Tour Diary

Portland to Toronto

Blimps, Fighter Jets and Vultures.

 

The Chieftains tour has started in fact we’re a week in I can hardly believe it. So far we’ve played 4 gigs: Portland Oregon, Seattle, San Francisco and Santa Rosa. I have been to San Francisco before but the other towns and venues were new to me.

 

Starting in Portland proved a bit of a trek. Having left from Dublin it was a 19 hour day before we got to Portland and the 8 hour time difference had me reeling till yesterday when in San Francisco my body finally caught up. Audience reaction in Portland was great and a wonderful way to start. The downturn in the economy doesn’t seem to have affected The Chieftains audiences too much - though we have had one show cancelled as the company running it sadly folded – but those who are turning out to gigs are in good form and in buying form too. Beautiful Hall in Portland and I liked the town too. We were there for 3 nights so (although fighting the time difference( there was time to look around. The hotel was very nice too - it’s the little things but having fresh coffee and tea in your room on tour becomes very important. Seattle was great too. The best acoustic of a venue yet and I noticed that the LAGQ are playing there on the 3rd March so that prompted me to get in touch with them as I haven’t seen them for a while. San Francisco was great fun as I was able to catch up with a few friends there. I’ve a friend who’s family and friends are from Marin so they came to the gig at the Symphony Hall. It resulted in a few Margaritas’ after the show and an arrangement to do a bit of sightseeing Friday daytime.

 

It’s never easy getting a feel for a city when you’ve only a short time there. It’s not fair really. It depends so much on what area of the town you stay in and whether you’ve time to explore. We were in Market and there seemed to be a lot of homeless people there. I know it’s tough on them but it can be tough on you too when you are being stopped and sometimes 2 or 3 times in a block by people. I wish I could do more but I’m only passing through so it was nice to have a local show me about and give me a more objective view of the whole city.

 

Katie met me in her truck around and 11am and we headed for the hills - yep the hills of San Francisco that you see in all the movies. Oh boy!! I’d not have liked to miss the lights and stay in gear on some of them. Coming over the crest of others was like being on a rollercoaster. We saw ‘the crooked street’ (I’ll add a picture) headed down to the Marina a where Katie told me of all the devastation that happened there during the big 1989 earthquake and then we took a trip across the Golden Gate bridge and made for San Francisco Heights.  I’ve done the bridge before but it’s pretty cool each time you cross it but truth be told if you’ve done the Edinburgh Railway Bridge on a train you’re used to that orange splendour. The trip to the ‘Heights’ was breath taking zig zaggin our way past cyclists to the highest spot and then looking back over the bay at the whole of San Fran and beyond was a very relaxing and pretty sight. I was surprised at how quickly you could leave the hustle and bustle of that city and sit in the quiet of the hills admiring the view.

 

While we sat there a while and gathered our thoughts and enjoyed the real fresh air I was surprised to see a blimp in the distance moving pretty quickly across the horizon. Briefly the silence was disrupted by a fighter jet streaking across the bay but the biggest surprise of all was the Vulture. It was huge and slipped into view just meter or so away from us. What a fright I got initially then I marvelled at the size of it. There were a few circling over head but nothing come as close again as that one and I wished they would. I desperately wanted to take a picture of it just so I could have proof of its wing span. I’ve only ever them in pictures before and they’ve not looked particularly bonnie but this one gliding about the sky was pretty majestic.

 

I chatted to Katie about friends who had been to San Fran before and who had visited the Redwoods and the next minute we were back in the truck and on the way to Muir Woods - a National park of Redwoods established many, many years ago by the Scot - John Muir - who was from Ayrshire. Wow! More natural beauty and they’ve a pretty big ‘wing span’ too. So inspiring are they that President Roosevelt held a meeting of the United Nations there just after the Second World War. He hoped the splendour and beauty of the woods would inspire the leaders of these countries to strive harder in their pursuit of peace. I know exactly why he thought of doing that and I salute him for it.

 

By the time we arrived back at my hotel I was pretty tired from our excursion but I wouldn’t have missed it and from being concerned about the homeless situation in San Fran – which is substantial and some poor souls seem to have arrived in the 60’s and their minds have never really left that period - I was left encouraged that all is not lost. It’s a shame these ‘souls’ don’t get to see the beauty of the place too.

 

Our bus journey to Santa Rosa left me time to mull over all I’d seen before we arrived at the Wells Fargo Arts Centre in SA. Boy has everyone who’s anyone played there! Everyone from Diana Ross, Van Morrison, Jonny Cash and Pink to David Copperfield, Keith Urban, The Go Gos and The Chieftains. It is again one of these American venues that seem to sit in the middle of nowhere but people know all about it and turn out in droves. It was a great night with a very appreciative audience. CDs were flying off the merchandise table - thank goodness the CD is being released in the UK in Europe on Monday.

 

Today we head for Arizona as it’s a travel day it’s not strictly a day off but I’m looking forward to getting there as amongst other things I believe they do very good Margaritas…..

 

Arizona Sun and Texas the Friendly State.

 

Well turns out they do some very good Margaritas in Arizona; had some good Mexican food there too. The weather was pretty warm so I spent some of Sunday swimming and sitting in the sun. It was very pleasant and I loved the fresh air or ‘regular air’ as it’s called here. The air-conditioning in both hotels and airplanes has gone for my skin and the day outside helped sort that out - but if dry skin is all that ails me this tour I can live with that – I lost my voice last year. That has only ever happened once before but the combination of hot and cold weather, hours and hours of flying, air-conditioning and the fact that you can’t open windows in American hotels for some ‘regular air’ took its toll. (I imagine that’s because they don’t want you jumping out but we are not all that way inclined. Dear Hotels, from a singer travelling your country couldn’t you even have a small top window for us to open?)

 

So Mesa was fun. Met some charming people and had a group Mexican meal - as I mentioned – helps the band to get to know each other that little bit better. It only takes a few days but it all adds up – more to follow.  

 

Monday was my birthday and we were travelling on to Fort Worth Dallas. We played the same venue last year and I couldn’t quite remember why that gig in particular had stayed in my mind. It wasn’t the hotel as this time we stayed in a different one (sadly it was not very nice). It wasn’t the venue itself as I stepped out on to stage during the sound check to see if it jogged my memory but it didn’t however when the Pipe band started to play it all came flooding back. They were brilliant! The second half of the gig this year starts with the Pipe band playing with The Chiefs and this Pipe band rocked!! It’s run by a fellow originally from Belfast and he’s doing a great job.

 

Tuesday was Houston and a day off so birthday celebrations began. This was sparked by us all knowing each other that little bit better. In Houston it started with some Bar-b-que and then, inspired as it was the last day of Mardi Gras, some dancing and lots of laughing and some Jamesons (I mean really Alyth your Scottish!) some red wine (on top of Jamesons oh the foolishness)  and riotous merry making. I’d love to say more about it but I can’t – I mean I really can’t. Consequently I have decided for lent I shall give up the riotous merry making – oh well at least the Jamesons.

 

Our gig in Houston was Wednesday night. The pipers arrived and low and behold one of their snare drummers is from Edinburgh. He studied on the course at the Academy in Glasgow and is now teaching Pipe band drumming over in Houston. I was delighted. The gig itself went well the Houston audience were a very appreciative audience. Afterwards we retired for some pizza. Now as happens some folk head to bed earlier than others and by the end of the night Triona and I were left on our own just settling our bills when a man came over and asked us, as we were sitting out on the street, to keep an eye on his car while he was inside doing something. We said yes and got chatting. He was Sam and worked at the Hilton. He was delighted to hear our accents. Delighted. He wanted us to chat more and insisted, thrusting his business cards upon us, that the next time we were in town we’d have to stay at the Hilton where he worked and he would make sure we were taken good care of. Smashing we’d be quite happy to as the Hotel were staying in although plush furnishing and nice beds etc had tiny rooms. I was told by a Texan it is sold to American’s like that as it’s ‘European’ but I assure you it is Not European and is very American.

 

Shortly after Sam followed Jeff. He was ‘stoked’ as he was meeting musicians who had played with The Chieftains as his best friend had been trying to get him along to the gig as he loves the band and here he was having drinks with them. He kept saying ‘you know he was all about you today’. Charming. Jeff was a Republican – not surprising in this State – works in the Oil industry and not a fan of Obama. He is actually the first person I’ve ever met who is not a fan but he assured me he wasn’t a fan of Bush either. He was very friendly and most intrigued by our Democratic ways.

 

Then there was, I think, Trone and Knut. Not being very good at Norwegian I’m not quite sure how to spell their names. They were charming too and though not originally from Texas they have an Oil company there. (Common thread appearing here at all?) They sat down with us as we were paying our bills, took our bills from us and wanted to pay them. We declined. Trone explained to me shortly after that he is in the Oil industry and has a LOT of money. I’m glad there are some people out there who still do. I suppose I stopped him from injecting it back into the economy to help get it on its feet again but I am trying to do that in my own way. They asked me all about singing as Knut is a keen singer and then they were bold enough to ask me to sing. I don’t mean I thought they were rude but when people find out you are a singer they don’t generally ask you to sing. So I did and they were delighted and then the loveliest thing happened – they sang for me. They weren’t very good, I think the money they had been ploughing back into the economy before they met us had affected their pitch slightly, but at least they were trying.

 

So all in all I found Houston in Texas a very friendly place. I don’t know if we were just in the right place at the right time or whether that is true of most but it was delightful. It’s what I enjoy on tour almost as much as the gigs – seeing places and meeting people. Next stop Birmingham, Alabama. I’m quite excited about that one.

 

Alabama rain

 

I had really been looking forward to Birmingham Alabama. I have a favourite author called Fanny Flagg whose books are always set in the South. Not specifically here but her characters all have that deep southern drawl so I looked forward to meeting some of that and I wasn’t disappointed – except for the rain. Oh boy and people think Scotland is a wet place? Sure I’ve seen rain before, lots of it, but never quite like that. Torrents pouring from the sky with no let up. I watched it for a while and then ventured out I had my laundry to do afterall. (Anyone who has done a lot of touring or travelling knows how important it is to get your laundry done. It’s much nicer dragging around clean clothes than dirty ones).  It did cross my mind I could slip on all the clothes and just stand out side and run about for a bit but my mother would never approve so off I trotted to the Laundromat.

 

I splish-splashed my way through rivers and reached the door to be welcomed with a ‘you’re not from around here’ kind of look – but that was ok because they were right. Not only am I not from around there I don’t normally do my washing in a Laundromat so yep I stood out like a sore thumb. I put my $20 bill in the machine for change and then ended up with 80 quarters – handy? - wrestled with the slot sud machines and finally the washing machines themselves. There isn’t much in the way of instructions I think you’re just supposed to ‘know’.  However by the end of 2 hours I had a dry pile of the cleanest jeans and undies I’d seen for a while and I’d gotten to sit quietly in the corner and listen to that slow southern drawl discuss whether the tornadoes would be reaching Birmingham anytime soon – Oh Lord!

 

With dry clean washing in hand I then left and braved the dash to the post office - arrived drenched and stood in a cue with another 13 sopping customers. There was one lady behind the counter. The cue was agitated: so was she. After a bit of loud huffing and puffing from the cue the lady behind the counter made a public announcement she didn’t use a microphone or intercom – there was no need. She bellowed. ‘Now look y’all he-a. Ain’t nobody gonna give the lady behind the counta a hard time cos she is the ONLY lady behind the counta. Y’all relax stand behind the red line and if you’re good I might just sing y’all a song’. Well it worked. Everyone laughed and then everyone started talking and yelling and laugin. I laughed too mainly because I didn’t know what they were saying but it sounded good to me.

 

The audience in Birmingham that night were like that too. Open, friendly and vocal. It was a good night.