Leaving the UK, heading to Australia!

How on earth did I let an entire week go by without journaling? Wow. Well, it went like this: Monday, I slept in late again, went to have dinner with Chris, Greg (our tour manager), and Chris’ friend Kirin. We had Indian food in SoHo, and a waiter who seemed less than enthused about his chosen line of work. The food was delicious. Of course, since I didn’t get out of bed until just after noon, by 11pm, I was wide awake and ready to party again at the jam session. I walked into the building…and none of the guys from the band were there. I wasn’t interested in being the only one from our group there, so I walked back to the hotel and met some of them in the lobby. All of us were feeling sluggish, so none of us went. Furthermore, I had a plane to catch in the early afternoon, and didn’t want to take a chance that I’d miss the lobby call!
Tuesday morning at 11am, 4 of us met in the lobby to take our ride to Heathrow airport, where we boarded a flight to Dubai (7 hours) and then another to Perth (11 hours). As usual, I could barely stay awake sitting on the airplane and was asleep before take off. I have no idea why I have it, but am quite grateful for the skill of sleeping soundly while in transit! While waiting for our connecting flight in Dubai, we all sat in the lounge, waiting to be called to boarding. The flight in London had been delayed, and once we entered the lounge there, the staff told us that they’d let us know when it was time to board. No such luck in Dubai! The staff seemed to announce every flight EXCEPT for ours. Finally at 20 minutes before take off, Kyle walked to the flight board and saw that it read “Final Boarding” for our flight, and we all took off running. Who knows when the next possible flight to Perth would be, and whether or not seats would be available? None of us wanted to be stuck in Dubai, so we sped to the gate, and I led the way, thanks to my daily walk/run habit! We made it to the flight with about 5 minutes to spare and promptly all fell asleep!

Wednesday evening: Perth! We lost an entire day, but arrived just in time for sunset in the land down under. As we crossed over land, having spent many hours over the Indian Ocean, it thrilled me to see yet another continent. We arrived at the Burswood Entertainment Centre, had dinner and attempted to get some rest. I was fine and slept the whole night, but many in the group were unable to sleep at all.












On Thursday morning, I woke up around 9am and walked into Perth along the Swan River. What a beautiful view! It reminded me in some ways of walking around Lake Merrit back home. The sky is blue, the temperature in the low 70s. Ah! I walked for about 40 minutes to a grocery store in the city, and walked back carrying 5 liters of water and a few other items. No need for the gym today! My biceps were sore for the rest of the day!
As soon as I walked into my hotel room, Nate called and told me that he and several of the guys were heading into town for lunch, so I quickly showered, dressed and met them in the lobby to take the train back into Perth. Most of the guys ate American style fast food (you know the chains), but Nate, Errol and I had some yummy noodles at a Japanese noodle shop. I know that some people are less adventurous eaters, but I can’t eat the same old thing when I’m thousands of miles away, in another culture. Granted, given my disdain for all things meat based, I would have a challenge in those cultures that emphasize meat, but I’m willing to try just about anything (within limits…I don’t see myself eating anything wiggly or smelly on the plate!). I can’t wait to try some authentic Australian cuisine. I must admit that I’m rather ignorant about it (“Shrimp on the Barbi” and Barramundi excepted), but hope to learn!
After a quick shopping trip (I found fantastic souvenirs at an Aboriginal art gallery), we returned to the hotel, where despite sleeping the entire night, I took an hour nap. We all met in the lobby (including poor LaTanya, who really hasn’t slept much at all) and walked to dinner at a local steak house. The food was tasty if not inspired, and they even had veggie offerings for me. We headed into the Casino briefly, had drinks and became more and more drowsy, finally giving up and giving in to sleep around midnight.

A Day off in London

I didn’t wake up today until 4:30pm! I suppose that I was rather exhausted. It’s rare for me to allow myself that kind of extended sleep, but I really, really, really needed it! Upon rising, I finally made some phone calls to friends, since I had a couple of days off. I took the Underground to the outskirts of London to meet and have dinner with Arlene and to meet her lovely husband, Ken. Chris met me at their home and drove me back to my hotel.




Once at the hotel, I went online so I could listen to the Vice-Presidential debate. I found the parody by Tina Fey and the SNL crew to be far more interesting…lol. Regardless of one’s political leanings, it can’t be denied that her parody of Sarah Palin is SPOT-ON! She’s hilarious, and, sadly, too close to reality…

Back in Birmingham

I didn’t get out of the bed until nearly 1pm today! I suppose I was more than a little exhausted. I didn’t eat breakfast, I didn’t work out, I didn’t go for a walk. Oh well! Sometime a woman just has to sleep! I’d wanted to walk to the venue, but it was cold and rainy, and I was in no mood for cold weather. Besides, the venue itself was very cold, so I’m glad that I didn’t expose myself to the elements. Tonight’s Birmingham show went well, with Stevie thanking everyone involved in the European tour, and inviting all of us band members to the front of the stage to give a group thank you to Europe.

After the show, we boarded the busses for the drive to London. As usual, I fell asleep (I just can’t stay awake while riding in a bus or airplane) and woke up just as we arrived at the hotel. We all cleared our belongings off of the bus, as we wouldn’t be using the busses again. I noticed a man’s blazer and after confirming that it didn’t belong to the bus driver, I took it with me. I figured out the owner of the blazer, called and reported that I was bringing it to his room, simply out of courtesy. As I approached the elevator, I didn’t notice the huge wad of gum that was sitting right at the entrance, and SPLAT!, my right shoe was afflicted with gum residue.

Not too pleased, but too sleepy to be indignant, I instantly forgot the room number I was heading to, removed my right shoe and returned to the front desk to refresh my memory. The extremely gracious night manager noticed that I was holding rather than wearing my right shoe, and after reminding me of my colleague’s correct room number, insisted upon taking care of my shoe, and offered me whichever amenities I’d prefer as a compensation for my trouble. Of course, since I don’t drink alcohol, I requested a fruit plate, and then had an epiphany: I should request complimentary internet service! The standard English rate for internet service is equivalent to approximately $35 per day, and that’s just not a price I can pay without my stomach turning! After all, I pay $15 per MONTH at home! My request was granted, and I stayed up far too late taking advantage of it, but oh, how I do appreciate free internet!

Another show in Manchester

Tonight’s show in Manchester was awesome! Everyone played really well, and the audience was highly responsive. This morning I woke up, ate, went back to sleep, got up, got dressed, practiced for an hour, headed to the venue, practiced for 2 hours, ate dinner, got dressed, played the show, met my friends in the Meet and Greet, got on the bus, went to sleep, checked into the hotel, called my mom and sister, checked email, and now finally am about to go to bed for a few hours, before starting the whole thing all over! Lol zzzzz

A Day Off in Manchester

Finally another day off! Today, I basically slept, responded to email, went for a walk through town, in the cold and rainy weather, updated my blog, slept, ate dinner with a group from the tour, and returned to the hotel in order to finish my email, blog and ironing. I decided to unpack and repack my luggage, and now at 2:30am, I’m regretting that decision. All I want to do it go to sleep. Lol Well, I’ll probably put in another few minutes and then pass out. Back to work tomorrow!

Fourth show at the O2

Alas, I had a cup of green tea yesterday afternoon, and despite being awake until nearly 4am again, I woke up at 8am. I wish I weren’t quite so sensitive to caffeine! Sigh… Somehow I managed to make it through the day without too much fatigue, despite still experiencing some minor stomach trouble. We had another great show in London tonight. After the show, I met Eric Roberson and Batatunde Lea before taking off for Manchester. Many thanks to my fabulous new friend Chris for all of his help : >

Back at the O2

I don’t feel well this morning. My stomach is bothering me, but I decided to get up and have a short workout and breakfast anyway. I immediately went back to bed after breakfast, deciding that rest was more important than practicing. I finally got up and dressed to head to the venue, where we did another great show, this time with a cameo by Joss Stone . Joss sang with Stevie on “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”. She was kind enough to take a photo with me after the show, and even bent down so that we'd both be in the photo. She's quite tall!

At the Meet and Greet after the show, a very kind man walked over, complimented me on my website and encouraged me to continue blogging my tour experience. I was so flattered! It continually amazes me that my little online diary is actually read and enjoyed by people I’ve never met! It’s a beautiful thing : >


Me and Joss Stone

London Sight-seeing

This morning I went through my usual morning activities, took a nap, paid some bills (with what money I have), and went on a walk through Hyde Park to dissipate some of the stress that usually (unfortunately) accompanies bill paying. I had spoken to my fabulous new friend, Chris Nicholas, a close friend of, and songwriting collaborator with, Zoe Ellis, earlier and arranged to meet him back at the hotel for a tour of the city. I met Chris in the lobby and he proceeded to take me on a lovely walking tour past many of the significant London monuments near Hyde Park. We passed throught Trafalgar Squarea, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch and ended up in SoHo for dinner. I had a traditional fish pie, which while tasty, I wasn’t able to finish, perhaps because of exposure to a stomach virus that many on the tour had been suffering from. I never experienced the worst of the virus, but I was surprised that I didn’t eat more, given my usually very high metabolism and concomitant large appetite!

After dinner, I returned to the hotel for a short nap, before joining several of the band members for a night out. We went to a weekly jam session in a club in Piccadilly Circus, and met and played with some cool new musician friends, including John Altman, Alexei and host Patrick Alan. Initially, we were all claiming that we’d sit the night out, stating our fatigue as an excuse not to perform, but one by one, we were compelled to the stage.

I sat at the keyboard and joined in a funky jam with everyone, while Patrick was singing an improvised song. Then Patrick put a mic in front of me. I was a bit taken aback (as I’ve been singing background forever but have very little lead experience), but went for it anyway, singing whatever romantic lyrics I could think of in the moment. Vocal improvisation is a definite skill set, and, let’s just say, something I should work on! lol We then played extended versions of “Do I Do” and “Supersition”, each of us taking a solo. Despite the fatigue, it was great fun. The club was too loud (I spent much time with my ears covered), but the audience and other musicians were awesome. I didn’t get to sleep until nearly 4am…

Concert in Paris

I went to bed Saturday, confident that I’d wake up at 9am, since I’d set my alarm. However, in my fatigue, I didn’t notice that I’d set the alarm for 9pm. Doh! I woke up late, around 10:15am, rushed to eat breakfast, get dressed and be ready to join Fausto on a quick tour of Paris with some local musician friends of his by 11am. Fausto’s friends did not speak English, so it was an excellent opportunity for me to practice speaking Spanish and French! I rarely practice speaking anything but English, so to be immersed in a situation where I had to at least make an effort was a wonderful thing. We ran from one monument to the next, taking in as much as possible in the small 3 hour window that we had for touring Paris. We hopped on the subway and headed into town. First stop was the Arc de Triomphe. Next was the Champs Elysee, the exterior and entrance to the Louvre Museum, and finally the Eiffel Tower. One of these days, I’ll have to actually take a vacation and make time to really see Paris without rushing. Walking in Paris felt very natural to me. I do believe I could live there…at least for a while!

We made it back to the hotel just in time to catch the bus to the venue. What a great crowd! Paris has got to be the best crowd that we’ve had. The energy was unbelievable and all of us musicians responded to it. Harmonica player, Frederic Yannet, made a guest appearance on “Boogie On Raggae Woman”, and had a fabulous harmonica duel with Stevie. After the show, I met Natalie Portman, who was very kind and complimented the show and my performance.

As we left the venue, and headed for the club where we’d be performing with Mao, there was a large gathering of fans cheering us and thanking us for our performance. The people were so kind and gracious, and we all appreciated them. At the club, we performed Mao’s set to an enthusiastic gathering of people, including Stevie. After our performance, Youssou N’Dour, the fantastic African singer, performed one song. What a voice!

Stevie was in a happy mood. After sitting for a while, the crowd was clamoring for him to perform, and he obliged. Stevie walked up to the stage and performed a series of songs, including a few songs that I didn’t know, including “Saturn” and “Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Ba Day”. Aisha and Dejah came up to the stage with the rest of the band at hand, and we all made music. The stage was unbelievably hot, but we stayed up there nearly an hour. Finally, at 4am, we left in the busses and headed for the ferry to cross back into the UK.

Touring Paris


























After the Paris concert



Me and Natalie Portman




Me, Frederic Yonnet and his wife







At the club with the guys





Yossou!

Je suis une petite Parisienne!

On Saturday morning, we arrived in Paris and, because of a rehearsal with an artist who’d hired us to perform with him after our Paris concert, I took off immediately to try and see what I could of the city. I hopped on the Metro and went to see the Louvre and buildings in the vicinity. I only had about 2 hours before I had to head back. Our rehearsal with Mao Otayeck, held in a local rehearsal studio, lasted for a few hours. Afterwards, we went and briefly listened to some authentic Congolese pop music, complete with dancers, in a separate rehearsal space in the rehearsal studio. The room was packed with musicians, dancers and listeners. It was a vibrant scene, but too loud and too hot for most of to appreciate longer than a few minutes.

By the time we got back to the hotel and had dinner, it was after midnight. I had hoped to visit the Eiffel Tower at night, shimmering in all its glory, but someone had told us (mistakenly, I learned later) that the trains stopped running at 1am on Saturday night, so I gave up my quest, and with a few of the guys went on a post dinner walk along the Seine. It was lovely. On returning to the hotel, I called my mom and wished her a happy birthday.

Walking around Paris

Munich to Milan

The last couple of days have been fun! On Thursday, we had a show in Munich, where the audience was rather reserved, but seemed to enjoy the show. At the end, when Stevie spoke about his support for Obama, an audience member stood and held a McCain for President sign above his head. I didn’t actually read the sign, but thought it rather rude to have displayed it during the concert, given Stevie’s support of Obama. To each his own… We left Germany and drove all night to Italy.

Friday morning, we arrived at the hotel in Milan, across the street from the venue. The Italians are certainly different! During most shows, we all make attempts to connect with audience members. For the Milan concert, the audience members were connecting with us! Audience members were filming us with their cell phones, smiling, and waving much more than anywhere else we’ve been. Narada Michael Walden attended the show and came backstage afterwards. He and his guests loved the show. Narada has seen the show a few times, and claims that it’s better now than ever! Next stop Paris!

It's my birthday!

It’s my birthday! : > I woke up late this morning, ate breakfast, boarded the bus for the 5 hour trip to Munich, and slept most of the way there. Once we arrived, I changed out of my bus sleepwear and went to dinner with a few people from the band and staff. Afterwards, Kimberly and I went for a walk through a shopping district. It’s beautiful here! I can’t wait until morning when I can really see everything.





Touring Munich

Concert in Mannheim

What a great night! Today I woke up feeling quite exhausted. I slept until 10am, then got up and went for a short run, ate breakfast, took a bath and went back to sleep until just before 3pm, when we left for the SAP Arena. The show went really well, but the best moment of all for me was when Stevie sang “Happy Birthday” to me! I was totally caught off guard, and loved the beautiful surprise! He even changed the lyrics to be reflective of me. It was an incredibly humbling and lovely moment. I couldn’t stop grinning. I grinned so much that my cheeks hurt! It seemed as if everyone was in on the secret.

Stevie sings Happy Birthday to me

Once back at the hotel, several of us gathered in the lounge and they toasted me. There was a piano in the lounge and I played, Roman played, and several people sang. Keith sang “For the Love of You” beautifully! Everyone is so talented. What a beautiful birthday…and it’s just starting! Yippee!

Concert in Cologne

This morning I woke up late and went directly to breakfast. I was exhausted after having stayed up late doing work for a client. Once I finally went to bed, I was kept awake for hours by a series of crazy dreams, making for a fitful sleep.
After breakfast, I went for a long walk through downtown and residential Köln. It was a lovely day for a walk and a group of us enjoyed it thoroughly. Upon returning to the hotel, I did a bit more music work, got dressed and then took a very short nap. I can’t believe I’m still awake enough to write my blog. After the show, which was great again, we drove to Mannheim and arrived at the hotel at 4am. It’s 5am now. I should make myself go to bed.

On to Germany

This morning I woke up late, and did a little bit of writing. I am very proud of myself for continuing to reestablish my writing habit. Now I just have to make writing, meditating and exercise a nightly regiment so that they all flow easily and with obvious repetitive benefit.

We flew from Oslo to Düsseldorf and then drove to Cologne (Köln). The Domkirche, an ancient church that somehow survived the bombing of World War II, is close by and I’ll definitely revisit it in the morning.

Concert in Norway

Yesterday we had the concert in Stockholm, which went well, and we boarded the busses for Norway immediately after. We got to the hotel just in time for the continental breakfast (which was actually quite good), and then all took naps. Riding the bus is the most efficient mode of transportation for our large group (no one wants to deal with the hassle of air travel, luggage, security, etc), but it’s nearly impossible to get a good night’s rest on the bus. Especially in this case, since we traveled on dirt and gravel roads for much of the trip between Sweden and Norway.
The drive from the hotel to the venue was beautiful. We passed by a huge lake (maybe a fjord?) and parked inside the venue. The hall is cavernous and the sound quality reflected that fact. Tonight’s concert in Hamar was initially challenging, as it was clear that everyone was tired. Stevie decided to perform “Norwegian Wood” by the Beatles, and also jumped on the bass and drums towards the end of the show. All of became energized somewhere around the middle of the show. After the show, we came back to the hotel, sat in the lobby with the lovely fireplace and chatted before heading our separate ways for the night.

A Day Off in Stockholm

Yesterday and today were good days! Tuesday was a tough day. Perhaps because I’m more fatigued than I realize and have a wee bit of homesickness. In any case, Thank GOD I’m over it! On Wednesday, we performed in Denmark. The audience was a bit subdued initially, but they eventually came to life. Afterwards, we drove nearly 12 hours to Stockholm. Happily, I slept well on the bus, and even managed to watch 2 movies…miraculous given how rarely I watch movies!
Upon arriving in Stockholm this morning, a group of us took a trek into Old Stockholm, a beautiful gathering of old buildings, churches, museums and a palace. We walked approximately 4 miles, across the urban center of Stockholm into the historical section of town. We took photos of several buildings and monuments before heading back across town to our hotel.



















Later tonight, another group of us attended a Coldplayconcert. What a great show! I have been a Coldplay fan for years, but had never seen them in concert. It was fun, and an experience I don’t often enjoy as I’m usually the one onstage! The guys in the band all seemed to be having such a great time, and it brought to my awareness what other people tell me about our show. The thrill of hearing a massive crowd as they clap, chant and sing along to the music is highly addicting, at least for those of us born with the lack of stage fright that makes this lifestyle possible. I was inspired to spend more time writing and being creative. I don’t do enough. I need to reestablish a daily habit. Wish me luck!

A Day Off in Denmark

Overall it was a good day, but I’ve been feeling my first pangs of homesickness. We got to the hotel around 10am, and most of us went online immediately because it’s free here. This hotel is tiny! It’s more like a hostel than a hotel, but it’s in a cute neighborhood, right next to a shopping area. I met a few of the band guys in the lobby and we all went to get burgers (I didn’t eat of course…I’m famous for my aversion to fast or junk food) and then on a lovely walk through the local mall and shopping district. The weather was slightly chilly and rainy, but felt good while we walked at a brisk pace. Once back at the hotel, I stayed in my room, working on bills, updating my blog, catching up with email and making phone calls. In my attempt to be creative on a daily basis, I kept telling myself it was time to sit down and work on song lyrics, but found myself getting “sleepy” every time I tried, with nothing coming forth. I can’t worry about it. Just keeping up the practice will pay off…eventually!

2nd Concert at the Ahoy in Rotterdam

If you ever see me drinking green tea or other beverage with a small amount of caffeine after 5pm, please remind me that I’m far too sensitive to caffeine to tolerate it in the evening! Now, granted I was hyped after our group discussion and love fest, but after having fallen asleep at 4am, there’s no reason I should have been wide awake at 7:45am! I tried to fall back to sleep, and when I couldn’t, I did an hour or so of meditation before getting up and heading the gym for a tough work out. I had lunch plans with Persephone at noon, so I was hoping to finish my workout, take advantage of the continental breakfast, take a nap and head out. I managed to do all of that, but the nap was only 30 minutes long. At lunch, I decided to drink more green tea, projecting that I’d get a second wind sometime around showtime. I was correct! Just before the show, I was feeling fatigued and sleepy, but after about the 6th song, my energy went through the roof and I was fine through the rest of the show. In fact, I was able to stay up and watch a movie on the bus as we drove to Denmark. Once the movie was over, so was I! I went right to sleep and, for the most part, slept until we arrived in Aalborg.

Being nerdy backstage:

Concert at the Ahoy in Rotterdam

I woke up this morning and noticed that it was a bright and sunny day! So, I put on some moderately light workout clothes and headed outdoors for my morning walk. Eeeek! It was freezing! Rather than go back to the room and put on the heavy gear, I went to the gym and did a decent workout (including the dreaded treadmill). This gym even has a rower machine, which I hadn’t used in years! I pulled 500 meters, but my time was embarrassing. Oh well! It has been a while since I rowed!



The show tonight went very well, as has come to be the norm. Persephone and her husband loved it! Afterwards, we band members were all giddy and sat in the hotel lobby for hours talking about the show, sharing our favorite musical moments and paying homage to Stevie and each other. It was a love fest!