Monday evening at the Supper Club: a more fun show for me. Once again, a very enthusiastic audience.
The band agreed after the soundcheck to limit official photography in future to the sound check. Hopefully this may now end the endless discussion on what to do about photos for each city we play in. If photographers are present at the beginning of the show, they upset its launch. They will not understand how this might be, and that no longer concerns me. I am no longer prepared to have the beginning show unseated by photography, even official photography (which is used for reviews & record company files).
A major drain on my energy while on tour is the number of people who arrive at shows in main centres & come backstage to see me. Nearly each of them has a "good claim" on my time: ties of friendship & professional involvement over many years & through many adventures. These are mostly old personal & professional friends, plus some new friends. Then there are the professional hustlers who only come to suck.
Nearly each & everyone present would have taken my full time & attention - which is willingly available at the right time - for as long as possible. I don't go to see my friends at their place of work & anticipate, let alone expect, to socialise. It was in New York, at the Beacon with Sylvian - Fripp (1993), that I finally gave up on attempting to make contact with friends. On the way down & out, in a hurry, I was professionally hustled & leeched. By the time that the husk which remained hit the street, my friend had long gone.
Other players have other approaches, which turn their performance into more of a social event. Others compromise their work to meet the business pressures involved. For the work I do, that's not possible.
Backstage in New York, more than most cities, is a nightmare for me.
The Town Hall on Tuesday: another very enthusiastic audience, plus a constant movement of people in search of seats. A flash during the final encore - "Heroes" - to spoil the moment & remind the preternaturally sensitive among us of the vulnerability & delicacy with which the bridge to heaven is constructed: in the moment of its crossing.
12.20
Back from a modest Starbucks on 9th. & 47th. Now off to Philly with Adrian & Laurie: Trey & Pat are staying in the city for the day & are training down later to join us.
The review in today's NY Times has a photo of Adrian: hooray! This is part of re-orienting the public focus of KC away from myself, with the excuse that provides for the standard clichÈs to emerge, and nearly all of which fail to represent the nature of this present incarnation.
19.01
Hotel Tired But Acceptable, Philadelphia.
On my way out of the hotel, in the lobby, John Sinks was just off for a walk with Ken Latchney. John drily reminded me: "Keep your pants on". This is a reference to the last time we were in this hotel, Soundscaping with Chris Murphy. I managed to lock myself out of my room without trousers, and then forget which room John & Chris were in. The elderly lady who opened her door to me was surprised, but I think not pleasantly. This story is told on one of the very many cassettes of "RF Unplugged".
Now, exhaustivo.
"Commitments are to be honoured."
