The White House????

That was pretty much my reaction when i recieved the phone call asking if i was available to fly in for another of The Killers now seemingly regular one offs. Needless to say this wasn't going to be any ordinary show. The band were invited to play at the 4th of July Celebrations at the White House by the USO and President Obama. After a quick 12 hours travel to DC via London we checked into the hotel which was nicely within walking distance of the WH itself. After an evening off to relax and recover from the travel we were off to the site for what was one of the most unusual places i've ever done a show.

After the to be expected rigorous security and safety checks we were given our passes and allowed onto the grounds. As it was nighttime we were escorted everywhere by armed personnel and were always within view of our escorts. We were on the grounds when the President came back in his motorcade and it was an impressive site, we thought that would be the closest we would get to him while we were there, what did we know eh?

After i got all the lights set up it was back to the hotel before heading back in the morning to get the rest of the gear set up and get ready for soundcheck. As it was daytime now, things were a little more relaxed in terms of being able to move more freely on foot. So of course we took the opportunity to snap a few shots.





We got to have a little game of fetch with Bo, the presidents dog, too.


After the soundcheck we were back to the hotel and a wander around town whilst we waited to go for the show. We wandered back with a few hours to spare so we could join in the festivities on the south lawns. On the 2 previous occasions we had entered via the grounds but this time we were brought in through the House itself which was pretty cool, there are some amazing pictures on the walls of the ground floor, after a quick walk past the famed "West Wing" and the Oval Office we were back outside where we had some Barbeque and watched Pres. Obama give his address to the people in attendance.





After the speech, he made his way down the steps and walked along meeting and saying hi to people, it was pretty chaotic but a couple of us took our chances and stood on the opposite side of the garden from where he was and surely enough he made his way over and said hello and shook hands. To be honest, working in this business as long as i have, you used to unusual situations etc etc but even for a cynic like me, meeting a US President at the White House on 4th of July is pretty cool. Even for a non US citizen but someone who spends a lot of time in the US for work it was a great day and i can only imagine what it meant to the US citizens present. Im not informed enough to comment on Obama's policies or whatever as they really don't affect me as a foreign national but the brief meeting i had with him, he seemed like a personable and quite down to earth guy.

Unfortunately, secret service were not keen on letting him pose for individual photos, makes sense i guess he would have been there all day, but i did manage to get him in the background of a shot at least




But anyway back to the show, first up was the MC for the evening, Cedric The Entertainer



Before opening act Brandi Carlile, then The Killers took to the stage. To be honest i was surprised that the audience were as into it as they were as sometimes these private shows can be a little reserved because
you get people who may not necessarily be fans of the band etc etc



















After the fireworks were over we loaded out and it was back to to hotel for a quick drink before bed and flying home again the next day. Though i did spot from the rooftop bar that the whole Whitehouse complex was now in darkness and people had gone to bed, Except for one light that was on, the light from the oval office window, the rest of the world doesn't stop for 4th of July i guess!!

Rage Against The Machine

Next up was a tour i was looking forward to for quite some time. The chance to work with truly one of the legends of music. So off to Germany i went for my first show with Rage Against The Machine. After arriving in Frankfurt, we had an hour and half drive that turned into a 5 hour drive due to a huge traffic jam on the Autobahn. Eventually we arrived on site for rehearsal with the band and then overnight lighting programming once it got dark. Always a strange place to do a show, in the shadow of the platform where Hitler gave his address at the Nuremburg Rally.

I guess on one hand its a reminder of a dark time in history that no one wants to repeat. But anyway, first show was great and we were onwards to Rock Am Ring where we were sharing the stage with

Jay-Z


Slash


Another great show at ROCK AM RING with a crazy audience as always


After the 2 shows in Germany we were off to London for the whole reason that the tour was booked.

For those who don't know.

Every year since 2005 the UK Christmas No.1 single has been the winner of the TV show X-Factor. Its a huge ready made advertising campaign that generates millions for people like Simon Cowell while preying on fame hungry kids desperate for their big shot. In Dec last year however, a Facebook campaign was started by 2 people, Jon & Tracey Morter, to get Rage Against The Machines 1992 anthem "Killing In The Name" to the top of the charts instead of the X-Factor.
The campaign started to gain supporters and the sales started to pile up. It was a very tight race but as we got closer to the end of the week, the sales were evening up and by the Saturday it was announced that Rage had taken the chart and had their first ever Number 1 Pop Single. It was an amazing campaign considering that X-Factor had 500,000 copies of the single and millions in advertising budget and a TV show that was constantly suckering people into buying the same pop schlock over and over. The Facebook campaign had no budget, and only had the download chart to count on.

And yes i've heard all the arguments about bout both the singles being on the same label etc etc (which isn't really true, both labels are owned by the same Multi-national conglomerate, but that is true of almost all the labels in the world) . That wasn't the point, the choice of song was not important, what was important was that a group of people decided it was time to stand together against what was a pre-disposed certainty that was the accepted outcome. The band were more impressed by this than by getting a Number 1 single, so much so that they pledged to donate any royalties to charity and decided as a thank you they would play a free show.



So here we were at Finsbury Park in London for the Rage Factor. The band gave away every ticket free and paid for everything themselves. We had comissioned a cartoon of Simon Cowell to Intro the band onto the stage.



The band also brought the people who started all this out on stage for a presentation



The total money donated was £162,713.03

Of course the big moment was saved for the Encore and we couldn't resist a cheeky dig at the X-Factor so we put together a quotes reel set to the X-Factor song that lost out as the intro to "Killing"


Also check this video posted a bunch of guys who had climbed the trees at the back of the venue. Made us all laugh
"it Don't get much better than being in a tree"



Of course the whole place went insane for 'Killing in the name". This was a fantastic night and one i am proud to be able to say i was a part of.

So next day after all the celebrations had passed we were off to Dublin for a show at the O2 Arena. Week 2 of the tour was a slightly crazier schedule

Tuesday
7am - Load In Dublin Show
3PM - Soundcheck
6PM - Doors
9PM - RATM
11PM- Load Out

Tues into Weds
1am - Return to Hotel
4am - Leave Hotel
6am - Flight to Amsterdam
9am - Land
10am - Drive to Arnhem
2pm - Load in
5pm - Soundcheck
6pm - Doors
9pm - RATM
11pm - Load Out

Weds into Thurs
1am - Drive To Amsterdam
3am - Arrive Hotel
8am - Leave Hotel
11am - Fly to Madrid
4 pm - arrive Madrid
6pm - Load In
10pm - Lighting Programming

Thurs into Friday
3am - return to Hotel
12pm - Depart for Venue
6 pm - Doors
9pm - Cypress Hill
10.45pm - janes Addiction

friday night into Saturday and into Sunday
12.30 am - RATM
2.30am - Load Out
4.15am - Arrive Hotel
5.30am - Leave Hotel
7.00am - Fly To London
9.00am - Arrive London
10.00am - Drive to Donnington
2.20pm - arrive
3.00pm - Load In
5.00pm - Megadeth
7.00pm - Deftones
9.00pm - RATM
11.00pm - Load Out

2.00am - Drive to London
5.00am - Arrive Hotel
8.00am - Depart Hotel
10.00am - Fly Home


So as you can see there was not much room for sleep anywhere in there as one day bled into another. And who says touring is glamorous eh

Though we got through it as we always do with good humour. Although we did have the cops called on us at Madrid Airport.
As we approached the security line where they have those barricades that go back and forth over and over to condense the people who are lining up we noticed that there was no one in line so we ducked under the tape barrier to make it easier for oursleves so that we wouldnt have to double back on ourselves 6 times. Security were not happy about and started yelling at us in Spanish and getting really annoyed with. We explained that we werent skipping past anyone as there was no one there before us and they were trying to amke us go back to the start and walk all of it to get back to the exact same spot where we were currently standing. we said no and they called the cops who came over all heavy handed until we told them why we did it and the cops starting laughing at the airport security.

When we did eventually get thru security we found we were not the only ones who were a little tired. Apparently the guy at the British Airways desk had a late night too



But anyway, here are a couple of pictures from the shows in Dublin and Holland








But there you have it. 7 shows playing to 350,000 people ,5 countries, 12 flights in 11 days.

Still very glad to have been a part of it as the band and crew were very nice people and the shows were amazing night after night.....and who knows....maybe we'll do it again sometime!!!

A Good Cause

In the middle of my other shows going on i recieved a phone call that the Killers were going to play another show. This one would be for charity so they didn't want to say to say no to this one. So we rounded up the troops and headed to London. The show was part of an evening in aid of ARK, which is a childrens charity and took place at waterloo station. It was a good night and millions of dollars were raised by ticket sales which were rumoured to be almost $25,000 per person so needless to say there was quite a bit of money in the room, particularly from the financial sector. There was the usual smattering of celebs there and i did get to meet one of my favourite actors, Kevin Spacey..... as well as Uma Thurman. There was also an auction and the band donated the original 'K' keyboard stand and rumour has it, that it sold for over $200,000 although i can't confirm the final amount.

So that really is the end i guess. Almost 2 years on from designing the K and sketching it on a scrap of paper i got to see my little idea sold at auction and a lot of money go to a very worthy cause.

Bye bye 'K', before you know it. It'll be time to think of your successor

Onwards and sideways.....

After a little bit of time at home re-establishing my relationships (girlfriend, family, friends, playstation). It came time to earn some more money so off on tour i went with a band called JAMES for a few weeks in the UK and 2 shows in Greece. The shows went well and it was a big departure from the Killers as the JAMES guys have quite a big back catalogue and like to mix up the setlist every night (sometimes in the middle of the show). Here is a couple of shots from the tour.








After that ended myself and a friend i work with quite a lot got a call to go and help out a tour that wasnt going so well so we had one day to redesign a show and get it out on the road. Its always interesting to go to a country that is so close to home and see an artist you've never heard of playing to big adoring crowds. The person in question is CHRISTOPHE WILLEM. He was the winner of the french version of pop idol 4 years ago and has built the years between recording and touring and building up a huge fanbase.



It was a little strange for me as pretty much the entire show was in french
So after shows in Marseille, Montpellier and Paris, i am home again for 2 weeks before heading out on a european tour i have been looking forward to for quite a while.

Roll on...........RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

And now, the end is near

After all the problems beset by the Asian leg of the tour, everyone was excited to head to Australia and end the uncertainty surrounding the bands future to play the last few shows. So, bag in hand off i left from Dublin - Hong kong - Sydney. Upon my arrival in HK i learned that the first 2 shows would now not be happening either. So i went onward to Sydney anyway to wait and see what would happen. There was a weird athmosphere around the people who had already travelled as we flitted between disappointment that the shows were not happening to being glad of a few days off to guilt because of what Brandon was going through. After 2 days in Sydney we received the tragic news that Brandons mother had passed away and that he would be joining us immediately after the funeral to perform the last 2 shows of the tour. I was a little surprised to be honest as i don't think i would be interested in playing a show if this had happened to me but it is testament to his determination to end the tour on a high that he was able to attend the funeral and straight after get on a plane to the other side of the world to play a concert.

You see how trivial some things really are at times like this but he was determined to not disappoint any more people after the initial cancellations. Unfortunately the rest of the tour could not be re-arranged as the Australian dates were festivals and a lot of the Asian dates take months and months of planning due to strict visa applications and paperwork etc etc. a lot of effort was put in by everyone involved to find alternate venues and timings but alas nothing came of it. Trying to organise this show is not just a case of turning up with a guitar and away we go. There is a lot of equipment that the band own and also that we rent from companies that go into making this happen as well as all the crew who have to be transported around the world. The band were willing to take on all this cost by themselves to get these shows re-arranged so any one who said on Facebook/Twitter etc that they took the easy way out by not re-scheduling needs to take their head out of their ass and realise they weren't the only ones inconvenienced because everything that could have been done was done. Unfortunately sometimes this is just how things happen, but they will be back, they are not breaking up and will reconvene for another album after some time away to do whatever they want to do whether it be spend time with family, lay by the pool, make music with other people or just do absolutely nothing.....quite frankly after 7 years of touring/recording almost constantly, i think they deserve it.

They will be back as the Killers....recharged and ready to roll on for another 7 years im sure

So here we are after 151 shows in 36 countries the Day & Age tour has finally ended

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported the shows over the past 18 months

In Brandons own words.......We Did It!!!

Asia

So after our long Christmas break it was time to pack our bags and head off on the final tour for this album. Or so we thought, just 5 mins after i checked in for my flight to singapore i received a message with the terrible news that one of the band had a serious family illness to contend with so I had to get my bag back and head home as the shows were cancelled. But unfortunately there is nothing that can be done in this situation. They can't be expected to travel half way across the world when this is going on. It was actually so last minute that quite a few people from the crew and band had already travelled to Singapore.

I am however quite disgusted by some of the things i have seen written online by some so called "fans" of the band. I understand some of you were travelling to these shows and have lost out on some money but unfortunately thats what travel insurance is for. The band don't make money off cancelled shows and do not take it as an easy decision to cancel shows. The quite simply horrible things i've seen written on various websites such as facebook and twitter are absolute lies and if you wrote it you should be ashamed of yourself.
If you were a true fan of the band or even just a person with a passing interest and the ability to feel then you should have nothing but sympathy for the band member who is going through an incredibly difficult time right now

South Africa and Abu Dhabi

So after the long overnight flight we landed in Johannesburg a little worse for wear but glad to be off the plane. For the day off we were off to Johannesburg Zoo.

A couple of us went and rented a golf cart which allowed us to get around the zoo quickly. Unfort it was a rather hot day so most of the animals were being rather lazy and hiding in the shade and rightly so. Although the gorilla decided he wanted get up and wander around a little for us. And a big guy he was too


Our hotel was quite remote unfortunately so it was off to Nelson Mandela square and shopping mall for some dinner and browsing about.


Next day was the first show day so we were off to the Coca Cola Dome on the outskirts of town for the first of 2 shows. I have been to this venue before with another tour and always had great audiences and this time was no different. We had 2 great shows especially as this was the first time the band had ever played in South Africa.
On the second show day we had a little time in the morning so we went to a Lion Park in Gauteng, a province just outside of Johannesburg.
It was a little like a safari where you get to drive through the park and get up close with the Lions and other animals.



We also got to go into a pen and see some tiger cubs up close.




Next day we were off to Capetown which is one of my favourite cities in the world. We had very little time off here so as soon as we landed we took a trip up to the top of Table Mountain which overlooks Table Bay.


The peak is only accessible by cable car but the view is well worth the trip.







I was quite happy to be able to do this as the last time i was in Capetown it was winter as was incredibly foggy so we were not able to go up to the top. On the way back down we passed through an area of bars and clubs where people apparently just park and crank up theire car stereos and have dance parties in the street.



I did find a local beer with a rather unusual sign on the side.....

....It is you know!!!



A couple of us wandered out for a few drinks and ended up in a "rock" club. Unfortunately i felt more like i was being trapped in a mix of a 30 Seconds to Mars video and the club from the Matrix movies. Felt like when i used to bluff my way into rock clubs when i was underage back home. Oh well, my good friends beer, jack Daniels and Jagermeister took care of the festivities for us.

Next day was show day at a winery just outside of town about 45 mins drive from the hotel.





Although it was a beautiful venue, it wasn'tt the most cleverly considered as there was only one dirt road in and out of the venue for 25,000 people in approx 18,000 vehicles. Myself and a couple of the rest of the crew left the venue within 20 mins of the show ending and it took us over 3 hours to get back to the hotel. The rest of the crew didn't get back until after 4am when the show ended at 10pm. we sat still in the car park itself for over an hour and a half. This was also possibly the worst catering we had for the whole tour. So bad that a few of us wandered out to the vendors in the crowd for a burger for dinner.

Oh well, the show was still worth it. A magical setting and a great crowd gave us great memories of South Africa to take home.
Next day we were off to the United Arab Emirates but not til late in the evening so i spent the morning wandering around the Bay area and hanging out at our fantastic hotel.

Check out the Apartheid Chess Board i found


We also had lunch at a belgian beer cafe where if you wanted a large beer in the custom glasses you had to surrender your left shoe as insurance that you would not steal the glass.



So after a rather uneventful 10 hour flight to Dubai and a 2 hour drive to Abu Dhabi it was straight off to the venue for load in.
The day went by pretty quickly in a jetlagged blur tho i do remember it being rather strange that 25 mins before showtime there was maybe 2,000 of the expected 12,000 in the venue then all of a sudden out of nowhere the rest of them turned up just before the band went onstage.


I did have to take a trip over to the band hotel to take a look around as it is the most expensive hotel in the world, apparently costing 2 billion dollars.

Next day we had a day off in Abu Dhabi so we decided to have a trip out to the deserts and go on a desert jeep safari where we could ride camels, snowboard down the sand dunes and have a barbeque and take in some local entertainment.









So thats the final Day & Age shows of the year were over and i had to go to San Francisco for a day before heading home. Only 3 flights including the 3rd longest direct flight in the world from Dubai to San Francisco (16 hours 25 mins). Touch down in San fran for 30 hours then off to Dublin via Chicago for our Christmas break. Next stop Asia