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Roland's Tour
Diary
Updated
Thursday, July 21, 2005
(Scroll
down to see the entries in order...)
Sunday,
November 7, 2004
Greetings from the "Road"!
More than two weeks have past
since we played Austin and after tonight
(Milwaukee), the ELAHE tour should become
a bit of a cakewalk. We're
looking at plenty of days to rest our weary voices and time to
hopefully get in some tennis.
We were spoilt, very early on,
when we played New York City as only our
third show. Everything snapped in to place
that night and it was
especially significant for me, having friends who flew from England,
and my sons, really for the
first time, experiencing their
Dad, doing
what he does best (well apart from a few other things!). I think Pascal
(my youngest)
has developed a taste for the
rock 'n' roll lifestyle,
jumping around the tour bus like he was king of the hill!
Since then, we've been
surprised by the warmth and enthusiasm of the
audiences. Last night (Columbus), on leaving
the venue, a fan commented
that having seen TFF in concert seven times, this was by far the most
relaxed she'd
seen us - ah well, that should
scotch any rumours about
on-tour tensions. After the show, it was on the bus for
some very
unhealthy pizza and a classic "Animal House" DVD (why don't women wear
underwear like that
anymore?) - an overnight drive
took us to Milwaukee
which is where I am writing this, in my bath robe, waiting
for my hair
to dry!!!!!!!!!!
I have been grabbing the
opportunity while we trundle along for hours
in our rather plush tour bus ;), to program
up another tune from 'The
Hurting' (wait and see). It would be so nice to play all the songs that
people want to
hear - 'Woman in Chains' being
an obvious one that is
missing from the set - we played it in NY with a guest
vocalist (the
superb Amy Keys) and she will be performing with us on the west-coast.
No songs from RATKOS either - I
was touched last night to see a guy
down the front with the most impressive
tattoo of the Raoul Insignia -
I'm tempted to get one myself!
I will update you , from time
to time, to let you know who is winning
the ongoing Gin Rummy tournament,
how many of Curt's cryptic
crosswords
we've managed to complete - who's up in doubles (tennis) and
whether
keyboard player Doug Petty manages to develop a backhand.
Well, time to get ready for
soundcheck!
Tomorrow
is...................... another day!
Monday, November 8, 2004
Great
to see the response re. the tour diary.
Milwaukee was a strange affair
- Curt was very witty and I feel the
"highly" intimate setting created
a studio-like performance from
us.
It was the third in a row and
boy are we glad to have a day off,
even if it included a six hour drive.
This evening we packed in a
game
of doubles - yes, Doug is improving rapidly - and an Indian meal,
where
we
of course ordered too much. The waitress (November 4 - scorpio) found
it curious that I
didn't have to taste the wine -
I could just could
smell whether it was any good or not - is that strange?
It's pretty cold here in
Minneapolis - I'm looking forward to tomorrow
night - and then of course - LA -
home for three nights - bliss!
Sunday, November 14, 2004
I thought I would take another
break from aloofness (ha ha) and let you know how excited I am about
last night's show in Kansas.
After two well deserved days off in LA (you forget how great the
weather
is in that place), Curt and I
took an ugly, early morning flight from Burbank to Dallas and on to
Kitty Kitty
Kansas. I had received an
e-mail, the night before, telling me that Oleta Adams and her husband
John were
coming to the show - there was
also John's cell number. I called immediately, mostly to see if there
was a
chance 'the great diva' would
come up and perform my favourite song with us. Having been greeted by
an
answer machine, I really had no
idea what was going to happen but JUST IN CASE we had Cory set up
a mix and a mic for Oleta.
When the curtain went back,
there they were in the third row and I felt suddenly nervous, proud and
excited.
I made a (subtle) remark, after
the fifth song, about Kansas being a special place of destiny and that
we had
a friend from there with a
wonderful voice. Basically, it didn't take much for the audience to
cotton on and it
was then a case of could we get
through the set without everyone clamouring for 'Woman in Chains'.
Luckily, the audience calmed
down enough for us to deliver a great show (apologies for my keyboards
on
'Snow Hill') and before the
encore, we sent Gruno off to ask the golden question. Well, the rest,
they say,
is history and will go down in
my memory as a tour highlight. I feel WIC is such an important song and
that
we are somehow short-changing
the audience when we don't play the best of our material.
I've read some of the posts
that are up already about last night and I'm glad to see that people
are as excited
as we are.
Well, I'm not sitting here in
my dressing gown and there seems to be a serious lack of tennis courts
in
downtown Denver - maybe I'll
watch 'Animal House' again?
All the best, the almost
accessible Roland.
(Now where did I put that ring?)
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Back in LA for one night
before we head down to Temecula for two in a row. This really is the
home stretch -
light at the end of the tunnel
and other birth/death metaphors. The flight back from Denver was rather
bumpy
- if the tour bus is purgatory
for Curt, then turbulence is hell for me. I'm afraid when it gets a bit
rough, my head
goes between my legs and among
all the cursing, an instinctive need for a saviour re-emerges. LAX at
the gate,
strolled past Ashley Judd -
WOW! (funnily enough, I'd just been thinking about her) - if that's not
an example of the
moon transiting my natal venus,
I don't know what is. Arrived at the house and was greeted by the sight
and sound
of seven workmen in the
backyard, ripping out trees and taking pneumatic drills to the (now
empty) pool - one HELL
of a racket - so much for a
nap! (it's all change round here!!!).
Last night was a solid
performance - we threw in 'Memories Fade' - obviously a lot of
'Hurting' fans - they were pleased;
we were relieved to get through
it. Funnily enough, since we added some programming (yes we use a
laptop!!!!!!!!),
'Pale Shelter' has become a
very strong live track (who knew?). I'm very chuffed that we have Amy
Keys with us for the
majority of the remaining dates
- you know my feelings about WIC - Amy did a great job in NYC and this
will see the tour
out nicely.
Tomorrow morning (11/17), we
have an early call, playing acoustically for the KLOS morning show.
We're trying to
ensure that LA is a sell-out -
it's the largest show by capacity and should be a real hoot, being our
'home' gig???!!!!!!!
It's an early night with salt
water gargle. Vocal warm-ups in the morning to be drowned out
(probably) by the sound of
drilling!
Yours clairvoyantly!
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Let's see if I can answer some
questions while reporting back about the tour. A live DVD? - you know,
it has been
discussed. There are plenty of
companies willing - I guess the longer we leave it, the more the set
will develop,
creating a better show to film.
As I mentioned, the UK release
of ELAHE will contain extra tracks. Also, Gut Records have done a
couple of
dance
remixes for CTTH - they are......................... interesting (?)
and very hooky! I like the way Gut are aggressively
pursuing every option. I can
see a few of you dancing around in your underwear to them (that one for
the ladies!).
.........and.......(
drumroll! ).............we're making a video (shock horror!). We film
the mainly animated clip in LA on Dec 6 -
director is Mike Palmieri.
Award for most patient audience
goes to Tucson - I could see the relief on their faces when we only
played one encore.
No one told me it was an
outdoor venue - needless to say the jacket did not come off - it was
freezing and a real struggle
for the ailing vocal chords.
Big Brother is no longer in
Vegas (great show) but did enjoy an incredible Thanksgiving with Perry
Rogers and his family.
(He manages Andre Agassi,
Shaquille O'Neal and many others.) It's fascinating to see the other
side of that town where
people lead wholesome, honest
lives. We talked about next year's Agassi CF show - it's the ten year
anniversary!
hopefully, we'll be invited
back ;)
Well KMK has safely returned
home. It was great to hang and I'm waiting for her side of the story
with baited breath
- hopefully, she won't spill
too many beans!!!!!! I would say, however, that her view of the shows
may well be affected
by her choice of
footwear???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here in LA, I'm looking forward
to some time off. I watched my first English soccer match, this
morning, for some time,
and tonight, I can't wait for
'Desperate Housewives'.
All the best
Roland
Thursday, December 9, 2004
A rather weary Roland here,
enjoying a glass of wine and trying to relax after the video yesterday
and photo shoot today.
The
video, as I have said, will be 80 per cent animation - our
'performance' was shot against green screen and we will be placed in
later.
The exciting news is that we have Brittany Murphy as our central figure
(sorry couldn't tell you before). She looked fab and was an
amazing
pro - she had very little to feed off (again, on her own, against green
screen) but she lit up the place. We had a feeling she
would be the right choice and
we are eternally grateful to her. I won't tell you the plot (you'll
just have to be patient).
I've
noticed a lot of questions being asked on the message board and I'm
sorry I don't have time to answer every single one, but in no
particular order.............
No, Yes, Damien Rice (or Flaming Lips) and Manchester United!
I
guess I'll be seeing some of you in Phoenix (does anyone know who else
is on the bill?) and some of you in Dallas and St. Louis. Orlando
is a shortened set but I'm not
sure about the others (damn - I'm going to miss another episode of DH).
Happy Holidays!
Saturday,
December 18, 2004
And finally..........................it's over!
I'm writing this on the flight from St. Louis back to Los Angeles. I arrive around midday and and drive straight to the house. I have about
an hour and a half to say goodbye to the dog and make sure the boys have enough entertainment packed for the long flight back to England,
before returning to LAX with them in tow. By the time I arrive in London, I will have flown more than 28 hours in 8 days and remember, I
hate flying (thankfully it's really smooth right now).
This really is the end of an era. I haven't set foot in our home, since March 14 2003, when we began recording ELAHE. Caroline has been there
for a week, getting the house ready and experiencing the disadvantages of having rented it out. It will cost a fair bit of money to get
everything back to the level it was when we left - let that be a lesson to us! Neptune's Kitchen is now Neptune's furniture storage facility.
Aside from that, the past 20 months have been an amazing journey and, I feel, very beneficial for the family. Putting back the pieces will take
some time - hey don't feel sorry for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (oh alright, go on then).
A word about Phoenix............WOW!!!!!!!!
I said at the concert that I felt the LOVE and I meant it. There was something about playing in a round on a revolving stage that appealed
to my "solar" perspective (hahaha). It was so nice to see some of the hardcore (fans), evenly spread around the room. Oh there you
are!........... oh there you are!........... why doesn't anyone pop back after the show? I even got to see my own butt on the screens!!!!!!
I felt terrible about the lady who fell flat on her face - I hope she has made a full and speedy recovery (anyone any info?).
From there, it was a four hour flight to Orlando. I've read some of the posts about that night and I have to say, I agree with a lot of them.
You would think that management would tell you who you're playing with, how long for, and for how many people (and are they fans?). I guess
that would be too simple. That would have given us the chance to evaluate whether it was worth traveling 4000 miles there and back.
Dallas was a nice show - and good to see some of the hardcore showing up for it. Who needs a tele-prompter when you have Amber down
the front mouthing every word!!!! A hop and a skip, and we were in St. Louis............... and........... there's Amber again, right down the
front (with boyfriend/hubby?). One day, we'll throw in a really obscure tune (The Madness of Roland?), just to see if she knows the lyrics to
everything!
Well, as I said.............. it's all over................(fade in chorus of 'Who Killed Tangerine?).
And just think, the album hasn't even been released in Europe yet!
P.S. I'll be without internet for a while until we get the phone lines sorted.
Merry Xmas everybody!
Wedneday,
March 30, 2005
So TFF are back in the Studio. Shock! Horror! What are they doing? I hear you ask yourselves, well....... trying to get involved in the
forthcoming 'Anthology' - that's what. "Welcome to your life" is what we're hoping to call it. A two CD set of the usual suspects plus some
of our 'solo' work. We also hope to include a live version of 'Mad World', and the new track we're working on now. There will be an
accompanying DVD, again with some of the rarer videos. Overall, it should a neat little package (haha!) and certainly more definitive than
past compilations. There is also talk of us filming a live DVD. I'll keep you posted as the show may require an 'invited' audience.
Funnily enough, I was listening to "Falling Down" last night from the Raoul album. I hadn't heard it for a while, in fact, I had to download
it from I tunes. It's strange listening to all the amazing playing from the band of unsung heroes, I had at the time. Jebin Bruni on Keys,
Brian Macloud on Drums, Gail Ann Dorsey on Bass, Jeff Trott on guitar and of course the legendary Alan Griffiths.
Anyway, it's good to be making music again after the rather ‘interesting’ promo trip to Europe. Seeing the major cities of Britain
for the first time in many years was fascinating, and when Curt and I stood within spitting distance of Old Trafford (Manchester United’s
Soccer Stadium), we were visibly moved. However, I'm not convinced that our cause is being furthered by interviews with Italian TV guides and
having our pictures taken, shaking hands with the office staff, but luckily our mood was restored by vast quantities of good Italian food
and vino!
I understand fans would like to see a TFF memorabilia auction on Ebay. The band is currently putting together a selection of grimy socks,
soiled T-shirts, grubby tennis shoes, and other cast-offs that will be put up for bids shortly. (And if you believe that............). I’d personally
hold out for the gently-worn thongs! (ha ha!) Mind you, I do think it's time to part with the sailor jacket...........
But seriously folks, looking forward to the UK and Ireland dates and especially looking forward to playing at the Robert Mondavi winery in
the Summer. (hic!)
Roland
Saturday,
May 7, 2005
Well, another intense period is
finally over for TFF, I can stop obsessing about my voice and leave the
calorific honey and lemon to one side for a while. I feel we left
London on a high, even if some of the reviews have made out otherwise.
The mind boggles as to how people read body language – Curt and I are
getting on famously – if we weren’t, you’d soon hear about it and I
could indulge in some fantastic bitching during this tour diary – but
no – live, we are a band and have no desire to ‘Wham’ it up with fake
buddiness.
I’ve read some of the comments
posted and can’t say I disagree with even the more negative ones. We
were caught slightly off-guard by the lack of awareness of ELAHE in the
UK, and I think Glasgow was the peak of a mutual ignorance, with us
clumsily dividing the set into old and new. It wasn’t until Newcastle
that we remedied the situation – and boy, what an audience! Shades of
New York!
I also think we have too much
of the new album in the set. Admittedly, the touring was designed to
get the point across, but I do think we could make a better show, if we
increased the repertoire and started to replace some of the newer songs
– more upbeat tunes would work in our favor, and as we are hitting the
US in the summer, it might well be time for a change. (Points taken
about RATKOS – however, bear it in mind, we do three songs from ‘Big
Chair’ – ‘Listen’ would be impossible and ‘The Working Hour’ requires a
saxophone – any offers? ‘I Believe’ – maybe. )
Cardiff was as close to a home
gig as we could get, with a couple of busloads crossing the Severn
Bridge from Bath and Bristol. The atmosphere was very casual and
relaxed, and the gathering in the green room, after the show, did
resemble a wedding. One great thing about being a ‘seasoned
professional’ is you learn to take things like playing in front of
friends, family and neighbors in your stride – you just imagine you’re
throwing a big party!
Points also taken about the
dance remixes that are accompanying the UK single releases, although I
would say I have a fondness for the ‘Call Me Mellow’ ones. I guess like
Tony Blair it’s time to listen to the electorate and start working on
some obscure beauty in the form of B-sides, that would titillate the
fans, and keep us interested. I’m also touched by some of your comments
about RATKOS – I believe that album must have sold by word of mouth, as
it didn’t receive much attention at the time. Over 700,000 copies now
sold (unless I’ve been misinformed – can’t be that many hardcore fans)
– not bad considering.
It’s off to Paris on Sunday for
more delightful press and promotion – things, however, have gone our
way there with the CTTH video getting a nice bit of airtime. As you are
probably aware, we are playing a show in the French capital on June 18
(with Moby and Garbage), and the record company has certainly filled up
our days over the coming week. I can’t wait for the late, late night
chat shows with some poor sod trying to translate our perverse asides!
Anyways, thanks for all the
interesting posts and glad that at least some of you enjoyed our UK
adventure. Now is the time to put in your requests for live songs as
Big Brother will be watching very intently over the next week ;)
Roland
Thursday, July 21, 2005
For some reason, I decided to take a sauna, the night before the Vegas show. I happen to have one in my bedroom (hey! the guy who I
bought the place from was single!!!!). Little did I know that it would give me a sense of the foreboding heat to come. Boy, that was a
shock and quite sickly (120 degrees!). I could see the stage from the window of my suite, it looked tiny, and the water in front made me
think there would be a gulf (?!?) between ourselves and the audience. Luckily, my eagle's nest perception was wrong. The adrenaline was
with us that night, and what a "sight for sore eyes" greeted us as we walked on to the "economic" stage! Certain members of the hardcore in
their bikinis, up to their knees in the swimming pool. Residency? anyone? Wow! It's a shame that the European Bathing Rules that were
being applied in the private section next door, didn't spill over ;) (and all this from the guy who brought you "Woman in Chains"). I have
managed to collect a wild array of shirts for the tour (in lieu of the legendary jacket) but I could have done with a wife-beater that
night!
By now, you'll know that we have introduced some more of the older songs in to the set and our plan was severely tested at OC. I think
we were suffering a bit of a musical hangover from the night before, and the shortened show was bumpier than we had anticipated - great
audience thankfully. A day off in LA to rest the weary voice and have another look at the programming of "Mother's Talk".
Phoenix was familiar territory. We had played the Celebrity Theater in December and it was one of my favorites. The revolving stage is
always fun and the fact that it was not properly aligned at the end of the set, prompted us to go straight into a series of encores. One
of the shocking insights of that night was revealed in the dressing room after the show. A number of our fans have unnaturally long
tongues. Now I can't quite work out why Nature would provide such diversity within a species, or what particular use that extension
would have (anyone care to fill me in?) but it was impressive, to say the least (I'll save the blushes of those ladies!).
A bumpy plane ride brought myself and Smithy to San Diego. Humphrey's was the venue, an intimate setting in the heart of a beach-front
hotel. Lo and behold, as we walked in, there was Amber and Mark on their patio, enjoying (?) a sneak at sound-check. Question is can
they name the song that we flirted with, which didn't make it on to ELAHE? To my surprise, we were joined on stage, that night, by some
of the band's kids for the encore of "Shout" - I must say that higher octave definitely made for an improvement. Well, as Curt's wife said,
it may be the last chance Diva and Wilder get to see her Dad in this setting (sob sob!!!!!!!!!)..................(and when you think it's
all over..........)..........meanwhile.... more ways than one to earn a living???? I'll have to think about that - this seems a pretty good
one.
It's up bright and early tomorrow morning, for San Francisco. The wineries!!!!!!! whose idea was that? Is someone trying to get me
drunk? Looking forward to seeing KMK at Tahoe..........I'll have to drag out the blue sailor's jacket for the last show, before igniting
it in a pagan ceremony, designed to bring in the new; Oh and by the way, I believe we are playing the Agassi event back in Vegas (thong
at the ready!) in October.........huh? and I thought we were all done!
Roland
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