The BellRays

7/26/11

It’s Tuesday and the Delfonics are jamming on Lisa’s computer upstairs, the sun is out (for the most part) and tonight we’ll be hanging out with Jean Louis, Michelle and Penelope.  It’s a good day. We spent lunch listening  to Barrence Whitfield and the Savages, (boogie woogie the way it’s supposed to be played) and eating spaghetti Bolognese that Lisa made the right way!! We got laundry done and I put strings on my guitar. Tomorrow we head out early, first to Paris to pick up Antoine, then to London to play our show at the Borderline. It’ll be good to get back to the UK and play. I’ve always thought the UK would be a really good market for us. History hasn’t really supported that idea but we’ve always had a good bit of misfortune trying to build that market (9/11, etc). every time we’ve been there the crowds have been great and we’ve sold a lot of merch, so it seems to work out.

7/24/11

We are on our way out of Switzerland after having played the Paleo Festival. This festival is supposed to be the one that taught Vieilles Charrues how to do it right, but I think the student has become the teacher these days. It’s a nice festival and big, I think they sold 240,000 tickets in about five days, and this was back in April. We saw Robert Plant and heard a few others but nothing really grabbed my attention. I was actually surprised at how good Robert Plants voice is these days. I think he did one zeppelin tune “Ramble On” and it sounded great. The catering and the dressing rooms were not as good as the VC festival and really weren’t all that better than a lot of other (lesser known and populated) festivals we’ve done. But we saw our good friend Antone from Besancon (le Cylindre and the bar Passengers du Zinc) and his new girlfriend Natalie and had a great time hanging out. The show and the audience was awesome, which shocked me because it was the last show of the night (we started at 1:15 am) but the tent was packed and everybody was dancing and moving all night long. We even had a rare mosh pit going on in front of us most of the night. I threw a pick into the crowd up front and saw two kids wrestling in the mud to get it!

Found out yesterday that Amy Whinehouse died. I’m one of the masses who isn’t surprised. I hope she’s at peace and glad she’s not making any more music. I’m tired of people getting handed opportunities and pissing them away.

The night before last we played a club show at a bar in Dusseldorf that pretty fun. It was a Friday night in a swinging little area next to the river and people were ready to have a good time. We ate at a German restaurant and my pork medallions and fried potatoes were excellent.

Before that it was the Power Festival in La Louviere, Belgium. We got to see Bob Log III and we weren’t let down. He’s one crazy dude! A one man band, he plays guitar, and his feet play a kick drum and cymbal/tambourine thing. He’s also got some drum machine triggers that he controls with his feet. It’s a crazy sound! He wore a black, sparkly uni-tard and his standard motorcycle helmet with the embedded microphone so nobody can see his face. Did I mention it’s crazy?!

It’s been raining and cloudy and cold almost the whole time we’ve been over here now and it’s getting a little old. I watch the news and see the heat wave in the mid west in the states and it’s pretty apparent something’s going on with the weather. It’s just kind of weird.

7/16/2011

We’re in the van again, on the way, eventually, to Versailles. But first we’re going to Chartes for lunch and a look around. Antoine has family and friends there and there’s probably the most beautiful cathedral in Europe there, so hopefully we’ll get to check it out a bit too. After that we’ll drop him off at Versailles so he can take a train back to Paris. We’ll probably get to Versailles too late to see it today but we’re going to spend the whole day tomorrow checking it all out. I’ll make sure my camera’s charged.

I just got to see a copy of the DVD from our show yesterday and it’s really cool. It was a great show and the production of dvd is really professional. They had boom cameras and cranes, the whole shmeer! And the sound is great! Maybe we’ll be able to do something with it in the future.

7/17/2011

Today we spent the whole day at the Chateau in Versailles where we did a LOT of walking! We parked at the Saint Anthony gate and walked the half mile or so, through the sheep and horse pastures up to the chateau. It was raining on and off all day so we got a little wet while we walked around the MASSIVE gardens (plural). This place is really insanely large but at least now I know what I want to do for my backyard when I get home. Every garden had its own fountain and some of them are just gigantic. We wandered around for about an hour and then we waited in line to get our tickets to go into the palace (Crazy, Disneyland-like lines). The first line was for tickets (about and hour). The second line was to get inside (another hour). It was worth it though. We had a great time. This place is the definition of opulence. Some of the rooms are 4 stories high and they’re all covered in frescos or gilded trim or tapestries. It really never ends and you’d have to spend days to really see everything. It’s really dumbfounding that someone would want to build something like this and that they COULD get something like this built!

7 15 2011

Sitting here in our dressing room at the vieilles charrues festival after the AWESOME DINNER and our AWESOME SHOW!!! (and a couple of bottles of really good red wine)

Dinner was a seafood platter (see photo), which was awesome,  and probably one of the two best steaks I’ve ever had in my LIFE!! Really, really good! Served rare (saignant) with fried potatoes and some over cooked broccoli and it was delicious! Now, if someone would just kick Jack Johnson off the fucking stage. I’m happy enough. I can’t ‘don’t worry, be happy” anymore!

I really can’t explain what it’s like to play in front of 30,000 people who are dancing and having a good time…all the way to the back! When I was a kid I envisioned every gig was that way, no matter who was playing on stage! That was the magic of music. It just did that to whoever listened to it. It was raining but people just ignored it and were jumping up and down, and then when lisa went out on the catwalk out near the crowd, I wish I could’ve stopped playing to take a picture of how cool it looked! Just having a good time here.  Did a couple of radio interviews and some internet radio shows (an acoustic version of ‘black lightning’)

Our set was pretty cool too. People seemed to dig it when we went out into the crowd while it was raining. I went a little further than my cord would accommodate a couple of times so I got extra points from the crowd for that.

6 12 2011

Today was everything a day off is supposed to be. The only thing we did all day was the laundry. We’re getting ready to head out for a walk and hopefully our favorite kabob stand is open  ‘cause I need one of these. Had a good time just hanging out. Jean luc made lunch, which was excellent and the rest of the time we sat around. I feel recharged!

We got our soarma on and it was delicious! It’s a bar about a mile from here called the ‘bar of the reclamation’. I have no idea what that means but it must have something to do with shwarmas done right because these are just about my favorite! The guy doesn’t speak a word of English and he’s under the wrong idea that lisa is a gospel singer, but man can he cook!

6 14 2011

It’s National Day here in France, where they obviously don’t have a “department of catchy holiday names”. It took Americans to call it Bastille Day. Anyway, last night there were fireworks right outside the upstairs window here at Jean Luc’s in Orleans. I watched ‘em from the window and they were pretty cool. I’m here waiting til tomorrow when Antoine, Stef and Justin will swing by from Paris and we’ll all meet Lisa at the Vieilles Charrues festival tomorrow in Carhaix, Lisa’s in London doing a pretty cool show with the Basement Jaxx singing in front of a 50 piece orchestra tonight! The last two days I’ve pretty much been hanging around, playing guitar and trying to write. Christine’s cat wouldn’t have ANYthing to do with me until about 20 minutes ago when I went to the bathroom. I’m sitting on the toilet and then these little paws start reaching under the door swiping at my feet. The cat has been invisible since yesterday but now he follows me where ever I go. Maybe I should ask Christine what his name is…

Looking forward to the festival tomorrow. Apparently it’s one of the biggest in Europe and THE biggest in France and Jean luc has been trying to get us on it for years. Good things come to those who wait I guess. After that Lisa and I will go to Versailles for a couple of days. We’ve never been inside so I’m looking forward to that as well.

6 12 2011

Today was everything a day off is supposed to be. The only thing we did all day was the laundry. We’re getting ready to head out for a walk and hopefully our favorite kabob stand is open  ‘cause I need one of these. Had a good time just hanging out. Jean luc made lunch, which was excellent and the rest of the time we sat around. I feel recharged!

6 11 2011

We stayed at a wacky hotel last night, an Eco Nuit. They claim to use 30% less energy than a normal hotel. I think they can honestly make this claim because half the stuff doesn’t work. No working power outlets in our rooms, nobody working behind the  counter when Justin can’t get into his room and the key to the other room doesn’t work, and we couldn’t even check in when we first got there because the power was out. Not the most user friendly green policy, but probably effective.

After we left our hotel we drove one town over to La Baule and walked to the beach and found a creperie…a good one. We all had the menu which was a green salad, a ‘salty’ crepe (in my case ham, cheese and a fried egg) and then 2 butter and sugar crepes and a cup of cider. It was DEEEEElicious! Then we drove back to Orleans where we’re gonna spend the next few days hanging out at Jean luc’s house enjoying the Orleans hospitality.

It’s Bastille Day on the 14^th so there’s gonna be a fire works show on the Loire River (and lot’s of places actually. It’s their independence day) so that should be fun. Lisa will be in London doing a Basement Jaxx show with a 50 piece orchestra!

We just got back from the Courtepaille, one of our fave restaurant chains here in France. Good steaks and really good vegetables. Now we’re hanging at Jean Luc’s and drinking tea for a bit, before we go to bed. Tomorrow is a day off for everyone so , laundry, etc is what’s getting done.

6 9 2011

Today we drove back north towards Orleans to Tours where we’re playing the Terres du Son festival. There’s a few bands that we’ve played with here before but on the other stage before us is Tower of Power! I’m really looking forward to seeing them. The festival is situation out in the country again, next to a  small pond full of jumping fish and now that it’s dark outside the frogs are speaking up and making themselves heard quite clearly. It’s a bit chillier here than the rest of France we’ve been through so far. I think we’re in the mountains. The coolest thing so far has been the mirrors in our dressing rooms which were made by 12 year old kids as an art project. They’re really cool looking and if I didn’t think it’d get all messed up I’d take ours home with us.

The main event for today was leaving the Hotel du Midi in Salon de Provence. What was supposed to happen was the festival booked us a room for the night of the festival we played. But since we got there a day early we booked the room for the night before so we’d be there for two nights. When we went to check out though they told us that WE had to pay for both nights because THEY didn’t get the card number from the festival when the festival set it up. So there was this guy who was dogging the door telling Antoine that he didn’t want to fight him so he shouldn’t make trouble and the two old women behind the counter kept insisting that it was OUR fault because  we said we wanted the rooms for two nights. We told them to go to hell and after about an hour we finally managed to get ahold of the festival guy who called them and gave them the OK. Turns out he HAD given them a credit card number it was just a bad number or something. So, without so much as a ‘by your leave’, we left…never to return.

6 10 11

Terres Blanches Festival

Today we drove 3 hours to the Terres Blanches Festival.  Got here and immediately it was a good feeling. Too many people happy to see us here and way too good a set up to not start immediately having a good time. The opening band, Kevin Kelly is awesome! The first real French rock and roll band to really make me leave my dressing room and go check them out.  They sang in French and they were really  good. Hopefully they’ll have a cd out very soon.

Simple Minds are the headliners and Lisa’s excited at least to see them play their hit tune…whatever it is. The rest of the bands have been like listening to the circus from the parking lot. Thank god we had the champagne bar and a fucking insane hors doeurves cook slinging hash like she’s on crack! Oysters on the half shell, blood sausage with mini crepes, salmon sandwiches, she’s a witch and I’m completely under her spell, not to mention the champagne and cider that they keep throwing at us.

Our set was a blast! That’s all you need to know until you see it on youtube.

Simple Minds has just started playing and they sound like they suck so I’m gonna go check em out.

and to the fat piece of shit security guard, i’m sorry…I’m sorry i only punched you once in your fat fucking third reich loving, vichy face. You’re a piece of crap.

Simple Minds suck.

July 8^th

We’re sitting in a hotel room in Salon de Provence in the south of France. The countyside reminds me of what Fontana looked like back in the day, lots of olive trees, grape vines and dry weeds. It’s like looking at Baseline from Foothill avenue. It’s about noon and we’re getting ready to head downstairs to go to the festival for soundcheck, food, etc. Lisa and I were up  all night before we flew so last night was our first good night’s sleep in three days. The room’s nice and the people who run the hotel are very nice. We’re lucky to be here for two nights. It makes it much easier.

Last night we ate at a restaurant down the street that seemed like it was a family organization. Mom, Pop and daughter all working and cooking some really great food. I had what was listed as lasagna but it was more like a ravioli. It had meat, goat cheese and spinach in ravioli pasta but it had a layer of cheese on top and it was baked. It tasted like lasagna but it looked like ravioli. I’m not sure, but maybe it’s a regional thing. Antoine says we’re in the region known as the ‘alpees’ or the little alps. The meal took two hours and even though I was ready to go to bed it was a very relaxing time.

We drove past jean luc’s in Orleans and saw him, the Christines and the other two members of the Kleps. It’s good to see them again. They had a gig somewhere and were getting ready for that.

2:30 pm

We’re at the venue and it’s one of those Villas on a lake that are so popular out here. There’s a date stamped into the stones in the room where we ate and if I know my roman numeral system MDCCXVI = 1766 (thanks Mrs. Kerr!). So it’s a 230 year old villa that’s housing the We Are New Music (WANT) Festival.  The U.S. probably would’ve torn it down and built a shopping center or turned it into a museum. Here people get to have fun in it and use it for something. Anyway, the sound system’s great and everybody’s really cool here so far. The catering is pretty good. I had some pasta salad with long, flat noodles and egg plant in olive oil and a slice of roast beef I think it was. With the bread and the wine and the custard desert, we were all pretty happy campers.

12:30

It’s after the show now and the last band is on, Stupeflip. They’re really boring. Some crappy, slow French rap group but we’re really having a good time. The crowd tonight was awesome! It’s the first year for this festival, so there weren’t that many people but they were really into it big time! Everyone was dancing and having fun so it translated to what we did on stage. The sound was really good too, so that made it easy. Herman Dune was really good. I’d heard of them for a long time, mostly from our dysfunctional ex-soundman who used to tour with them a lot. I’m glad I finally got to see them play. Really cool stuff in a country-ish, rock sort of way. Tomorrow we drive 8 hours again so we’re getting ready to leave now while crappy, slow is still playing. We need our beauty sleep.

Tomorrow we play with Tower of Power!!

Boise 6 29 11

We made another in a series of very long, very beautiful drives from Billings to Boise. It always amazes me how much open country we have around us in the U. S. I read somewhere that if you took the island of Manhatten and build it up to the size of Connecticut you could house every human on Earth. The rest of the world would be open country! Haven’t seen any buffalo yet though. I always like seeing them on these drives. There’s something reassuring about knowing they’re there, sorta like when a shark attack happens. And I’ve only seen a couple of hawks out here which is really weird. There’s usually quite a few to be be easily seen hovering over the prairies or perched on fence posts along the way, just a bunch of crows everywhere. I don’t know if there’s been some bird flu thing or people shoot ‘em here or what. Speaking of birds of prey,  I’m also amazed that I haven’t seen hardly any state troopers on this trip, only one that was lying in wait. The few I have seen have had somebody pulled over already. I got tailed by one for about a mile. I think it was because our front plate is missing but he peeled off pretty quickly. So, except for this nagging cold that Lisa and I have everything’s going really well. Having a great time and looking forward to getting home in a couple of days.