. Two excellent fellows, John and Steve, took me to the Cathouse.
“You want to go to a metal club?”
I pictured sitting at the bar listening to Guns and Roses and it sounded lovely.
“Yes. Let’s do it.”
Two of the lassies said, “You don’t want to go there” which made me want to go even more. I haven’t heard Ugly Kid Joe in a long time and I felt like it was coming.
The alleys in Glasgow smell like pee because of people like me...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

Let me tell you about Jimmy. From the time I was approached by him I was duly warned from three different people to watch out for him. I guess those were people who were around him all the time. For me it was no more than twenty minutes, maybe twenty-five and I enjoyed myself completely.
Jimmy’s balding with long hair, has a belly like mine but bigger and sports a Hitchhiker’s Guide t-shirt of which he was very excited about its upcoming movie.
“He’s been banned from every bar in Scotland.”
“This one?”
“Well, almost.”
Jimmy didn’t have it that night but he usually carries a flask of whisky with him to the bar. And he shares.
“Do ya have any single malt?”
“No, that would be in the front bar.”
We were playing that night at O’Neills -a chain of pubs with no real sound system for bands...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

I met Common Rotation during the Giants tour. We didn’t know each other and were going to share a vehicle together. They were ready to not like me and I was worried about them liking me. But like a cheetah to an antelope we took to each other becoming fast friends.
Erego, when they decided to go to the UK, good times steered them to invite me and good times we had. I don’t know how they were able to get a tour bus but they did. Good bunks, kitchen, entertainment center including playstation, toilet, good times.
I’ve been known to fall asleep early no matter what. I’ve taken naps at bars, parties, green rooms. But with jetlag I was able to stay up late but not able to sleep late because the sun excites me...

Posted in Blog/Tour Diary, Common Rotation UK Tour '05

My flight to London was alright. There was a kid kicking my chair constantly. I did the half turn thinking he was 11 and would get the hint. I finally did the full turn with a mean look and it was a four-year-old. My face changed quick and I let him continue kicking. During my chair banging I watched Cellular. Holy shit is that a terrible movie. “Dude”, “Bro”, “When you going to realize she doesn’t want you anymore”. I wanted to change it but wanted to see some action so I waded through the point break dialogue and finally got some action and it soon sucked less. I started to watch Elektra but was a smarter watcher by then and changed to the Lemony Snicket movie which I enjoyed.
I had no problems getting to my friend’s bar. I hung out with him and others and had a nice time.
I’m ...