Tales from the road

[hsp88]

thank you so much for the stories and pictures, this is all so great

[rival]

Just got caught up on the last few pages...It's been said before but thank you for sharing these fantastic tales and pictures.

It's crazy when you're part of something bigger than yourself. I'm still waiting to experience that, personally...unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever get the chance.

Please, keep it coming.

[TheTimeBeing]

The rest.
There was a trip up to Toronto in June ’02. There was a growing expectation from the audience for some sort of circus spectacle to occur at each show. In a moment of spontaneity Jack and Meg painted black panda/misfit eyes on eachother, perplexing the local press and raising eyebrows in the audience. I was left wondering if any Toronto kids adopted the look in the days after the show.

The mid-west tour had some memorable rooms. Metro in Chicago and First Avenue in Minneapolis. Prince used to play at First Avenue back in the day, Smashing Pumpkins at Metro. Each day was a fresh music history lesson.

Now I was fully suited up and onstage throughout the show I felt very close to the performance. Jack would take my hat from my head to use as a prop during his spoken freestyle bits in Union Forever, for example. He suggested that I just sit to the side and read a book during the show. Only bookmarking a page and closing it when something onstage needed attending to. An absurd, hilarious proposal considering the sonic explosion happening next to me. At any second a mic or guitar could be flung to the floor. I could hardly look away, let alone read.

By the end of the mid-west tour I was exhausted. And homesick. And dying to play music. It was a strange feeling. Being immersed in the most creative, inspiring musical hot-pot imaginable, and yet wanting to play. Every day. You can’t imagine how often I thought about taking 3 steps and joining in on the Rhodes.

Jack and Meg had been working virtually non-stop for a couple of years and were due a well-earned rest. Me too. So home to New Zealand it was, with just Fuji Rock left on the calendar for me.

We went to Japan for 5 or 6 days, which was a luxury given only one show. There was plenty of press to do though. CDs cost so much in Japan that they had to add a couple of tracks (Jolene and Hand Springs) to White Blood Cells to lure the punters.

I remember getting to Fuji Rock and the primary mission was to drop our bags in our dressing room and go find Patti Smith. Down the corridor of rooms to ours, drop our bags, inspect the kooky rider food, and who should knock on the door?
Patti Smith sought them out.
Patti Smith! Sort them out!

After that they had the double headline shows in NY and Detroit with The Strokes. I think Ben Blackwell took over in my place for those shows. It felt weird to be missing out, but I wasn’t missing out on my own gigs.

The next time I saw them was in October ’03 in Auckland and Wellington. In Auckland they’d arranged to play at Freemans Bay Primary School for the wee kiddies in their lunchtime. Parents had been asked not to let any press know. If it turned into an ugly media scramble it’d ruin the moment, and probably not happen at all. They had a piano, a couple of amps and the kit. They played a bunch of old blues songs with Jack telling the stories of the songs in between, and some of their own tunes too. It was a very sweet genuine musical moment, and I’m sure all of those children will remember it as the best Show and Tell ever.

Auckland at the St. James Theatre and Wellington at the Town Hall, both fantastic rooms. There was a lot more gear on stage now. My old job seemed to be done by about 5 dudes now. Their gig had changed shape and moved on yet again. It demanded more than a small red suitcase to make that sort of show happen. I used to use the three empty red and white guitar roadcases as a backdrop. Just stood them up on their ends at the back of the stage. Looked kind of like a big ‘III’. Simple enough, and it did the trick.

The last time I saw them was on the 2006 Big Day Out tour. The White Stripes, The Stooges, The Greenhornes, Sleater Kinney, The Mars Volta… It was the kickin’ assest lineup I’d ever seen at a BDO. I was living in Wellington at the time, and for a number of reasons couldn’t make it up to Auckland, so I cashed in my air miles and flew to Perth to see the last show of the tour. Jack and Little Jack and Patrick were clearly enjoying being in a new gang with Brendan Benson. I could sense the writing on the wall, so was really glad I got to see The White Stripes one last time. Jack gave me one of the little Denial Twist records, which I’ve never been able to play, having missed the inchophone merch phase.

And that was that. My time as The White Stripes right-hand-third-man.

The Raconteurs never came to NZ so I never got to see them. I really loved Consolers of the Lonely and would’ve loved to see them belt it out. Oh well, you can’t see ‘em all.

A couple of memories to end with, both in Detroit sometime mid-2002, both at Jack’s house:

John and I sat outside on the front porch while Jack and Meg rehearsed the songs on Elephant in the front room, the day before they flew out to Toerag to record. The day before! It was the only time I ever knew them to rehearse. Ball and Biscuit evolved through many soundchecks and shows, but mostly it was songs we hadn’t been hearing. Fascinating to see great songs being written and arranged before your eyes. So inspiring. What a privilege.

Another hot summers day out on the porch. Jack’s girlfriend at the time, Marcie gave me a haircut while Jack serenaded us on acoustic guitar. New songs, old songs, any songs, you choose. Any requests? What do you want to hear?

Um..

[hawke000]

the feeling that I get when reading these is amazing, warm, calm inspiring, with a cool thrill. Thank you so much.

[orangeshoeskid]

Fantastic to get such a look into the early years of the band.
Thank you so much for all that.

[love_islander]

awesome school pic! (and story too I guess... )

[CatchHell66]

Thanks, awesome read!

[Kali Durga]

Oh. My. Gosh. I'm so sad that that's the last installment. Thank you again for sharing all of this.


That first photo from 1st Avenue... Wow. And the show for the kids... Puts a lump in my throat. Is there really no more?

[curseofhalos]

These have all been so amazing. Thank you!

[2crazikids]

Goodness those kids were sooo lucky! Had I been a parent I think I would have been freaking out!! Is there not a video tape of that little concert for the kids?

[BluefordT]

YOU ROCK!

Thanks for sharing a part of your life with us.

[woodisgood]

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! So amazing. LOVE that kids' show photo—so special. If you ever ever remember any other tidbits and find more photos, we'd all be honored if you put more up. _/\o_

[rival]

These really are great. Thanks a lot. Hope you don't mind, I used one of your Toronto pics as my avatar (slightly Photoshopped)

[hsp88]

thank you for the great stories!

[dmdv1]

again...Wow