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iloveasunflower · 1 year

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Roland's Tour Diary: 7th May

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Saturday, May 7, 2005

Well, another intense period is finally over for TFF, I can stop obsessing about my voice and leave the calorific honey and lemon to one side for a while. I feel we left London on a high, even if some of the reviews have made out otherwise. The mind boggles as to how people read body language – Curt and I are getting on famously – if we weren’t, you’d soon hear about it and I could indulge in some fantastic bitching during this tour diary – but no – live, we are a band and have no desire to ‘Wham’ it up with fake buddiness.

I’ve read some of the comments posted and can’t say I disagree with even the more negative ones. We were caught slightly off-guard by the lack of awareness of ELAHE in the UK, and I think Glasgow was the peak of a mutual ignorance, with us clumsily dividing the set into old and new. It wasn’t until Newcastle that we remedied the situation – and boy, what an audience! Shades of New York!

I also think we have too much of the new album in the set. Admittedly, the touring was designed to get the point across, but I do think we could make a better show, if we increased the repertoire and started to replace some of the newer songs – more upbeat tunes would work in our favor, and as we are hitting the US in the summer, it might well be time for a change. (Points taken about RATKOS – however, bear it in mind, we do three songs from ‘Big Chair’ – ‘Listen’ would be impossible and ‘The Working Hour’ requires a saxophone – any offers? ‘I Believe’ – maybe. )

Cardiff was as close to a home gig as we could get, with a couple of busloads crossing the Severn Bridge from Bath and Bristol. The atmosphere was very casual and relaxed, and the gathering in the green room, after the show, did resemble a wedding. One great thing about being a ‘seasoned professional’ is you learn to take things like playing in front of friends, family and neighbors in your stride – you just imagine you’re throwing a big party!

Points also taken about the dance remixes that are accompanying the UK single releases, although I would say I have a fondness for the ‘Call Me Mellow’ ones. I guess like Tony Blair it’s time to listen to the electorate and start working on some obscure beauty in the form of B-sides, that would titillate the fans, and keep us interested. I’m also touched by some of your comments about RATKOS – I believe that album must have sold by word of mouth, as it didn’t receive much attention at the time. Over 700,000 copies now sold (unless I’ve been misinformed – can’t be that many hardcore fans) – not bad considering.

It’s off to Paris on Sunday for more delightful press and promotion – things, however, have gone our way there with the CTTH video getting a nice bit of airtime. As you are probably aware, we are playing a show in the French capital on June 18 (with Moby and Garbage), and the record company has certainly filled up our days over the coming week. I can’t wait for the late, late night chat shows with some poor sod trying to translate our perverse asides!

Anyways, thanks for all the interesting posts and glad that at least some of you enjoyed our UK adventure. Now is the time to put in your requests for live songs as Big Brother will be watching very intently over the next week ;)

Roland

#roland's tour diary #roland orzabal #elahe #everybody loves a happy ending #2000s #2005 #moby #garbage #uploads #tears for fears #tff #tearsforfearsfans

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shemakesmusic-uk · 3 years

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This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

ROJAZ

ROJAZ is a Spanish flavoured artist currently based in London. She sees herself as a mix of artists like BANKS, Sabrina Claudio, and Rendez-Vous at Two. Soothing and sensual vocals paired with conversational lyrics, her new single ‘Gravitating’ is out now. "’Gravitating’ is about the push and pull dynamic of two people who don’t want to say goodbye, despite knowing they should”, she says. Strong synths and raw vocals create an impactful track, whilst layers of harmonies carefully guide you through the narrative. Listen below.

VERAH

VERAH is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from New York. Having sung and studied Jazz since she was 14, her music is heavily influenced by the smooth vocals of Nina Simone and the rhythmic genius of Herbie Hancock. Some of her current influences include Amy Winehouse, H.E.R. and Snoh Aalegra. Lastest single ‘Too Late (It's Not Easy)’ features the smooth R&B vocals of VERAH as she sings about love gone wrong over a deep, groovin' beat. Her sixth single to date, the song explores the duality of knowing you deserve better but hurting at the same time. Listen below.

Blakkheart

Blakkheart is a music producer, engineer and vocalist based in Cork. Everything you see and hear from the artist is done in its entirety by her (right down to the artwork) from her plant emporium home studio. After touring as a session musician and vocalist she began to hone her production skills. Luxuriously dreamy, electronic glitter disco, inspired by Prince and Kylie Minogue - ‘Not To Your Taste’ was composed on a Roland Juno DI hardware synthesizer in Blakkheart’s plant emporium/home studio. “Gave my life to you/ Pipe dreams can be cruel/ Was it hard to watch/ As I lost and lost” - a lament to the life you envisioned inside your head; and the unwelcome realization that this may never materialize,” says Blakkheart. Listen below.

BLAKKHEART · Not To Your Taste

MBG

MBG is an alt-rock artist and multi-instrumentalist based in Brampton, ON. Behind the scenes she writes, records and produces her own music but brings it out in its purest form on stage with her band of talented friends. She goes against the grain with her own loud, edgy and unique sound. She has this to say about her new single ‘This Time’: "In the chorus, my friends tell me it's not my fault, to stop blaming myself. I've recently gone through a relationship that was unfortunately cut short and has left me with the idea of what could've been and for someone with anxiety, always pondering on the what if is a very hard itch to scratch. In the heat of the moment, you look back and think "wow, I've done something wrong that ended this thing," but later come to understand that it's totally valid that they don't want to be with you, for whatever the reason is. Whether you're falling in love or losing someone in your life, there can be this sense that you're spiraling out of control. Every now and then, you kind of just have to let it hit you like a ton of bricks. So if you want to mosh to this song with your roommate, or have a good cry alone in your bedroom, that's okay." Listen below.

MBG · This Time

GLOCHELR

GLOCHELR is an R&B singer-songwriter from London, and her latest single ‘Closure’ wass perfect for Valentine’s Day. “The song focuses on the search for ‘closure’ and explores all the pain and uncertainty that comes with giving your all to someone who may not even want it,” she explains. “In all, sometimes the feelings go, but the trauma stays indefinitely and it’s up to you to deal with that.” Listen below.

Lemon Lord

Lemon Lord is a pop music artist based in Los Angeles. She released her first album Be Blonde in November last year. Her mantra, "To Infinity and Be Blonde," is a reminder to us all that we can do anything we dream of and we can be any version of ourselves that we choose along the way. This mantra is echoed in her song ‘Queen’ in the lyrics of the chorus, which say, "You just gotta live life like a Queen/ Ooh you can do it/ Baby it's done/ If you put your mind to it." Listen below.

Serena Sophia

Serena Sophia has been in the music, theatre, acting industry for a number of years. She studied music at the University of Glasgow and then went on to study a Masters in Musical Theatre at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has always written lyrics and music, but it was throughout 2019 and 2020 she finally found her sound and discovered who she was an artist and was finally ready for her first release. 'Diary of Thoughts' is a song about heartbreak, loss, love and also strength. The lyrics were derived from sections of diary entries from 2018 which was an especially difficult year for Serena due to a toxic relationship and break up. “The song is so personal to me as it describes the emptiness, pain and heartbreak I felt throughout that time but also the moment I decided to finally take care of myself and control of my life and my own happiness,” she explains.

Serena Sophia · Serena Sophia - Diary Of Thoughts

imojen

imojen (she/they) is a 22 year old non-binary, feminist, singer-songwriter. Raised in Switzerland and now based in Brighton, UK, imojen has been musical for the most of their life. Inspired to write her first song after hearing Florence + the Machine’s ‘Shake It Out’, imojen’s lyrics seek to expose the awkward and spectacular details of a queer femme existence. Relationships, sex, the body and identity are all key themes in their music. Through rich vocal harmonies, strong melodies and captivating language, imojen weaves a truly unique sound and experience. ‘Angus’ is an open letter. An unapologetic, feminist ballad, that accuses men of passing down their misogyny to their sons. Inspired by artists such as Lucius and k.d. lang, imojen’s vocals and tangled harmonies are positioned as the focus of the piece as she depicts woodlands, country clubs, wildfires and graveyards in a haunting protest. Tracing a map of her emotional journey, imojen reveals cynicism, rage, malice and contempt, but shows no signs of weakness. Indulgent and imaginative, ‘Angus’ creates a space for fantastical vengeance, empowerment and escape. Listen below.

Amy Ellen

Amy Ellen is part of the emerging Irish indie-folk scene. Hailing from Dublin, her music is inspired indie-folk artists such as Laura Marling and Fleetwood Mac. Her new single 'This Life' is a coming of age pop-rock tune which conveys a sense of maturity and realisation that nothing good will last forever. In Amy's words: "The song is inspired by true-life events, it touches on losing and gaining people in your life and outlines that some moments become memories we cherish and reflect on. I feel that it's a subject that everyone can relate to, sometimes we fail to see the impact others have on us until they are no longer present and vice versa". Instrumentally, the song features punchy 90’s rock elements, a contrast from Amy’s latest acoustic driven songs. Listen below.

#submission saturday #rojaz #verah #blakkheart #mbg #glochelr #lemon lord #serena sophia #imojen #amy ellen

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the-little-crime-writer · 5 years

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Michael Lupo

A former choir boy in his native Italy, Michele (or Michael) Lupo discovered his homosexual tendencies while serving with an elite military unit in the early 1970s. Commando training taught him how to kill bare-handed, and he took the knowledge with him when he moved to London in 1975. Starting out as a hairdresser, Lupo worked his way up to ownership of a stylish boutique, buying himself a $300,000 home in Roland Gardens, South Kensington. Along the way, he boasted of liaisons with some 4,000 male lovers, recording the intimate details in numerous journals. The consequence for his promiscuity was revealed in March 1986 when he tested positive for the AIDS virus. After this Lupo ran amok, indulging his taste for sadomasochism in a brutal campaign of revenge against the gay community.

On March 15, 1986, 37-year-old James Burns was prowling leather bars in search for a companion for the night, undeterred by his own diagnosis of AIDS two weeks earlier. Vagrants found his body in a London basement, mutilated with a razor, sodomized, and smeared with human excrement, his tongue bitten off in the frenzied attack that took his life. Three weeks later, on the afternoon of April 5, AIDS victim Anthony Connolly was found by children playing in a railroad shed, his body slashed and smeared with human offal in a carbon-copy homicide.

Lupo was leaving a gay bar on the night of April 18 when he met an elderly tram on Hungerford Bridge and something inside him suddenly "screamed out at the world." Assaulting the stranger, Lupo kicked him in the groin and strangled him on the spot, afterward dumping his body into the Thames. The following day, Lupo met Mark Leyland at Charing Cross, and the men made their way to a public restroom for sex. Once there, Leyland changed his mind, whereupon Lupo pulled an iron bar and attacked him. Escaping with his life, Leyland reported the incident as a mugging, later telling the truth to police after Lupo's arrest. (He has since disappeared.) Victim Damien McClusky was last seen alive in a Kensington tavern on April 24, 1986. His body strangled, raped, and mutilated with a razor was discovered some time later in a basement flat.

On the night of May 7, Lupo picked up another gay partner, attempting to strangle him with a black nylon stocking, but once more his prey escaped. Thus time, police received a full report and escorted the victim on a tour of gay bars to identify the culprit, finally spotting Lupo on the night of May 15. A search of Lupo's home revealed one room converted to a modern torture chamber, and his confiscated diaries were reported to contain the names of many prominent connections. Convicted at his trial in July 1987, Lupo received four life sentences and two terms of seven years each (for attempted murder,) with the judge's assurance that in his case, "life meant life," Interpol investigated other mutilation deaths in Amsterdam, West Berlin, Hamburg, Los Angeles, and New York City, seeking connections to Lupo and his various trips abroad, but no further charges were filed.

#Michael Lupo #tcc blog #tcc community #tcc crime #tcc #true crime blog #true crime community #true crimes #true crime #real crime blog #real crimes #tcc real crime #real crime #lgbt #gay community #aids

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ritacaroline · 5 years

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Starshine Ch. 56 Jimmy Page Fan Fiction

The next morning, it was time to get Jill to the Dr. office to see Dr. Logan. Susan, her home nurse was there to join the visit, and Roland was driving them all.

Jimmy carried Jill out to the car and Roland was carrying her into the Dr. office. Roland was an older gentleman, but strong and healthy as a 35 year old.

Jimmy and Susan accompanied Jill into the exam room. Logan removed the bandaging extremely delicately and observed the wound.

Logan : Ahh, much better. The redness is gone, swollenness way reduced. Your fever is gone. Obviously you followed my instructions, took the medicines I ordered. Good job. Now, this is the very beginning of the healing process. The really bad signs have greatly improved. So does that mean you should stop doing what I told you now ? …No !!! Keep at it diligently. Follow what I said, to the word. You can do it. Must do it. Susan will keep an eye on it, won’t you dear ? And you’ll leave me the results of heart rate, temperature and blood pressure, food diary, each day, etc. I need to monitor these stats. Report anything unusual, a full report each day.

Logan cleaned the wound and redressed it.

Logan : So, come back, one week from now, or call if anything unexpected happens, ok ? Any questions or concerns ?

Silence.

Logan : Ok. See you next week.

The group returned home, barely a word was said. Roland carried Jill indoors, placed her softly on the sofa again. Mrs. K. handed Jimmy a list of call messages, all inquiring about Jill. Jill had quickly fallen asleep on the comfy sofa, so Jim went down to his studio and returned the calls. Updated them all on Jill’s progress. He felt dramatically better himself, after the worry of yesterday. And Jill looked way better than she had then, also. But as Logan said, they must follow his instructions everyday.

Jill was just really wishing this hadn’t happened. But it did. And she had to get this issue healed again. So she was several steps backward.

A few hours had passed and Jill was awake now. Jimmy came up to her at the side of her space on the couch and he observed her quietness and sadness. He asked her if it would be alright if he could lay down next to her, facing her, on the sofa. And she loved that idea. So, there was ample room for them both on the big piece of furniture. He laid down on it, just face to face with Jill. He was petting her hair back, over and over, kissing her lips softly. They were loving being in such close proximity to each other, talking and laughing softly. It was a very intimate arrangement and they both felt really positive and loved, next to each other like that. Jill was asking him if she was using up all his valuable time, away from the music. Since he needed to practice and get ready for the upcoming tour.

Jim : No, you’re not using up my time. You’re the most important thing in my life. Being here with you is what I want to be doing. I’m already set for our tour. More practice would just be gravy on top. So no, there’s nothing more pressing than you. And babe, do you need anything ? By the way, here comes Mrs. K. with some iced tea for us.

Jill : Ok great. I was going to say I need a cold drink, so she read my mind. All I have to do is rest now.

They drank their tea together.

Afterward, they lay down again the same way on the sofa. Jill had her arms around Jimmy and he felt very content like that.

Jim : I’m so happy laying here with you, in your arms. I know it isn’t the ultimate perfect circumstance but, just the fact that you’re going to be alright is the best news I have. And that you don’t have to go back into the hospital is fantastic. Just that you can stay here with me every day and every night is all I want.

She just looked into his beautiful eyes and smiled. Jill petted his hair and kissed him at his hairline and petted his head. And she whispered sweet words to him so softly. He was in paradise there like that.

Jim : All I want is to have you here and know that you love me. That’s all I need and I’ll be the happiest person in the world.

_____________________________________________________

Next Ch. 57 : https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/post/188617070736/starshine-ch-57-jimmy

Chapter Index for “Starshine” is located at bottom section of Ch.1 , click here :

https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/post/184383708541/starshine-ch-1-jimmy

Link to “In The Light” - original fan fic -https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/post/173286165501/in-the-light-jimmy-page-fan-fiction

JimJam Mistresses : @tremble-and-shake @ledoftherings @gimmeeshelter @adonna1964 @justanotherzosofangirl @starchild0985 @girlofthemoon75 @bonscottintheimpala @12909168 @jjullz @cherryfloyd @tenementcrazylittlefruitcake @save-me-from-the-gallows-pole @soy-laprincessa @marauderofworlds @ultrabitchystudentperfectionus @satanspizzadeliveryguy @misspenylane @zi-zidane @catherine0627 @pagingpage-the-original @amythesticon @strangerspassinginthestreet @ thezeppelinbeatles @pour-some-sugar-on-mee @carryfire18 @j-james-thlk @70shoney @strange-broo @page-daddy @nadianad1337 @yerawizardjimmeh @jimmyypagey @magnetacuddles84 @rock6880 @ledxzeppelin @kinkyspice @thelandofnevermore @my-golden-lion @itsblackbetty @luvejimmy @palenickelsaladparty @jennmarieetn @honeydewgroupie @how-many-more-times-blog @loveinher-eyess @rocknrollababes-blog @princesssofpeace @frauweide @dontyouhearmecallingyou @zozjaa @miniaturewinnerwonderland @http-jinx @chennington @venicebeachx @wanna-be-groupie @where-the-hot-springs-blow @basementmermaid @crying-over-rock-legends @cherrrywitch @scarletrossetti @sixpackonthefrontseat @miamorjimmypage @jimmypageismylife @pennylane1968 @jlmmypage

*Please advise if you would like to be tagged or untagged.

#Fan Fiction #submission #jimmy page fan fic #jimmy page fanfiction #jimmy page fan fiction led zeppelin

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walkingtilwefall · 7 years

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Thoughts on the Discourse

1) The Delancey Brothers. Yes, they're assholes. No, people don't need to stop writing fic about them. They should tag it, certainly, so that people who are triggered by them can blacklist their names on XKit or Tumblr Savior, but they are fictional characters and thus fair game to write about. I certainly don't think they should be romanticized in any way and I'm not necessarily sure they can be redeemed, but I don't think people should attack people for writing fic with the Delanceys in it. While the Delanceys are fictional, they are fictional humans. Humans are complex and often two-faced. Oscar and Morris might be total dickbags to the Newsies, but might be angels to their mother and hard workers in the eyes of Weisel. I side-eye fic that has them shipped with a canon newsie (or Sarah or Katherine) because of the way they treated them in canon (or in Katherine's case, treated her friends) and I find fic that "rewards them" with a canon newsie they previously terrorized once they are "rehabilitated" to be distasteful (it's the same reason why I could never get behind people shipping Kurt and Karofsky on Glee), but I don't think they should be off-limits to write about completely.

2) Newsies x Reader. If it's the character shipped with a reader, it's not an issue...but some of the posts can get REALLY REALLY long or REALLY REALLY NSFW so please put your fic or lists behind a "read more."

3) Actor x Reader or Actor x Actor fic and headcanons. Nope nope nope. It's normal and healthy to be attracted to someone and to wonder what it would be like to be with them romantically/physically. Keep that in a personal diary or, if you MUST share with others, a private group chat where it's established that everyone is OK discussing that and the subject of your speculation cannot see it. No more of this "Imagine Your First Time With (Actor)" with detailed speculations about what their O-faces look like and your headcanons about their pubes. I know for a fact some of the actors check their tags and while they're not generally the same actors who get the most NSFW posts about them, one day it's gonna happen. SFW fic is less harmful in the sense that it's chaste, but unless you grew up with these people, you don't know them (and if you did grow up with them, it's weird that you're writing fanfic about them). As someone who spent several years acting alongside one of the toursies (in our early teens), it's a very weird feeling to be scrolling through the tag and seeing your friend's name pop up telling a reader, via someone's fanfic, that he "ships" the reader and his castmate. I am sure he is very supportive of all of his friends' healthy relationships, but I'm 99% sure the words "I ship it" have never come out of his mouth even in regards to the castmate and said castmate's very real girlfriend. "But it's fiction!" you say. OK, then write about FICTIONAL people. In regards to Actor x Actor, sometimes actors ARE just roommates/friends, and that's OK. If you simply can't enjoy two real humans' friendship without picturing them dicking each other down, I don't know what to tell you.

4) This is not so much discourse-related as just a pet peeve. DON'T CLOG THE TAGS. If your post is about one Newsies actor from the OBC, you only need to tag their name, whoever is in the picture with them (if anyone), and the show (whether it's Newsies or their next/previous project). You don't need to tag every cast member of the OBC and touring cast and the name of every other show you like. I can't even begin to tell you how much DEH/BMC/Hamilton/Heathers stuff shows up in the Newsies and Falsettos tags, even when there's no overlap. Like, if you're making a post about Mike Faist, it makes sense to put it in the DEH and Newsies tag, but you don't need to tag a post that is exclusively about Will Roland with "Newsies." He was never in Newsies. Also, it's REALLY cool that people are making their own Newsies OCs, but I don't think EVERY SINGLE answered ask with a gif of your costumed self needs to be in the Newsies tag. It gets super annoying, and I don't want to have to block people because I know some of these people follow and like my blog from their main account (and I may follow and like their main account) and I don't want them to not be able to see it. Use the “newsies RP” tag.

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newsnomadblog · 5 years

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07 August 2019 | c depasquale | Aquarium Drunkard

“It’s hard to find pure forms. Forms of music and culture, these little hidden pockets are disappearing. I guess that’s just the way it goes with evolution.”

Producer and musician Daniel Lanois is speaking to us from his home in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, discussing his work with Bob Dylan on 1989’s Oh Mercy, a document that shows what purity and evolution sound like when they’re occurring simultaneously. This September marks 30 years since its release, but its swampy mood and wide-open lonesomeness feels outside the measurement of decades. “Time is beginning to crawl,” Dylan sings on “Where Teardrops Fall.” Time crawls within the world the album creates, too.

Oh Mercy exists on its own plane, and the same is true of New Orleans, where it was fashioned. Lanois goes on to describe the Zydeco roots of Louisiana’s Lafayette area, its intangible dance hall ambiance. “Zydeco is the music that really touched me, and I wanted to make sure that I felt part of that. And Bob felt that down there. It was something that hadn’t been molested yet.”

The slow-burn noir of Oh Mercy exudes the untouched gothic mystery of its New Orleans environs—the humid timbre of the recordings shaped heavily by their setting. The region’s enigmatic spirit affected Dylan’s writing, which drifts between the worldly and introspective, setting a decidedly postmodern tone. Uncertainty is a mossy through-line, connecting anxieties both political and romantic, as if there was no dividing line between global unrest and personal disorder. On “What Was It You Wanted,” he asks in forlorn detachment: “Has the record been breaking? Did the needle just skip?”

The years leading up to Dylan’s sojourn to the Crescent City had found the record skipping quite a bit. The late ‘80s found him plagued by a gnarly hand injury, one Dylan has always been vague about, but even more so than that, a feeling of creative resignation.

“Had long ceased running towards it,” he writes in his 2004 memoir Chronicles. “When and if an idea would come, I would no longer try to get in touch with the base of its power.” Touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in ‘87, Dylan describes himself feeling adrift. The feeling persisted as he began work with the Grateful Dead. But a simple moment shifted his focus. During a rehearsal session with the Dead at the band’s Club Front in San Rafael, he stepped outside and stumbled upon a jazz combo playing through a doorway.

“Something was calling me to come in and I entered,” Dylan writes. “The singer reminded me of Billy Eckstine. He wasn’t very forceful, but he didn’t have to be; he was relaxed, but he sang with natural power. Suddenly and without warning, it was like the guy had an open window to my soul.”

“Bob is very inspired by those little turning points in the day,” Lanois says. “He sees these little observations as beacons of a sort. They not only stir the imagination, but they’re a reminder of why we’re here and what we’re doing.”

The two shared an ability to locate the uncanny in small moments, which quickly established a bond. Coming off of work on U2’s The Joshua Tree and Peter Gabriel’s So, Lanois had decamped to New Orleans, taking over an abandoned apartment building as his studio and workspace. When Dylan was introduced to Lanois by their mutual friend Bono, he was laying down the spectral Yellow Moon with the Neville Brothers. The feel of the room moved Dylan, who was drawn in by the aesthetic and mood.

“We had a bit of fun, just decorating and setting up the whole studio,” Lanois says. “Art Neville brought his stuffed bobcat, and yeah, we did have a couple alligator heads and moss and we just wanted to situate what would be perceived as a recording studio. And Dylan stopped in and I’m sure he thought ‘these people are doing something different.’ I think he appreciated that we were on the pulse of something, we were enthusiastic about our work. We were committed, we were lifers, and we were there to make masterpieces.”

Part of Oh Mercy’s great power is its vessel-like existence; a work completely informed by the immediate senses from which it emanates. “Branches of trees hung overheard near a wooden trellis that climbed a garden wall,” Dylan writes in Chronicles.

“Waterlilies floated in the dark-squared fountain and the stone floor was inlaid with swirling marble squares … I strolled into the dusk. And, much like the record itself, he writes “the air was murky and intoxicating.” Dylan’s descriptions of the character and feel of New Orleans echo the sounds and tenors of the record. “There’s a thousand different angles at any moment,” he writes. “In New Orleans you could almost see other dimensions. There’s one day at a time here, then it’s tonight and then tomorrow will be today again. Chronic melancholia hanging from the trees.”

Asked what he thought Dylan meant when he wrote that in New Orleans “the past doesn’t pass away so quickly here,” Lanois responds: “In New Orleans, we had access to the most wonderful music all the time, there was a little bar called the Maple Leaf, uptown, and it was just a little storefront place and the drummer played in the window with his back to his street, and you could walk by and check out the band just by looking in the window and they were just rockin’.”

Joined by the Neville Brothers band – guitarist Brian Stoltz, bassist Tony Hall, drummer Willie Green, and percussionist Cyril Neville – Dylan, Lanois, and co. aimed to inhabit the scene he might have glimpsed looking through the window at the Maple Leaf Bar. The record absorbed members of the New Orleans community as recording went on: Rockin’ Dopsie and John Hart from the Maple Leaf Bar band came by to lay down some accordion and tenor sax. Not everyone involved was as seasoned. Engineer and keyboardist Malcolm Burns “had never engineered anything before,” says Lanois. “He was just a guy from Canada that I liked.”

But there was a unity in their spirit. Lanois’ experimental curiosity introduced a completely novel recording approach to Dylan. In addition to the exotic palette the dobro, omnichord, and scrub board added to the production, Dylan chose to forego his usual big band approach and follow his producer on instinct into a largely intimate, one-on-one setting, working alone with Lanois and a Roland 808.

“I wanted to get to the heart of the matter,” Lanois says. “I wanted the center to be absolutely captured…The power of his stance and position is represented.”

The creative drought was over. Oh Mercy finds Dylan sounding inspired, impassioned, and indignant. Alternately, the record sounds at once like a sermon, a diary, and a faded old photograph. Housing swamp boogies and expansive gospel chimes, it’s musically eccentric, but direct and cohesive. Dylan glides seamlessly from the dark cloud thump of “Political World” where “wisdom is thrown in jail,” into the romantic dreamlike waltz of “Where Teardrops Fall,” its heartfelt saxophone dreaming aloud. The album finds him embracing rock & roll as a vital force; on “Everything Is Broken,” he catalogs the ills of societal decay, finding humor in the mundane, personifying the collapse of the damned. “Hound dog howling, bullfrog croaking,” he murmurs, sounding like a croak itself.

Though Dylan’s “Christian Era” had ended, his new songs continued to make room for his spiritual longings, just as they had on Infidels earlier in the decade. The spacious gospel of “Ring Them Bells” recalls the pastoral calm of “Every Grain of Sand,” but finds the narrator in a more precarious state. “Time is running backwards and so is the bride,” he laments. In a sense, it’s the calm before the storm that is the apocalyptic “Man in the Long Black Coat.” Minimalist and foreboding, the stark and brooding ballad describes a misty, obscured netherworld. A graveyard séance, Dylan’s elegiac and graceful wordplay simmers with rich, poignant watercolors. “There’s smoke on the water/It’s been there since June/Tree trunks uprooted/Beneath the high crescent moon,” he sings, a dark and dusty trio of Lanois, Burns, and the man himself casting high spirits in a fog of dobro, 12-string, and keys.

“A peculiar change crept over the appearance of things,” Dylan reminisces about that recording in Chronicles. “…the production sounds deserted, like the intervals of the city have disappeared…The lyrics try to tell you about someone whose body doesn’t belong to him.”

Lanois’ interpretation is perhaps purer, more romantic. “When you’re coming up as a kid, maybe you want to be a fireman,” he says. “Maybe you want to run away from certain things and start a new life. Discover the wonders and wanders that are available to you as an imaginative human. Whether it’s the circus or otherwise, it’s just a human inclination to want to reinvent, to discover, to take in a magic place. It pushes that button, I appreciate that Bob wrote about it, because we’ve all felt that somehow or another.”

The gentler second side begins with “Most of the Time,” a majestic and somber masterwork. The arrangement gives his words space to document the transience of love. “I can handle whatever/I stumble upon/I don’t even notice/She’s gone/Most of the time.” That last turn, that contradiction, sells it all. “Melancholia hanging from the trees” indeed.

“The song is deep, man,” Lanois says. “It’s heavy. Most great art has contradiction in it and that song certainly has that in its spine. I wanted to create a sonic representation of the contradiction. I wanted to have this little tormented orchestra, this little ensemble. Playing cellos, violas, and violins, but without cellos, violas, and violins. So, I used a Les Paul Junior cranked all the way up to 10, and I overdubbed four parts of this heavy, single-note sound. So, the intertwining of these parts makes up that little exchange, that invisible string quartet that’s immense from a distance. I wanted to make sure that that the music was trying to destroy the singer at the same time as support him.”

The back half of Oh Mercy finds Dylan turning largely inward. The global unrest of the Cold War era may have been dissipating, but what was to come next? “What good am I,” he wonders. “If I know and don’t do/If I see and don’t say/If I look right through you?” But he points his finger too, wryly remarking on “Disease of Conceit” that “The doctors got no cure/They’ve done a lot of research on it/But what it is they’re still not sure.” Riffing on the defrocking of disgraced evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Dylan focuses in on exactly how broken everything is. Searching for answers that might not exist, Dylan’s journey circles right back around to the elliptical on “What Was It You Wanted,” asking: “Is the scenery changing/am I getting it wrong?” The album’s closer, “Shooting Star,” feels like a letter written but never to be sent. “It’s the last temptation/the last account,” Dylan sings, knowing just enough to know he doesn’t know anything at all, only that “tomorrow will be another day.”

There’s a tactile somberness as the record winds down, leaning into a similar blurriness heard on Lanois’ own Acadie (also released in ’89). Even as they left serious gems like “Born In Times,” “Dignity,” and “Series of Dreams” on the cutting room floor, it’s clear that Dylan and Lanois were working off an atmosphere, loose but focused. Like 1969’s Nashville Skyline and 1970’s New Morning, which reflected the artist’s newfound domestic bliss, Oh Mercy is bracingly intimate. And like the inferno boogie gospel of 1979’s Slow Train Coming, it reflects a new look on reality, a specific time and place. A pure form.

Dylan writes in Chronicles, “We did it as we damn well pleased and there was nothing more to say. When the record was all added up, I hoped it would meet head-on with the realities of life … I can’t say if it’s the record either of us wanted. Human dynamics plays too big a part, and getting what you want isn’t always the most important thing in life anyway.”

This sense of humility is also shared in no small way by Lanois, who teamed with Dylan once more on 1997’s Time Out of Mind. Oh Mercy was a journey into the night, assembled in humble conditions. “Even though I had all the rooms padded up and ready for blast off, we just made the whole record in the kitchen. Pretty much did the whole record right next to the coffee machine.” The work is serious and complex, funky and ambient in different breaths. “I reassured Bob I was not about to rest until we had a masterpiece.” He thinks that for all its ambiguity, they got where they were going. “I believe we made a masterpiece of sorts.” words/c depasquale

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Original Link: Did the Needle Just Skip :: 30 Years of Oh Mercy

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Dylan and Lanois: Oh Mercy turns 30 07 August 2019 | c depasquale | Aquarium Drunkard “It’s hard to find pure forms. Forms of music and culture, these little hidden pockets are disappearing.

#album #Bob Dylan #Daniel Lanois #Oh Mercy

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bookmonsterzero · 6 years

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September 2018 in Pictures

Young Widow (1946/Edwin L. Marin)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018/Joe Russo, Anthony Russo)

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985/George Miller)

The Million Pound Note (1954/Ronald Neame)

Andre the Giant (2018/Jason Hehir)

Hereditary (2018/Ari Aster)

The Dead (1987/John Huston)

Sleeping Dogs (1977/Roger Donaldson)

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017/Matt Reeves)

Housekeeping (1987/Bill Forsyth)

Muriel, or the Time of Return (1963/Alain Resnais)

Baby Driver (2017/ Edgar Wright)

Leviathan (2014/Andrey Zvyagintsev)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986/John McNaughton)

The Cow (1969/Dariush Mehrjui)

Los Olvidados (1950/Luis Buñuel)

The Mad Masters (1955/Jean Rouch)

Harlan County U.S.A. (1976/Barbara Kopple)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984/Sergio Leone)

Moonstruck (1987/Norman Jewison)

The Woman in Black (1989/Herbert Wise)

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970/Vittorio De Sica)

® Women in Love (1969/Ken Russell)

The Dark Crystal (1982/Jim Henson, Frank Oz)

El Topo (1970/Alejandro Jodorowsky)

The Good Earth (1937/Victor Fleming)

Witch Hunt (2008/Don Hardy Jr., Dana Nachman)

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963/Robert Mulligan)

My American Uncle (1980/Alain Resnais)

Fate of a Man (1959/Sergey Bondarchuk)

The Mission (1986/ Roland Joffé)

® Yojimbo (1961/Akira Kurosawa)

Babel (2006/Alejandro González Iñárritu)

Children of the Stones (1977/Peter Graham Scott)

The End of the Tour (2015/James Ponsoldt)

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972/John Huston)

The Wings of the Dove (1997/Iain Softley)

Iphigenia (1977/Mihalis Kakogiannis)

Alicia (1994/Jaume Balagueró)

Hell on Earth: ... Resurrection of The Devils (2002/Paul Joyce)

Funny People (2009/Judd Apatow)

® Die Hard (1988/John McTiernan)

Die Hard 2 (1990/Renny Harlin)

® Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995/John McTiernan)

Pennies from Heaven (1978/wr. Dennis Potter)

Footlight Parade (1933/ Lloyd Bacon)

Goyokin (1969/Hideo Gosha)

Paddington (2014/Paul King)

Rapture (1965/John Guillermin)

The Given Word (1962/Anselmo Duarte)

Men in War (1957/Anthony Mann)

Batman & Bill (2017/Sheena M. Joyce, Don Argott)

Captains Courageous (1937/Victor Fleming)

True Lies (1994/James Cameron)

Zero Kelvin (1995/Hans Petter Moland)

Atlantic City (1980/Louis Malle)

Tristana (1970/Luis Buñuel)

Violent Summer (1959/Valerio Zurlini)

Get Carter (1971/Mike Hodges)

City Slickers (1991/Ron Underwood)

Three Outlaw Samurai (1964/Hideo Gosha)

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981/Steve Miner)

Child’s Play (1988/Tom Holland)

Where to Invade Next (2015/Michael Moore)

America America (1963/Elia Kazan)

The Phenix City Story (1955/Phil Karlson)

The Lady Gambles (1949/Michael Gordon)

Dead Man’s Letters (1986/Konstantin Lopushanskiy)

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988/Pedro Almodóvar)

® Bringing Up Baby (1938/Howard Hawks)

The Informer (1929/Arthur Robison)

Stripes (1981/Ivan Reitman)

Friday the 13th Part III (1982/Steve Miner)

The Making of ‘Event Horizon’ (2006/Lancelot Narayan)

® The Hobbit (1977/Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr.)

The Ninth Configuration (1980/William Peter Blatty)

Incendies (2010/Denis Villeneuve)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018/Ron Howard)

The Hills Have Eyes (1977/Wes Craven)

Death and the Maiden (1994/Roman Polański)

Command Decision (1948/Sam Wood)

Olive Kitteridge (2014/Lisa Cholodenko)

Le Jour se Lève (1939/Marcel Carné)

Under the Volcano (1984/John Huston)

Red Dawn (1984/John Milius)

Putney Swope (1969/Robert Downey Sr.)

Lonely Are the Brave (1962/David Miller)

The Scopone Game (1972/Luigi Comencini)

® North by Northwest (1959/Alfred Hitchcock)

The Lucky Ghost (1942/William Beaudine)

The Inglorious Bastards (1978/Enzo G. Castellari)

Sixteen Candles (1984/John Hughes)

The Princess and the Frog (2009/Ron Clements, John Musker)

Police Squad! (1982)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004/ Mamoru Oshii)

They Came to a City (1944/Basil Dearden)

David Holzman’s Diary (1967/Jim McBride)

Storm Over Asia (1928/Vsevolod Pudovkin)

Best experiences in bold, other recommended ones are linked. ® revisited.

#seen 2018

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iloveasunflower · 1 year

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Roland's Tour Diary: 30th November

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text version:

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 Let's see if I can answer some questions while reporting back about the tour. A live DVD? - you know, it has been discussed. There are plenty of companies willing - I guess the longer we leave it, the more the set will develop, creating a better show to film. As I mentioned, the UK release of ELAHE will contain extra tracks. Also, Gut Records have done a couple of dance remixes for CTTH - they are......................... interesting (?) and very hooky! I like the way Gut are aggressively pursuing every option. I can see a few of you dancing around in your underwear to them (that one for the ladies!). .........and.......( drumroll! ).............we're making a video (shock horror!). We film the mainly animated clip in LA on Dec 6 - director is Mike Palmieri. Award for most patient audience goes to Tucson - I could see the relief on their faces when we only played one encore. No one told me it was an outdoor venue - needless to say the jacket did not come off - it was freezing and a real struggle for the ailing vocal chords. Big Brother is no longer in Vegas (great show) but did enjoy an incredible Thanksgiving with Perry Rogers and his family. (He manages Andre Agassi, Shaquille O'Neal and many others.) It's fascinating to see the other side of that town where people lead wholesome, honest lives. We talked about next year's Agassi CF show - it's the ten year anniversary! hopefully, we'll be invited back ;) Well KMK has safely returned home. It was great to hang and I'm waiting for her side of the story with baited breath - hopefully, she won't spill too many beans!!!!!! I would say, however, that her view of the shows may well be affected by her choice of footwear???????!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here in LA, I'm looking forward to some time off. I watched my first English soccer match, this morning, for some time, and tonight, I can't wait for 'Desperate Housewives'. All the best Roland

#roland orzabal #roland's tour diary #uploads #tears for fears #tff #elahe #everybody loves a happy ending #2004 #2000s #tearsforfearsfans

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quirkyjasmine89 · 6 years

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TEAM ILOCOS/TEAM TIYA DELY

“In every journey, you get to meet such different kinds of people, and you will learn a lot from one another. Some will just come and go, and as for the others, they are the ones who will be a part of your life and build such profound friendships. That despite the distance and time differences, you will still be acquainted with some of them, and build more unforgettable memories that will always be a part of you. No matter where you go.”

-Sir Ryan Asilo of Travel Ventours

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BREAKFAST IN LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE

ON OUR WAY TO VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR

Finally, for the travel diary of my second trip back to Ilocos. I’m officially down to share with you on how Team Ilocos/Team Tiya Dely’s 3rd and last day had turned out to be.

First is that our tour guide, Kuya Ryan, had informed us all that our call time was going to be at 5:30am. It is for the reason that we needed to be a bit early on the road, and arrive back to Vigan before lunchtime. And as we all head out from Pagudpud, we’ve had some short stopovers. The first one was in a place where there is an old Money Tree, the second one was in Laoag City for our breakfast, and then visited once again those souvenir shops that we’ve dropped by on our first day in Ilocos, and finally arrived at Vigan at around 10am.

By the way, before I forgot, if you are someone who lives quite far like me, and would hand-carry or check-in a bottle of its local vinegar. I suggest that you don’t buy or bring it along back home with you. Because a staff from the airline will definitely inform you that it’s not allowed. And its what happened to the ones that I’ve bought; that I had to leave it to my friend Ate Arge who was also at the airport with me.

WHEN IN VIGAN

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So back to Vigan, it was a crowded, hot, and humid late morning when we’ve arrived there. And Kuya Ryan gave us all the free time to wander on our own, and also to eat our lunch.

Well as for me, I head out for a Kalesa ride with Ate Jane and Tita Fe from Ilo-Ilo and paid a total amount of P150 for it. Then toured around within the central part of the city and had a short stopover at a former provincial jail, that had just turned into a national museum. Anyway, while touring inside, I was so enamored of the place especially to all of those paintings and photos that were taken from the different parts of the Philippines, and that for one moment, I totally forgot about the time, and had no idea that Ate Jane and Tita Fe were already waiting for me outside the museum. After that, we had back to Calle Crisologo to continue our sight-seeing, and also to do some souvenir shopping.

And while in Calle Crisologo, I’ve also asked Ate Jane to accompany me into visiting once again this vintage and small coffee shop because I’ve truly missed its rice coffee. Then by the time that we were back inside the van, it was almost 12:30nn. In which by the way our call time to go back. So technically we got lost track of the time that we weren’t able to eat a proper lunch.

While the others already had their earlier lunch at Greenwich and Chowking, I was so late that I had to get out again on a rush just so that I could buy a cold and reheated sandwich at 7-eleven and ate it inside the van, paired with my delicious rice coffee.

Then it was before 1pm that we were on our way out of Ilocos Sur, but first, we had a short side trip to Quirino Bridge, or as to what Kuya Ryan was saying “The Bridge of Love”.

Does it feel like love is in the air there? Well, who knows.

Plus, such a side trip was definitely a fun one because I was entirely game in all of everyone’s quirkiness and laugh trips while taking tons of photos together as a group.

Oh, definitely a memorable one.

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COFFEE BREAK, CALLE CRISOLOGO, VIGAN

Afterward, Team Tiya Dely was back on the road for our journey back to Metro Manila. Moreover, it was such a long and exhausting road trip, and while everyone was busy napping and watching two movies that whole afternoon, I was just there, sitting still, listening to some music, taking it all in the views outside on the road, and contemplating everything that happened during our trip. But from time to time, I would talk to Ate Arge, Kuya Ryan, Ate Isa, Mommy Carol, and also to the rest of the group.

Then upon entering TPLEX, all of us inside the van were having so much fun because we were all listening and singing some songs from Ate Arge’s music playlist, all the way back to the city.

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THE QUIRINO BRIDGE

So overall, it was a very enjoyable road trip back home, and I will never ever forget such a journey with them. Then after that, everyone was slowly dropped-off to their chosen areas, and Ate Arge and I were the last one.But upon arrival at Ate Arge’s house, I was entirely speechless because the tour was officially over. And during my extended stay in Metro Manila, I’ve also had the time to reflect about myself, that I’m so grateful to God for being so good because he gave me the chance to meet such good people.

I want to say thank you to my Fellow Team Ilocos – Mommy Carol, Ate Jane, Eds, Gladys, Almer, Ate Isa, Tita Nits, and Tita Fe and for the short meet-ups somewhere in Alabang. Truly, you’ve all been such heartwarming as fellow travelers and I miss you all.

To my dearest Ate Arge, and her mom, Tita Nora, I’m so grateful beyond words to them for taking care of me during my stay in their house. For one moment, they did not made me feel like a guest but more like a real family member, and that is why I was so emotional when I called Ate Arge to say my goodbyes.

I remember, a few days after our tour. Someone had said that there is a reason as to why God had made us all meet one another, and form such a bond during that short trip. A connection that neither one of us all had expected and is still growing as time goes by. And hopefully, such friendship will remain firm and strong all throughout for many years to come.

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So as I finish writing this travel diary of mine, I also want to say thank you to Travel Ventours especially to Sir Roland for all of our inquiries and handling our bookings; and most especially to Kuya Ryan Asilo for being entirely accommodating, lively, patient, friendly, and thoughtful to us all during our tour in Ilocos Sur and Norte. Moreover, as returned guests, Ate Arge and I already knew him from our previous booking which was in Sagada. And that is why we were so happy that he was our assigned tour driver.

Overall, it was a well planned and flexible itinerary, that despite the unexpected changes in its weather, we still enjoyed the tour, and that we had so much fun for it was more like a family trip.

Once again, thank you for the wonderful service.

3’M’s PLACE RESORT AND RESTUARANT

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Plus of course, to all the staff of 3M’s Place Resort & Restaurant.

That despite the fact that it’s new and some areas are still under construction, but I was entirely amazed of the cleanliness of its rooms and dining halls; moreover, it truly warms me to see such very friendly and cheerful staff that greets its guests with such positive and lively energy, which is something that I find truly fascinating. I hope such an ambiance will be maintained all throughout the years. For I had such fond memories during my short stay there.

And also, to its staff starting from Miss Geraldine, Miss Grace, Sir Danilo, Miss Shermaine, Miss Maria, Miss Jen, Miss Flor, and also to Sir Alvin, thank you so much for the warm welcome. Including its owners Ma’am Rosemarie Dela Cruz, and Sir Michael Dela Cruz, maraming Salamat po for being so friendly and approachable.

Indeed, I was glad that our Team Tiya Dely had made its bookings under Travel Ventours and 3M’s Place Resort & Restaurant.

THE GIRLS OF TEAM TIYA DELY

And that’s the story of our recent trip to Ilocos Sur and Norte.

Right now, my mind and heart is longing to wander again.

Moreover, I’m so looking forward to Team Tiya Dely’s reunion, and next trip together.

Definitely Hoping and Praying for it.

Thank you so much for reading my travel diaries, and God Bless us all.

GROUP PICTURE BEFORE HEADING OUT OF ILOCOS SUR

(BY THE WAY, ALL GROUP PHOTOS BELONGS TO ATE ARGE, KUYA RYAN, ATE JANE, GLADYS, AND EDS)

The Road Back to Ilocos: Team Tiya Dely’s Last Day of Touring “In every journey, you get to meet such different kinds of people, and you will learn a lot from one another.

#Blog #Blog Chat #Calle Crisologo #Group Tour #Ilocos Norte #Ilocos Sur #Its More Fun in the Philippines #Joiners Tour #Philippines #Travel #Travel Diary #Travel Photography #Vigan #Wordpress

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iloveasunflower · 1 year

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Roland's Tour Diary: 7th November

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text version:

Sunday, November 7, 2004 Greetings from the "Road"! More than two weeks have past since we played Austin and after tonight (Milwaukee), the ELAHE tour should become a bit of a cakewalk. We're looking at plenty of days to rest our weary voices and time to hopefully get in some tennis. We were spoilt, very early on, when we played New York City as only our third show. Everything snapped in to place that night and it was especially significant for me, having friends who flew from England, and my sons, really for the first time, experiencing their Dad, doing what he does best (well apart from a few other things!). I think Pascal (my youngest) has developed a taste for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, jumping around the tour bus like he was king of the hill! Since then, we've been surprised by the warmth and enthusiasm of the audiences. Last night (Columbus), on leaving the venue, a fan commented that having seen TFF in concert seven times, this was by far the most relaxed she'd seen us - ah well, that should scotch any rumours about on-tour tensions. After the show, it was on the bus for some very unhealthy pizza and a classic "Animal House" DVD (why don't women wear underwear like that anymore?) - an overnight drive took us to Milwaukee which is where I am writing this, in my bath robe, waiting for my hair to dry!!!!!!!!!! I have been grabbing the opportunity while we trundle along for hours in our rather plush tour bus ;), to program up another tune from 'The Hurting' (wait and see). It would be so nice to play all the songs that people want to hear - 'Woman in Chains' being an obvious one that is missing from the set - we played it in NY with a guest vocalist (the superb Amy Keys) and she will be performing with us on the west-coast. No songs from RATKOS either - I was touched last night to see a guy down the front with the most impressive tattoo of the Raoul Insignia - I'm tempted to get one myself! I will update you , from time to time, to let you know who is winning the ongoing Gin Rummy tournament, how many of Curt's cryptic crosswords we've managed to complete - who's up in doubles (tennis) and whether keyboard player Doug Petty manages to develop a backhand. Well, time to get ready for soundcheck! Tomorrow is...................... another day!

#Roland's Tour Diary #roland orzabal #tears for fears #tff #t4f #2004 #elahe #everybody loves a happy ending #2000s #uploads #tearsforfearsfans

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iloveasunflower · 1 year

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Roland's Tour Diary: 18th December

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Saturday, December 18, 2004

And finally……………………..it's over!

I'm writing this on the flight from St. Louis back to Los Angeles. I arrive around midday and and drive straight to the house. I have about an hour and a half to say goodbye to the dog and make sure the boys have enough entertainment packed for the long flight back to England, before returning to LAX with them in tow. By the time I arrive in London, I will have flown more than 28 hours in 8 days and remember, I hate flying (thankfully it's really smooth right now).

This really is the end of an era. I haven't set foot in our home, since March 14 2003, when we began recording ELAHE. Caroline has been there for a week, getting the house ready and experiencing the disadvantages of having rented it out. It will cost a fair bit of money to get everything back to the level it was when we left - let that be a lesson to us! Neptune's Kitchen is now Neptune's furniture storage facility. Aside from that, the past 20 months have been an amazing journey and, I feel, very beneficial for the family. Putting back the pieces will take some time - hey don't feel sorry for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (oh alright, go on then).

A word about Phoenix…………WOW!!!!!!!!

I said at the concert that I felt the LOVE and I meant it. There was something about playing in a round on a revolving stage that appealed to my "solar" perspective (hahaha). It was so nice to see some of the hardcore (fans), evenly spread around the room. Oh there you are!……….. oh there you are!……….. why doesn't anyone pop back after the show? I even got to see my own butt on the screens!!!!!! I felt terrible about the lady who fell flat on her face - I hope she has made a full and speedy recovery (anyone any info?).

From there, it was a four hour flight to Orlando. I've read some of the posts about that night and I have to say, I agree with a lot of them. You would think that management would tell you who you're playing with, how long for, and for how many people (and are they fans?). I guess that would be too simple. That would have given us the chance to evaluate whether it was worth traveling 4000 miles there and back.

Dallas was a nice show - and good to see some of the hardcore showing up for it. Who needs a tele-prompter when you have Amber down the front mouthing every word!!!! A hop and a skip, and we were in St. Louis…………… and……….. there's Amber again, right down the front (with boyfriend/hubby?). One day, we'll throw in a really obscure tune (The Madness of Roland?), just to see if she knows the lyrics to everything!

Well, as I said………….. it's all over…………….(fade in chorus of 'Who Killed Tangerine?).

And just think, the album hasn't even been released in Europe yet!

P.S. I'll be without internet for a while until we get the phone lines sorted.

Merry Xmas everybody!

#oh that poor woman #roland's tour diary #roland orzabal #elahe #everybody loves a happy ending #2000s #2004 #tears for fears #tff #uploads #tearsforfearsfans

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