diary
New Pornographers Tour Diary Part 2
21st Oct
Toronto – Phoenix Concert Theatre
Ooohhh… what can I remember about Toronto? It’s now a week later and we’re just leaving Washington DC listening to AC/DC and playing air drums and guitar. Joy.
Got to Toronto after a restless night wondering if Paul and Ben were going to make it in time for the flight from Toronto to London then on back to Glasgow. Got a text message in the morning from them saying they’d made it though so sweet dreams from then on. I have many friends in Toronto, people who’ve either moved from Glasgow to live there, folks who used to know my family or others who used to live here (Scots have many connections with this place) or simply people I know through music, like Michael Johnstone who was involved with Burnsong project in December of last year. It was lovely to see him again and I hope the planned Burnsong tour of 2008 goes ahead as it would be great for all of us to get together and play some shows again. That week remains one of the most weird and yet enjoyable I’ve ever known.
Didn’t see much of the city this time around, although did go a wee walk to a great diner and got the most ridiculous serving of Eggs Benedict – 3 separate servings of eggs on muffin covered in Hollandaise sauce. I couldn’t eat it. And I love my food.
There seems to be bit of a flu bug going around the buses just now. Better steer clear of me.
22nd Oct
Montreal – Le National
I was really looking forward to coming to Montreal, as the last time Delgados were here we were in the centre and it was a very beautiful pedestrianised part of town with lovely street lanterns everywhere. I’m not familiar with this part of town however and it’s all streets and cars and shops everywhere.
I was in dire need of some Internet access today and so managed to get off the bus before noon (impressive no?) and found an Internet café. Forgot that Montreal is almost exclusively French speaking however and was taken surprise by the French menu in the local café. Didn’t manage to notice the metro stop right next to the bus, which could have taken me into the centre of town.
Good gig – crowd were lovely and very attentive.
23rd Oct
Boston – The Roxy
This morning I woke at 9am to the sound of music and laughter. Always a good thing but not expected in the morning of a tour when you really expect everyone to be sleeping – even the most ambitious of us. Got up and was impressed to see Jonny and Graeme still up, having demolished a bottle of Jamieson’s and Makers Mark and enjoying the Vermont autumn scenery.
I took a video of them but fear liable court action if I post it on the site.
Interestingly we had a radio session (live) to do 5 hours later at 2pm at WERS at Emerson College in Boston so Jonny and Graeme and myself all went to bed to get some sleep. They managed to get up on time and miraculously we all played a pretty good acoustic set live on radio while the rhythm were still very drunk. Genius. We also gave away 6 guest places on the radio and so had some extra people come along to the show. It’s always nice to give away tickets randomly, a custom we have become particularly fond of on this tour.
The Roxy is a bit mad – all purple and very 80’s with giant white flowers in white vases everywhere.
24th
New York – Webster Hall
I do love New York but I do not love the monitor engineer at the Webster Hall who was an arsehole tonight and made a gig with no soundcheck more difficult by not listening to a word we said to him. We had a hotel though – the Off Soho Suites in the Lower East side of Manhattan which is where Delgados always went – so we all managed to get our laundry done at last. That’s it you see – you get to NYC for the first time ever (for Jonny and Graeme at least) and they end up waiting for their laundry to dry. Poor souls.
25th
New York – Webster Hall
Today we did a mad acoustic gig for an ad agency called Grey’s which does loads of really massive stuff. Was weird but surprisingly good fun. We met a very upset man downstairs in the lobby that freaked out when he saw us with all the equipment. Apparently we were going to clog up the until then perfectly oiled elevator system that could not possibly cope with our 2 guitars and single snare drum. Wow. Some people really do think the worst when they see musicians.
The monitor engineer tonight was no less impressive. He fell asleep during our set and Jamie couldn’t hear anything for the whole thing.
I really was glad to get out of that venue. And when I did, there was a club starting downstairs and an ambulance was outside with a girl in a wheelchair looking not so healthy and needing to be anywhere but a club.
26th
Philadelphia, Trocadero
Our bus driver tells me that this gig is one of the most famous metal venues in the country and he’s played it many times when he used to tour manage loads of band including Slayer and Testament. Jonny and Graeme are pretty excited about this fact and often sit up front asking Mark (driver) to recount any tour memories he may have at the time.
27th
Washington DC – 9:30 Club
The Diner, Adams Morgan was a highlight of this day. Erin (merchandise girl) and I went on a mission looking for breakfast in the afternoon and was advised by someone at the venue to go to The Diner on Adams Morgan and have the best breakfast ever. So we did. And he was right. What a place – it was a breakfast heaven. At 3pm in the afternoon as well.
28th
Asheville – Day Off
Today we have a day off. I usually don’t like days off as I get bored and end up sleeping as I don’t have a gig to wake me up. Today was great though and Erin and I went to the pics (Tara Theatre) to see The Darjeeling Ltd. It’s a
great film by Wes Anderson and I loved it. Great cinematography, characters and a great atmosphere to it. Came out very happy and then headed to the Spybee just in enough time to have one of the greatest Thai meals I’ve ever had. Joy.
Jonny and Graeme and Jamie went on a shopping spree. They all came back with new jeans and sunglasses. I thought I was the one that was meant to do that?