Waiheke – Stony Ridge

the dryer in the Guest laundry room in this hotel truly sux. Super lame. Washing + drying took from 10pm until 1am! I remembered that I can send faxes via CompuServe + was able 2 send off our letter 2 Ged. Probably because of a different phone frequency here in Nu Z.land we were not able 2 send it directly. But even the price is right: $1.50 for 2 pages. That’s less than the long distance charges would have been. Because it was so much fun I also send a letter 2 E. in Toronto. Now it’s already after 2am again.

Tuesday, 3/1: Went w Jon + Michael Glading, Michael Bradshaw + Phil in a helicoptor 2 a winery on an island called Waiheke. The winery is called Stony Ridge + their red wine was very very tasty. We had a tour of the vineyard, had a wonderful lunch, I played a couple of tunes, + we flew back 2 make our sound check. The prez of Sony NZ asked the pilot 2 do some tricks + we almost lost our lunch…

Home

Got home (home is where somebody booked a hotel room) around 5am this morning. Mercifully the luggage didn’t have 2 B in the lobby until 11am + we didn’t leave 4 the airport until 12:30pm. Went 2 the Cafe Paradiso again after the show w the band (except 4 Bill) + Tony + Phil. After most left 4 the hotel Mark, Tony, Phil + I remained. Even after the bar closed they let us stay. Then the male bartender went in2 the Ladies room followed by our friendly waitress who was already unzipping her dress while she was going in. When I looked again the bartender was dancing on top of the bar 2 Neil Diamond’s gr8est hits in her dress w a couple of oranges 4 tits.
B4 I 4get: our show that night was a sell out @ 1,800. Good music + good audience. Standing ovation. Petra from Cry TV apparently showed up w a camera crew, not having asked our permission B4hand, + was consequently thrown out by security.

Wellington

It’s 3:10am in Wellington + 6:10am on Friday in L.A….

Calvin + I just got back from a restaurant and bar named Cafe Paradiso in the city where David Hughes + I drank most of 2 bottles of red wine + we hung out w the band Crowded House who played a gig in town. Their keyboard player, Mark from Kansas, was pretty cool + we arranged 2 get 2gether after their gig in Auckland on Sunday. They were being looked after by a beautiful woman named Vanessa from EMI who will arrange our meeting this week-end. Talked 2 X 4 a while. He agrees w our position on the Europe tour in April, which is: let’s not go. Drank a bit 2 much. It’s mineral water 4 me. 4 a while.

Got woken up Saturday morning by a girl named Petra that wanted 2 do a TV interview 4 a Much Music – like station named Cry TV in the town of Christchurch. They play our videos all the time she claims. I got my slightly hungover self 2gether 4 that interview + then I was off 2 a live talk radio broadcast from a Honda dealership. The glamour. I can hardly stand it. Bought some strange but wonderful dried bananas. Kinda like liquorice, banana, fish + turds all 2gether.

Received a wonderful note from SJ who let me know that the Lucasfilm special effects genius might indeed have the space hiss I am looking 4. We R welcome 2 look through his collection of deep space sounds. Cool. SJ comes through again.

Auckland

I am in Auckland, Nu Z.land. No problems @ customs last night. Had a bus driving 2 the James Cook hotel. Passed a whole bunch – @ least 20 – teenagers, college kids in the street in sheets + drunk. Toga party. Calvin wanted 2 get out + join them immediately. We arrived around 2am + went straight 2 the hotel bar. Ordered Steinlager Green which came recommended by our friend Lewis, whose C.Serve messages have been a delight on this tour. So, Jon took over the lounge piano (covered w a piece of glass which didn’t exactly improve the sound!) + Mark started singing. On the wall was a framed board w the signatures of famous people that had stayed @ the hotel. Mark would pick a name + sing their song: Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, The Supremes etc. Jon would pick his way through the songs + did very well playing piano – 4 a bass-player. Indeed. We had a good time + went 2 bed around 4am. Tried 2 get up @ 9am but couldn’t, tried again @ 10 but couldn’t. Got up @ 11 + went in search of coffee. The bicycle messengers R very clean here – everything is very clean here – all wearing their official company T-shirt + clean dark bicycle shorts. None of the independent look that we had in Boston. The ex-convicts, the crazy, the smelly, the dirty, the weird haircuts etc. (I had blond, red + even green hair when I was a messenger). Al2gether very much like Switzerland here.

2day we received our 1st Platinum sales award 4 Nouveau Flamenco from the local importer/distributor. That brings the total 2 this: Gold in US on the way 2 Platinum (presently @ 850,000), Gold in Australia (over 40,000) + Platinum in Nu Z.land (over 15,000). In Auckland we will also receive the 1st Gold 4 The Hours……… (sales over 7,500) from Sony Nu Z.land! Nouveau should go Gold in Mexico this year, Borrasca should go Gold in the U.S. as well.

Perth

back on a plane. We R flying 2 Perth. Daniel Day-Lewis has a big head. At least he seems to have a big head on these in-flight monitors. Jon is reading Tolstoy + he is still listening 2 the FaurÈ; requiem daily. Should I get worried? He is also drinking more mineral water than beer. That is a unhealthy balance 4 any muso. Jon claims it snot twue, but I am suspecting…Wad won’t become a didgeridooist. He couldn’t produce a sound – but he looked good trying until his bean turned red. Mark has been unusually uneventful. He is playing very well however. Dom has bought some Opal + is contemplating a little precious stone side business.

Our show in Adelaide last night was the usual fight against the slap back that we have encountered in every hall we have played in Australia. I am anxiously awaiting our new ear-monitor system. We should have them all by April + will B able 2 rehearse w them 4 the U.S. + Canada tour 4/15 – 5/14.

Dom is reading the book “Music of the Mind” + loves it. It’ll change his life. I call the author a UNIST + I should call myself that, 2.