Month: November 2009

THE TROUBLES OF TOURING

November 25, 2009 — Leave a comment

We were supposed to pick up a rental car, that was what I’d planned and then out of a sudden there was no car to pick up. Who screwed up? Well, I am not meaning to say that I am among the greatest of tour managers so I guess I would have to take some responsibility for the fuck up. This time around most of the liability lies with me. Harald’s extent of liability goes as far as making sure there is enough booze in the hotel room for whenever we wanna get in liquor.

(meaning he doesn’t have a clue about what I am planning)

Nearest train station with trains to Leicester is St Pancras. There’s like a train every hour to get out of London at daytime but as few as none for a return after midnight. I knew we were in trouble already, as show time tonight was something like 10PM and last train was 10PM. My flight back home the next day was midday so I couldn’t afford to wait for the morning train from Leicester, and the bus had the same odd timetable, so we had to talk the promoter into putting us on a little bit earlier at The Musician.

(something, which he didn’t mind doing)

Leicester before that was straight from the train to the BBC for a radio interview with Chris Baxter talking about the fjords, the mountains surrounding my home village of Langevaag and whether I liked our winning song of 2009’s Eurovision Song Contest (dah). Also more interesting stuff like who of British celebrities I would compare myself to as a Norwegian equivalent in the religion of Celebrityism. That is just an impossible question to answer as I don’t spend my time thinking of such things. And the answer would probably be some hard-working British singer/songwriter who most of the radio listeners of the BBC’s afternoon broadcast driving home from work still haven’t heard of. Or am I just being wry?

(Fionn Regan maybe… he makes nice music)

I played Out Of Skills on my acoustic guitar and everyone was happy. We had a nice chat after all. I like Chris. He invites me in whenever I’m in Leicester it seems.

(…)

We left the BBC for sound check at The Musician just to find out we had a couple of hours to knock away… We strolled around the windswept streets of Leicester on a lookout for a restaurant with decent food and ended up in one of those Witherspoon Grills and ordered way too much to eat. A bowl of Chicken Wings would have done it for me but I guess I just had to try the Chicken Breast in BBQ sauce, salad, fries and a beer. Just looking at the menu should scare you away from these places. Nobody can have such tremendous amounts of dishes and get away with it. You just know that whatever you order it’s gonna be just okay, nothing more, nothing less. Except from the spicy wings that were just delicious!

(how to satisfy is an x-factor)

The show went down well. I recorded the whole thing. And I rather leave you an mp3 to download then to describe the event. I find it hard to comment on my own shows… (that’s excactly what I wrote yesterday as well, isn’t it?)

Peace = Love,
-robert

Journal of the last day of the trip to be posted tomorrow together with a shit load of mp3’s!

Download by right-clicking the link:
Beirut

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THE WILMINGTON ARMS

November 24, 2009 — 1 Comment

I had a meeting with a music lawyer. Discussing future plans… and me moving back to the UK at some point. The meeting was basically about having to build a new team around me that’ll help move things forward…

(upwards and onwards)

I popped by Fopp in Covent Garden to buy some CDs and came out with the new Sufjan Stevens album, Florence The Machine (Lungs), Season 8 of Family Guy and The Matrix box set. Enough media to accompany me on the rest of the journey. I sat down at some Italian deli near Center Point and had lunch, continued the reading of The Ignorance Of Blood and watched people passing by. Just hanging out. I love the feeling of being a total stranger to almost everyone around me.

(It’s the beauty of the vast city beast)

We took the underground to the nearest tube station to the venue. This reminds me of how low-key this trip is with only a guitar on my back and a bag with a microphone, a tuner, a few 7ins and my newest album. There’s no need to go with Add Lee, or even a cab this time. It’s the old trobadours way.

(…)

The Wilmington Arms is a nice cosy place with candlelights on every table and a little bar in the corner. It can seat 60 people and have 100 standing. Tonight it will be a sitting crowd.

(perfect, I am showcasing new songs)

The show went down well. I recorded the whole thing. And I rather leave you an mp3 to download then to describe the event. I find it hard to comment on my own shows…

Peace + Love,
-robert

Download by right-clicking the link:
More & More

MONDAY A BLANK PAGE

November 23, 2009 — Leave a comment

We had those few beers. We went to Waganama in Camden. It’s one of my favorite restaurants, ’cause even though it’s a chain of restaurants they make good food and good food is what we like. I had my regular course of chili chicken and nudles and a Asahi beer. Harald ordered some duck dumplings (which I liked very much), nudles with whatever and a Tiger, which, of course is not his favorite ’cause he prefers the Cobra.

(what’s up with naming your beer after animals, you Indian people?)

Off to the Lock Tavern. This is the one bar you always have to visit when in Camden. It’s one of those bars with good music (live, or from a DJ), nice girls (& boys), fairly cheap alcohol and a backyard that even in November is quite a comfortable place to dig in beers. Something which is perfect for my sound guy who always fancies a cigarette…

(to fancy or what to fancy that is the question)

Monday morning. A blank page. So why is that? Is that because we want it to be blank. Or is it because we, kind of, during the weekend, forced it to be left blank when Monday morning arrived. Do we like it when it is blank rather than with full colors from all the activities of the last couple of days… or week (depending on how many days of the week you spend on doing silly things). I presume it is a good feeling to clean the blackboard, erase the negative result you are forced to face in your pocket, and start the new life. Yes, that’s it, The New Life. The one we are leading from Monday till Wednesday – at the most.

Peace + possible love,
-robert