12.02.
Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
At the breakfast buffet this morning: Joe and his family Rubina & ZZ, manager Mick Brigman, drummer Jeff Campitelli, and their tour manager. Very friendly, no side. Stories: Jeff played rhythm guitar on one of Joe’s tours, Mick told the story of finding Joe when looking for a guitarist for Mick Jagger (1988).
Begun reading "Music Hall". Backtracking…
Sunday 16th. June:
The Quebec debut on Sunday: the venue was an open amphitheater in the Old Port & the dressing room doubled as a cupboard.
Before The Show:
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I met Steve and Joe, their bands and the touring team of equipment techs and personnel. Everyone was very friendly and open. The weather: a little windy but warm enough until the sun went down. Apparently the last time Steve was here it was snowing and his fingers froze. Steve was surprised I have three of his records - Flexable, Passion and Warfare and Alien Love Secrets.
RF: Passion & Warfare - what a record!
SV: Exposure - what a record!
I don’t embrace people along the Italian model - the English handshake is intimate enough - but this man I embraced.
Mike Keneally, Steve’s second guitarist, came up: show me how to hold a pick!
G4 all signed an Ibanez guitar, a prize in a competition. My contribution: I am not Joe Satriani. Although I wish I played as well.
The Show:
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Soundscapes: an honourable debut, sound wafting around the space.
A good opportunity to listen to all the other musicians - live music is a treat for me. Michael Cusson, tonight’s guest G3, had a great horn section.
For the jam: sitting in the back line comping, finding my place, I couldn’t hear myself. The three frontline guitarists were superb.
After The Show:
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A record playing in the Satriani dressing room: TV themes of the 60s and 70s including The Eagles doing The Maigret Theme. This was not the haunting harmonica theme I knew. And The Transformed Man by William Shatner. I thought I knew a little about "out" playing but after this realized I know nothing. This deserves to be re-re-released. A must to get your party going.
Monday 17th. June:
We arrived at the hotel in Montreal after an interesting drive around most of the city. Three hours to get to Montreal from Quebec, one hour to find the hotel. The Quality Hotel has aspirations to adequacy but is only acceptable for one night. The venue is a sports hall.
Stu Hamm, Joe’s bass player, suggested the opening for Soundscapes: C Lydian, or F# Lydian. So I began with it, ended with it, and went back to it a couple of times in the middle. Also some chill-out & chromaticism.
Stu told me he turned his brother onto No Pussyfooting while lying in a field.
And another Ibanez signed by G4. This time I am not Steve Vai.
Michael, Steve and Joe were all blasting. This is a good city for Michael. Very strong playing. The reverberant hall strengthened the burning guitars.
Jam: this time I could hear myself but not the three players in the front line.
Afterwards Steve gave me a beerless beer & Joe invited me into his dressing room, also for a beer. Terrified that I might be exposed to Shatner’s LSD again, I smiled politely and slowly moved backwards into my own dressing room.
Tuesday 18th. June:
A flight to Philadelphia & the Hilton at Cherry Hill. Checked into #901 where another guest was already staying. So moved into #627: nowhere near as pleasant and with an air conditioning system that sounds as if it’s a bath being run. Fled to Moorestown mall with roadies Bill Forth and John Sinks to see Lost World.
A day of existential and essential concerns. Strange, is life on the road.
The former manager of the DGM US office wrote to WMMR in Allentown: I am not an embezzler. To Steve Ball: I did something very silly. (The manager withdrew $30,000 from the DGM account immediately after his employment ended).
"Establish the principle."
