Hollywood Bowl / San Diego / Devore
Left Las Vegas and got into Hollywood on Sunday night. My friend Christine flew us in her private jet (it was a G4) from Vegas to John Wayne airport. Jumped in a limo stuffed to the roof with all of our luggage...about 30 minutes out I saw the big oasis sign in the sky...no not HUSTLER, HARLEY DAVIDSON. Erin gave me a look that said, yeah lets do it...so we pulled over to the Harley rental place and after an hour of raping and pillaging, me, Erin, Casey and Melissa left with a FATBOY, (HAHA) and a ROAD KING, various jackets, a set of handcuffs and two full tanks of gas...come on, the handcuffs were just incase we got pulled over. Sometimes a permit to carry a badge and a set of handcuffs can get you out of times of nine which doesn't mean anything when you're dressed in head to toe in a full leather jumpsuit made by chrome hearts that Erin just so happened to pack in our travel bag. So here we are, cruising down La Cienega on our Harley's following the limo to the hotel...nothing like having a limosuine and our horses waiting in the back...TWO DAYS OFF what a first day was....on the second day, we followed my friend Justin up to the Hollywood sign and took some slammin' photos. Justin has the last bike that Indian Larry sold anyone. It's as good if not better as the Indian Larry collection that they won't sell. Took the photos back with us to give to Keeling to put on the high def screen for the Hollywood Bowl show...which after doing away with the tech world tent and dropping the screen to the floor gave us a look like we've never had before...not to mention the white shell that the bowl stage sits...which was setup by Michael Keeling, our lighting director. I think he actually out did the Vegas show with the Nascar shoot and his kids were there to see all the glory...the energy at the show was higher than most because of the half circle that separated the front row from the people in the back... like a 2 foot wall...it went from one side of the ramp to the other so when Joe went out and did his solo in "Toys...", it looked like he was walkin' on peoples heads from the stage.
The backstage fiasco was typical of an LA show. From Slash to Dennis Rodman, The Donnas to Heather Locklear - what a crowd what a mob what a show. Ritualistically, after the Hollywood Bowl, we stop for a good down and dirty salt of the earth, double double, with as much grease as 3 front rows....In 'n Out Burger. My good friend Justin drove us to club hide in his >>>>, where we hung out with Laurie and Richard Stark from Chrome Hearts and Loree Rodkin and her boyfirend Mischka (sp?) and for all you celebophiles...Paris Hilton was sitting with us...we hung for a couple hours and went home to sleep.
SAN DIEGO
Been stayin' at the same hotel for the last 5 days and basing out of there for all the shows after Vegas. Monday it's on to Phoenix...it's by far the best hotel to me in LA... privacy...service...our butlers name is Francois and I must say I've never been treated as fine as when he's around...waits on us hand and foot - especially when we crawl in at 3am from these shows.
Hmmm...San Diego...was...a great show in the house...and the worst show in my ears...(you know I've talked about those in ear monitors) just a second before the curtain went down my in ears died on me and for 5 songs I had to pull then out and do it like the old days....but it's just not the same as what I'm used to...with in ears I get my guy to mix me just like the record...and every night it sounds like that except for this show...the difference was so drastic I wanted to stage dive and stay out there but the show must go on. I leaned into the audience and kissed Erin who parks it at the end of the ramp every night...and that made it ok. The show ended with a bang...it was another day at the office for me, but the crowd went wild....
I'm writing this all after Devore, which in contrast was the best show of my career. We borrowed Christine's limo for the 2 hour trek out, listening to AC/DC till we blew a fuse in the car (I swear this happened)...so I was ready to blow a fuse on stage. Joe Perry sang better than ever...Brad blues riffed us into oblivion...David Hull is doing an incredible job filling in for Tom...though we miss Tom madly...and tonight Joey really did walk, talk and crawl on his belly like a reptile....threw "Kings and Queens" in the set which blew our friends from Italy, Giovanni and Francesca's mind. Seeing that my family is oringianly from there I had a special affinity for those folks...I really must admit that if my in ear mix is as good as it was tonite....I would internally hemorrhage and explode from the shear joy of it all... the begining of "Sweet Emotion" was the same place...you hear when you listen to the record in headphones...that's what I'm talkin' about - that place where time stands still...and everything you felt 20 years ago when it came out if you were there...you feel every time you listen to it.... like the smell of an Xmas tree in summer... or your favorite inscence on any day of the year... it always brings you back to the 1st time you smelled it.
We're back at the hotel now... its 1 o'clock and I'm draggin' it...goin' to bed early 'cuz tomorrow is Jay Leno's love ride...20,000 motorcycles, 8 of which will be me Erin, Brad, Kim, Donny, Kevin Chapman from (Showtime's "Brotherhood," you know the one with the prosthetic), Marti Frederiksen and Casey driving with one hand and shooting with the other and I'm sure some other hangers on. The Black Crowes play at one...it'll be great to see Chris, Rich and the guys. ...and then on to Phoenix...
With love,
ST Here....Archive
