Unarmed Response Unit!!

So with 2 days off in Fairfax( or should that be Far-From Anything-Fax, more on that later) beckoning, how would you spend it?
Well first up was a trip to the hospital for an updated x-ray on my injured arm. After 6 hours in various waiting rooms feeling like i was in the worst episode of Scrubs ever, i was informed by the medical genius' on staff that my arm was broken(Check the x-ray). No shit Sherlock, i think i remember telling you that when i walked in here a quarter of a day ago. Apparently i am healing well, slowly but well. The doctor was baffled that i am not in agonizing pain and screaming for painkillers and a full cast. I told him i was too busy for a cast and anyway" chicks dig scars". I was told that i would heal quicker if i had it a full cast but i will heal anyway. I would rather have full movement in the meantime, so now i'm sporting this rather nifty cast/brace routine.

The glasses come as standard, its the law!!

So on my 2 mile walk back from the hospital to the "Hotel" (Taxis dont exist in this area obviously) i managed to see a Pharmacy, an irish bar, a Dennys and a 24 hours Diner. Everything else was either corporate or residential.
I did see this sign too outside Fairfax court house about a guy called John Mosby who was a ranger in the American Civil war in the 1860s, This plaque commemerates the night he led his into the heavily guarded Court House and without a shot captured the Union leader as well as his captains and infantry. While im sure this was quite an achievement, i did have to snigger like a schoolboy at his method. "To weaken the armies invading Virginia by harrassing their rear"
I guess sexual harassment isnt a new thing at all eh!!

Oh and apparently there is a Hooters Bar & Grill near the hotel too. What a bustling metropolis eh!!
Still, at least the pool is good!!


So after a night spent watching My Name Is Earl online, it was off to Washington DC today for a bit of a touristy session. It was bizarre walking around as it just felt i was walking around the exterior sets of 24 or a John Grisham movie.
I did like theyre taste in post boxes though.
Anyway i took in such sites as...
The Lincoln Memorial


The Washington Monument


Congress


The White House

This was as close as you could get as Bush was the on lawn doing press, check out the 2 sharp shooters on the roof.
I did find it strange that all around congress and the White House there was air vents such as these which went into the ground and apparently went nowhere.

Makes you wonder about the infrastructure that exists under all the lush parkland around the presidential home and how many war rooms and people who make some the most life changing decisions are directly under your feet while your snapping away with your camera.
I also went to have a look at the Vietnam Wall, which is a memorial to those who died in the Vietnam War.

You are met at the gate by this statue depicting the different people fighting side by side.

The memorial itself isnt much to look at, it is a long wall of polished black marble. Its only when you walk up close to it that see its full effect.

Everyone of those names is someone who was sent to war for theyre country and didnt come home. At the moment there is almost 70,000 names on the wall and im sure that is only the tip of the iceberg of what really happened.
In a strange way, i actually like the fact that all the former presidents get huge pompous overblown memorials while the real hero's get a very simple one.
Speaking of simple, check out a road sign i saw outside the main entrance of the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia on the way back to the hotel.

Yeah, i laughed too!!

Into The Heartland...

So following a day off eating good BBQ food at Fat Matts Rib Shack its onwards we push into the deep south of Americas heartland with a show at Atlantas Fox theatre which is one of the nicest looking theatres i`ve ever been to. Although its bizarre that the doors beside where our bus was parked is still called the "segregation door" by some of the older staff, obviously it is not in use anymore but its scary that that sort of racial segregation went on only 40 years ago, thats within our parents lifetime for most of us.
Today was also the day that our new friends from Japan join us. A few of you may remember a while during our trip to Tokyo i went to see the Silver Beats Japanese Beatles tribute band. Well after a few string pulling sessions the band have been invited out to open for The Killers at a week of East Coast shows. Check "Japanese John" played by Eric, who is the only member of the band to speak much if any english.

They went down an absolute storm and are a very nice bunch of guys.

Bizarrely the celeb count was quite high at this show as i found out when i walked into our bands dressing room and without looking around i went straight for the cooler boxes in search of showtime vitamin water. Without missing a beat or looking up i asked whoever it was to move theyre feet off the cooler and upon not finding what i needed looked up and saw Elton John loooking back at me. Seems like a nice guy. Lance Armstrong was also in attendance.

Next day it was off to the "Home" of American music - Nashville.
We were playing at the Ryman Auditorium which was the original home of the "Grand 'Ole Oprey" which the definitive show to play from the 50`s onwards. This building has seen performances from everyone from Elvis and The Beatles through Johnny Cash to R.E.M. and Coldplay. Unfortunately it isnt very big so we couldnt take very much of our show in but thats not the reason to play at this particular spot. We did manage to set a record for the most trucks of equipment to show up with, our 6 beating R.E.M. out by one.

Before this show i did notice this guy waering a sign outside the show...
Very strange for a man wearing a sign saying " I Need Tickets" , he seemed to have quite a few in his hands....Dont think even the stupidest people would believe he wasnt a scalper, but thats what he tried to tell the cops.

After another great set by The Silver Beats which included Elvis` "Thats Alright Mama" since we were in Nashville and a rather story that Japanese John got to see his father for the first time in 20 years as he now lives in Nashville.
Our guys took the stage with a stripped down production for a great gig in the probably most intimate venue of the tour.

2 days off coming up in Fairfax beckon so ill leave you with these words of wisdom and just you remember...


And....

And Theyre Off...

So, here we go re-capping on weeks 1 & 2 of the tour. After a couple of days at rehearsals with Guns N Roses playing away in the next room (I have to admit it did give me a weird feeling seeing those cases in the hallway of what is now a shell of a formerly great band) It was off to Santa Barbera for the first show day. It was a very bizarre load in into what basically amounts to a basketball court but what can ya do when your local stage hands are a bunch of students who show up wearing flip flops to unload 6 trucks of equipment before having to dissapear every 45 mins because they have to go to class. We had the entire girls volleyball team pushing set carts at one point. Wasnt much fun at all really.
After another show at San Franciscos Bill Graham Auditorium it was on to the big LA show at the Staples Center which is the home of the LA Lakers basketball team.

It was one of the best shows ive ever been a part of in LA, which is normally one of the worst audiences around, they certainly seemed up for it tonight, all 16,000 of them.

After that it was off to San Diego and a day of many Anchorman quotes "Go F*@k Yourself, San Diego".

Another day, another show as we rolled through Phoenix, Arizona and managed to catch up with some old friends from Kanye West tours.

After a nice 15 drive to Austin, Texas and some good barbecue food for dinner it was on wards to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the X-Fest Radio festival which also featured Howling Bells, Jet, AFI and Papa Roach. I snapped this pic of Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach onstage, i think its pretty good. For someonoe i had imagined as being very moody and unapproachable, he is one of the nicest people you could meet.

Onwards to Frisco, Texas just outside of Dallas for the next radio show at the Pizza Hut Park, home of FC Dallas Soccer team.


For the size of the bill it was a an exceptionally badly run festival. Also on the bill were My Chemical Romance, AFI, Jet, Papa Roach, Bowling For Soup, Placebo, Howling Bells.
As well as sets from my good friends the Kaiser Chiefs complete with Ricky being his usual crazy climbing self,


As well as a great set from the always fantastic Muse, who had to halt theyre set midway through to allow the front barrier to be fixed after it had broken. Not too sure about Doms spiderman outfit though.


So after another long drive from Dallas to Tampa (19 hours), here i am in the production office on show day at the Tampa Sun Dome Arena after a day off watching Movies (Blades Of Glory - Its good but I still want to slap Jon Heder every time i see his dopey looking face....but hey i hear he says the same about me right?? ) and going to see Tampa Devil Rays beat the Baltimore Orieles 6-4 at Baseball.

Cal..i..for...ni..Eh!!

Hello from Los Angeles, just landed in the States and got a few strange looks from immigration people because im out of my sling but i am looking slightly Darth Vader-esque these days i think


Time to start up the tour again for the US leg. Off to production rehearsals here in Burbank tomorrow, check out a picture i snapped on the phone while i was out for a walk looking for a convienience store