Odds and Sods for Monday, August 4, 2008

I'm slacking at the journal writing again, I know, but I'm still aggravated over those thirty-six million other diarists who make blogging seem so, so uncool..that, and I've had a major lifestyle change which is playing havoc with my schedule. And if the aforesaid is not bad enough, for some ungodly reason, Google locked me out of my blog on Friday and almost gave me a heart attack with dire warnings that they were going to delete four years of my writing, photographs, and memories. It seems I was reported as "spam" or inappropriate content. Laughable, given all the maniacs and porn on the web, but it's all straightened out now and it is confirmed that I, at least, am somewhat normal even if all of my readers are not. Ha.

Here's a great You Tube of the Adrian Belew Power Trio which just popped up - word has it that this version came about during a jam at sound check...Julie was noodling on her bass and next thing you know...



Another thing that made me smile is a new feature on Google - they have a search engine for Quotes and here's the page for Adrian:

QUOTES BY ADRIAN BELEW:

"This is the most fun that I've had touring, maybe, ever," Belew says.
Jul 11, 2008 Kentucky.com

"The Power Trio is my favorite thing right now," Belew said.
Jul 11, 2008 Kentucky.com

"The amount of amazing things we're doing has fueled my life all over again," Belew said.
Jul 11, 2008 Washington Observer Reporter

King Crimson leader Robert Fripp has decided that "maybe we should play some shows occasionally," Belew explained.
Jul 11, 2008 Washington Observer Reporter

"The Slicks are the most unjaded people I've ever met," Belew said.
Jul 11, 2008 Kentucky.com

Belew says he's taking his two-year-old Trio into the studio as soon as he can cook up material that "is challenging enough to keep the Slicks interested."
Jul 11, 2008 Cincinnati.com

"They are so supreme as musicians, I never even think about their age," Belew explained two weeks ago from his home outside Nashville.
Jul 11, 2008 Washington Observer Reporter

Ha! I just love that page o'quotes but how could I not?

So Eric had a gig with Chris Harford Saturday night with Micky from Ween on guitar and here's some of the remarks on the Ween forum board:

"Had a great time. notably high numbers of hot chicks and some great playing by all particularly Eric (who gets better every time I see him) and Mickey who just burned down some leads. I always forget just how good he is till he whips it out on something like this."
*****

"Great show. fuckin Eric was sick and tore the hizouse dizown, yo. mickey amazes. lots of jaw hitting the floor leads and tasty funk. brown ending to a brown show with guitar on face action and feedback ripping my head open. siiiiiick."
*****

"The band was hot, as always but goddamn if Eric Slick isn't one of the best drummers around. Kid didn't even know some of the songs, but you'd never know. He just looks over and shrugs at me with half a smile....and tears it up. Can't wait to see him again. His dad was in attendance and was a very proud Papa. Ear to ear grins all night.

Chris sounded great...it's been way too long since I saw him proper-like....and it doesn't get more proper than last night.

Mick was....well....what do you think? Awesome. I've never seen someone play a guitar with their face (teeth yes....face no) and who knew grinding a strat on the ceiling of JnP's could sound so awesome. Kudo's."
*****

"Both Chris & Mickey were in rare form to say the least...with an "Ouch" that rocked liked the old days, & one of the best "Catacombs of Paris" that I've ever heard. Eric Slick was amazing as was mentioned, & even accompanied one of the opening acts, a woman called Jenny Bray (I think) & played along, never having ever heard her stuff & it was great."

Yeah, regarding the opening act - it was a chick on a keyboard and she asked Chris if she could "borrow" his drummer.

"But I don't know any of your songs," Eric replied.

"Oh, you'll be fine," she said.

And he was...said chick probably thought she died and went to heaven. That's not the first time someone borrowed Eric and threw him into a situation with songs he'd never heard/played before...but Eric has super powers and can do anything. We were at a club at the beach a couple of years ago and honest to God, some Mariachi band was playing background music and something happened to their drummer...anyway, I forget exactly how it all panned out but Eric ended up on stage playing the Banana Boat song and other suchlike classics with these seventy year old guys...hilarious.

I also woke up to an email from my pal Joe who wrote:

"Eric was phenomenal last night at J&P's with Chris Harford, Mickey, and Matt. He played songs he didn't even know, but you'd never know it... he's just THAT good. And what are you putting in his food? He's getting so tall. We told him that last night and he said "you're the 2nd person tonight to tell me I've gotten taller... I'm 21... isn't that kinda late for growth spurts?" And his girlfriend... wow she's stunning. And Gary looks so freakin happy... just grinning ear to ear the entire night.

All in all it was a great night of great people playing great music.

Rock on,

-Joe"

Thanks! As always, I love waking up to stuff like that.

*****
So the short film based on my novel, Daddy Left Me Alone with God, (ha ha, click and check out the photos of the hot young guitarist/actor in the vest playing "God") just won an award (it cracks me up to see it's going to be showing at the Disney Theater next week) and here's a You Tube snippet - it's part of a montage put together by its cinematographer, actually, so it's the second or third one in and just a tiny taste...



Boo! You don't get to see God play guitar in that clip. Damn.

I think that covers it for now...I'll be in New York toward the end of this week for a writing conference and Julie and Eric are low-keying it for a few weeks until they head to Russia with Adrian, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, etc. for two huge shows in Kazan and Moscow...much more on that...

Later,
xo