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June 16, 2010
On the basis of evidence so far this season, it seems that Old Blighty and The Land Of The Free are pretty evenly matched this year in the game that you refer to as Soccer, and I as Football. As we rolled into an unfeasibly hot Memphis, Tennessee, despondency turned to despair as we watched England shuffle towards a 1-1 draw against the USA team. We devoured the last crumbs of our humble pie as the States scored a goal that our poor new goalie will not be allowed to forget for some time. In an effort to raise our spirits, Kristian and I attempted to kick a ball around (were not sporting types) on a roughly ploughed lawn opposite Minglewood Hall, and lasted maybe ten minutes before we gave in to heat exhaustion. Footballs more difficult than it looks. One thing America indisputably does do far better than the UK, however, is heat. Although now familiar with the routine of following blistering heat with Arctic air-conditioning, it still felt very odd to us to be experiencing ninety-degree warmth at two in the morning, as we did in Memphis the other day, but forgive me - I'm jumping ahead of myself. After the Gomez tour, way back in March, Pete & I went home for a couple of weeks, Kris to Hawaii, Jamie to LA. Suitably refreshed, we reconvened in New York and spent a week doing radio shows and various bits and pieces, including joining the hilarious Bob Schneider and his lovely band once again for a support at the Bowery Ballroom, followed by a great show (and great sweet potato fries) at our old haunt, the World Caf in Philadelphia. New York, Denver, and Vegas followed, with a show supporting Train in Seattle. On to LA, San Diego, and finally Coachella festival in Indio, which was a long, fun-filled weekend. Other band highlights for me included Them Crooked Vultures (inspirational seeing Jon Paul Jones rocking out and having a great time), Faith No More (what a voice!), Thom Yorke (percussive and vital, with the brilliant Joey Waronker on drums), Muse (best sound of the festival - straight from the first song) and finally Imogen Heap (total highlight for me - chaotic and dotty, she had a packed tent enthralled by her colossal talent. I cant wait to see her again). After a whizz around San Diego, Tuscon and Phoenix, Arizona, and finally a great show in Portland, Oregon with Jackie Greene, we returned home again with just enough time to vacuum our dusty homes and to remind loved ones that they still love us (once they figured out who we were and why we were helping ourselves to the contents of the fridge). Having paid all the bills for the utilities we havent used, we flew straight to Miami and stayed in a hotel that had featured in Miami Vice and Scarface. We enjoyed a leisurely few days that began and ended with swimming in various warm seas, including a great, dysfunctional family day out at the beautiful Beachwalker beach in South Carolina (apparently a top 10-rated US beach), before joining Michael Franti and Spearhead for their US tour. Weve always lucked out with everyone weve toured with so far, but we really couldnt have been made to feel more welcome by Michael and his band and crew. Within the first couple of days, we were invited to join them in the wonderfully laid-back town of Raleigh, North Carolina, for one of their pre-show gigs they perform outside the venue for fans when the show is sold out, which saw Michael join us on impromptu drum duty for a rendition of Kandi. http://www.youtube.com/user/FrantiV#p/u/11/tWxjM6Jt0yk (from 2m56s) Highlights for this tour include playing at Governors Island a tiny island thats a four-minute ferry ride from Battery Park. It was great playing an outdoor gig with the Manhattan skyline to our right. Pete insisted on the audience singing happy birthday to me, which was nice, even though Ive always felt that the happy birthday song is a little too long for all concerned. The day ended with the first of many barbeques this tour on our little Hobo-beque, followed by Pete and I sleeping under the stars in a car park in New Jersey due to the tourbus generator breaking down, rendering the bus as hospitable as a sauna. Bizarrely, it was one of the best nights sleep weve had so far. Then Toronto, Canada; NYC; Boston; Essex Junction, Vermont: Hunter, NY (Levon Helm rocked); Detroit, Royal Oak, and Grand Rapids, Michigan; Memphis, Tennessee; and finishing the Franti leg of the tour yesterday in Kansas City. Now, its a long-held tradition for the support band to suffer some pranks and japery played on them during the final gig of the tour, and Spearhead and crew didnt disappoint. Mid-UFO we were stage-invaded by the guys sporting wrestlers masks, with Franti dressed as a large, dreadlocked chicken. Theyd fashioned a handsome One eskimO superhero cape that they pinned on Kristian, as he and Jamie were hoisted up onto the shoulders of what appeared to be members of Slipknot on a budget. Those who have difficulty visualizing this scene should view the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKkY3rjUxFw The night ended with hearty farewells and an almighty storm that certainly helped break the awesome humidity. I dropped my phone outside the bus that night, and was astounded to find it in a puddle the next morning, still in perfect working order. Weve now returned to Saint Louis, Missouri for the second of our own run of gigs, and are very much looking forward to it. Please feel welcome to join us and supply your own wrestling masks. The dates are up on www.oneeskimo.com As a farewell treat, Id like to share with you this amazing clip of fantastic bass player and great friend of the band, Mr Jimmy Sims, for no other reason than that its possibly the most hilarious thing Ive seen this year. I wont ruin the surprise, but keep an eye on Jimmys magnificent entrance from the right of the screen in the first ten seconds, whilst playing for Mika. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v5fbo6EAik See you out there! Adam : ) April 28, 2010 I observed a young owl today who was the best looking bird I'd seen in a couple of days. This measure of beauty can only really be taken with a pinch of salt, since much like a pinch of salt, which cannot be accurately quantified, (for the amount of salt would vary depending on the size of the pincher's fingers), the beauty of the owl would depend on where I'd been for the last couple of days. Since I'd been roosting in trendy areas of London, and not in the grounds of a sausage packing factory in Ipswich, you can now summise that she was very beautiful indeed.  I wondered how this worked out with her personal relationships. Would her friends try to keep the mood downbeat, leaving her in the dark about certain relatively cheery situations? Would their conversation focus on tragic world events and the plight of owlkind? Or would they greet her with the most outrageously hilarious stories they could think of, then perhaps fall off their perches in comedic fashion, constantly keeping the mood up with prolonged belly laughter material? I just wouldn't know what to do... April 13, 2010 Owl: Events That Shaped Our World There was once a show. It was a great show. In fact, it was arguably one of the finest, best received shows ever to be witnessed. It was so great that events have been modelled on it ever since show business has never been the same. The performance was of a musical nature. Some of the finest musicians of the time performed song after song in perfect harmony. The audience, probably made up of young men and women, gave rapturous applause after every song.* The listeners revelled in the atmosphere, dumbstruck by the excellence of the music, and by the end of the show were simply beside themselves. An emotional bond had been formed. As the band struck the last chord of C flat minor the second, the audience went wild. The flautist immersed her instrument in a highly flammable liquid and set it on fire. The harpist placed the stringed beast on a wheel-board and rang out the final notes on roller-blades. The percussionist started to pack away since he had another gig to get to in Shroesbury. The atmosphere was electric! The audience clapped, and clapped and clapped. They also shouted and cheered and whistled. This was a normal reaction for this group of musicians and they lapped it up. They took a bow and left the stage to devour their modest rider. On any ordinary night the applause would have continued for a short period, until everybody finally agreed to stop and go home. But that was on an ordinary night! Tonight was extraordinary, for the applause simply would not stop. They clapped and cheered and howled and whistled and stamped their feet like a pod of demented music loving seals. The band listened on in amazement as they chomped away on their less than exquisite cocktail sausages. An hour passed and it became clear from the shouts of 'We desire additional material!', that the reluctant band would have to return to the stage. A crowd-pleasing song was needed, and luckily they had one up their collective sleeves. An almighty performance ensued and the delighted crowd finally dispersed, grinning from ear to ear. This was the birth of the encore. This should have been a one-off. But when you give something extra, people want it all the time. Ask anybody. Ask Mr. Kipling, for he once had similar troubles with his delicious selection of tarts and fancies. The audience predictably told the world about the amazing show they'd enjoyed, and how a little more had been demanded after the now penultimate number. Crowds across the globe screamed and stamped and simply insisted, not leaving until they'd filled their gluttonous faces with a further slice of entertainment pie. It wasn't long before the phenomenon spread. It spread to all corners of an overwhelmed planet. Shakespeare looked on in horror as the finale of Romeo and Juliet was ruined by hecklers asking for them to come back and take more poison. It didn't take long to have an effect on the world of sport. Marathon runners were in a state of utter dismay on approaching the finishing line as spectators called for another lap. It didn't stop there. For a time the problem moved out of show business and into everyday life. Estate agents felt the pressure of showing of another room after the tour of the house had been completed. Crematoriums were disgraced by mourners insisting on the return of the coffin after it had passed through the curtain. Banking transactions became a nightmare. Life on Earth had descended into chaos. After a number of years the tide finally turned and humanity saw the error of its ways. History had taught the valuable lesson that one can't always be showered with bonuses one must sometimes just accept what is on offer. This was generally accepted in all aspects of life with the exception of popular musical performances. The encore is still expected to this day. It took a long time to get to where it is today and took on many guises. For a time one extra song was enough to fulfil the demanding crowds' insatiable desires. Soon two songs were requested, then three, then four. One band tried to get around this by refusing to go on at all initially, then performing the whole set as an encore, but audiences just didn't go for it. Another endeavoured to leave the stage after every song, and return dramatically for the next, but this became time consuming and bored the fans senseless. Eventually after much trial and error we were left with what we have today. A band will perform a collection of songs in a timeframe just short of what one would expect, then leave the stage. Every member of the audience will applaud as though it is the end of the show, secretly knowing that there will be more. Some will even pretend to leave and start walking towards the exit. Finally the band will return to the stage and everyone will gasp with joy and look surprised. Two or three more songs will be enjoyed, then everyone will go home satisfied. All is well once more... What a charade. Owl *It had been decided at some point in history that the best way to show appreciation during any performance, be it musical, dramatic, sporting or comedic, would be to move one's hands swiftly together, palm to palm, and so inducing a loud slapping sound. This sound, known as a clap, would be generated by every member of the audience simultaneously, although not necessarily in time, and repeated at around two claps per second until sufficient appreciation had been conveyed. March 16, 2010 Hello everyone! Hope you're all well. We're thoroughly enjoying this latest US leg and having fun meeting you all. Gomez have been fine hosts, and we've had some great gigs supporting them. Just a quick note to point you in the direction of a couple of links in case you're interested. Firstly, here's a link to hear the coup session we did on Big Sonic Chill with Amanda... http://www.fm949sd.com/blogs/amanda/home.aspx Here's some random tour photos taken and posted on Twitpic by our Tourmaster General, Daniel Zimman. Thanks also to those of you who have been posting and re-Tweeting favourable Tweets on our behalf (especially Paul Murgatroyd)... www.twitter.com/oneeskimo Also, thanks to the guys I've seen on the interweb asking when we're going to be back and gigging again in the UK - just to say please bear with us; we haven't gone forever and do appreciate your support. Cheers! Adam :) March 1, 2010 The first time we visited a Waffle House, it was in Vicksburg, Mississippi. We woke up on the tour bus and surveyed our limited options from the car park on the outskirts of town, just off a major freeway. It was raining heavily, and we were hungry. Being a bit of a snob, my expectations were not high, but we duly ran across the road with our jackets raised over our heads, and into the shelter of said Waffle House. Never before have I experienced such warmth! Not the usual disingenuous stock pleasantries, but genuine, unhurried interest - quite the opposite of how youd expect a fast food joint to be. Ive walked into plenty of expensive restaurants that apparently have a policy of actively ignoring you, but Im greeted amiably every time I enter here. Rather than avoiding them, Ive begun actively seeking them out. In Jacksonville, Florida we enjoyed (to a point) a guy freestyle rapping whilst eating his breakfast. More recently in Indianapolis, Indiana I sat at the bar and pretended to read a book whilst enjoying the banter between staff: A large, intimidating-looking man behind the counter was archly complaining to his boss, asking why he had been overlooked when it came to scheduling overtime, concluding with, I got a pretty smile, aint I?! I imagined he possessed a smile that would make children cry. A man next to me - clearly a regular - expressed mock indignation to the waitress when she referred to me as sweetie whilst taking my order. Hey, you never call me sweetie!? That's cos you aint! came the instant reply. This morning, somewhere on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee I walk in and sit down. A lady comes over after a few minutes and says she didnt see me come in. I said I just snuck in. After a moment, she repeats slowly half to me, half to herself, I just snuck in - apparently amused, as if what Id said was far more profound than intended. I order poached eggs on brown toast, with a hash brown, and am overwhelmed with unforeseen choice. How would like your eggs? Soft, medium, hard? - down to where Id like them located on my plate: On the toast? On the side? The eggs arrive as they always arrive, and the order is usually a bit of an improvisation on a theme of what I thought Id ordered, but I enjoy being asked all the same. Curiously, the waitress comments to the cook that shes never seen eggs done like that before, so I guess poached is not a popular choice here. Upon bringing me some more sachets of cream for the endless coffee she keeps topping up, she holds my gaze from underneath heavy, false eyelashes and briefly strokes the palm of my hand with her fingertip as she hands me them. I blush palpably. She then repeats the procedure with the butter she brings me. I repeat the blushing, and tip accordingly. All this for $5.08! If its been a while since youve visited a Waffle House, I implore you to do so Im beginning to foster a real affection for them. Adam : ) February 18, 2010 Hello! Now, why not pop the kettle on and let's have a good old catch-up. Do you mind if I do most of the talking though? Great, I'll carry on then... As always, we're not ones to sit around (unless in transit, which is most of the time), but even by our standards we've been pretty busy. To pick up where I left off - on a personal note - I spent half an hour in the presence of a Genius who was insistent that my computer had a software problem (despite the blatant aroma of Starbucks emanating from my track pad), before declaring that this particular conundrum was outside of his very specific field of genius. I fear this saga will no doubt drag on throughout the tour. I'm sure you're as gripped as I am by my laptop drama, so I promise to keep you informed Anyway, I got back in time to watch The Who rocking the Superbowl. Fantastic, but obviously not a patch on Ashlee Simpson. We then played at the Living Room in Lower East Side (easiest commute to a gig we've ever had), which was great fun. It was recorded for Sirius XMU satellite channel, which will be broadcast soon. We had a few more things around NY before ignoring all sensible advice and attempting to travel through Snowmageddon (not my words, CNN's) to Cleveland. Needless to say, we failed after several hours and surrendered to mother nature, stopping for the night in the nearest hotel we could find. Sorry, Cleveland. However, we did manage heroically to make it to Akron, Ohio the next day, just in time to have dinner at Chrissie Hynde's vegan restaurant, Vegiterranean, which was awesome. The next day we enjoyed another lovely meal at Papa Joe's, Akron, finishing off with a white chocolate pannacotta with port-poached figs and a chocolate stick; anyone who knows me will understand that this will remain the highlight of my tour. In between the perpetual eating, we managed to squeeze in a performance for WAPS radio and a gig at the lovely Akron Art Museum for the subscribers of WAPS. It was a lovely theatre and a great audience, and we were able to project our animation, so we had a great time, despite me having strained my neck and consequently walking around like C3PO for a week after. We then drove to Detroit for a gig at the Winter Blast festival, inside The Atrium at the Compuware Corporation. We were not sure what to expect, but after the fastest set-up and soundcheck ever, we were humbled by a large, enthusiastic and attentive crowd and had a really enjoyable gig. Next up was a gig at Valentine's Day in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Creation Caf, followed by a little performance in San Francisco to KFOG radio competition winners this was filmed and will be broadcast on the interweb soon. Both of which were lovely. Next up was a first (and hopefully not the last) for us a gig for the ladies of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, UC Berkeley (special thanks to Elise Delagnes). We don't have this sorority/fraternity culture in the UK universities, and were made to feel very welcome as I was presented with an ice cream sundae upon arrival. I think this should happen at every gig, please. I'm happy to report that today is the first day we're able not only to feel our toes for the first time in a month, but are actually wearing t-shirts. The sun is setting in a blue pink haze to the right of the 5 South highway, heading down from San Francisco to San Diego, where we will play live on KPRI radio tomorrow (Feb 18th) at 2pm, before we guest DJ on KBZT Big Sonic Chill. Tune in for some Michael McDonald and the Grease megamix... On the 19th we're playing in San Diego on the main stage at the Sunset Sessions at 6.25pm. After that, we're looking forward to supporting Gomez on some of their tour dates, before playing on the Sunday of the Coachella festival, Indio, California. Apparently it's quite hot? Before I sign off, we'd just like to thank you all for your support in braving the weather to come out to gigs and being generally lovely. Look forward to seeing more of you out and about over the next few weeks. Cheers!
Adam
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