September 4
4 am
Oh no!
A car will be here in 3 hours &
I haven’t packed
I haven’t packed
I haven’t packed one thing.
Dream dream dream until the twenty second hour…
It’s not the end of the world
for today’s debauchery was worth it!
This was one of the best days I’ve had in London
And a bon voyage it will be.
I went to my friend’s Aussie BBQ in East Putney
With two friends and a stranger.
We overindulged and now,
packing for a month in New York
Feels like Operation.
This residency is going to happen!
Yes was No
& its Yes again
the flights at 9 am
I’m going to see my people!
I’m going to see my friends!
I’m going to see my family!
Oh no… way too many exclamation points.
People from different life chapters
That’s always fun
I wonder how it’s going to go over.
Compared to my last band
I’m so pop now, it might hurt.
but only half as pop as I was the first time around….
at least we rock and some of the songs are good.
What the hell am I talking about?
Isn’t it all pop on a Major?
What is pop?
Exactly.
(interference)
It doesn’t matter.
It’s NYC
And Rothko’s a wicked venue
A few months ago, my friend Steve and I saw a great show there…
The after party was full on
Disco ball, dj, moonbeam memories.
Sweet mother
The best thing is we’ve enlisted my brother to join up and play bass.
Recap:
I started in London with a 5 piece band this spring
Due to an almighty lack of funding we became a 3
But now we will be a 4!
excellent.
Drums, guitar, bass, minidisk and me
I pray this will come off
Because I’m not sure how many more PA’s I can do.
Okay 2 hours and 14 minutes left to get with the program.
September 6
Drummer Jim and I have been in Wildwood with my family for Labor Day.
We flew into Philly yesterday with more weight in gear than was acceptable,
I hardly remember the morning it’s a welcomed blur.
Jim’s actually spending the whole time working with Markie on his bass parts
And I have been working on my tan, ass and smile.
It’s nice to see the family, although
I feel like I’m in a science fair.
No, I’m completely projecting that,
It’s nerves.
I went to the beach and swam and took a long walk with my freshly engaged sister.
We saved a stargazer that was stuck in the sand about to die.
It was strange… It wasn’t going to bite me, it was dying.. yet I was afraid to use my hands to dig it out. Our flip flops doubled as shovels and the eagles game was on so nobody would give us a hand to save a fish. They were all fishing anyway.
So much to do this month…
The last shows we played were at V Festival a few weeks ago so good I wish I could play a show like that every week for the next twenty years.
This should be alright.
I am convincing myself
Not you.
Last bit of Wildwood…
I walked the boardwalk last night with my parents and Jim.
(I recommend this experience to anyone.)
This year the hot partk was called “Shoot the Insurgents”.
For ten dollars, one can shoot red paintballs at moving 6 foot images of Saddam &
Bin Laden… I am not making this up. I wanted to blow up the island, or cut my hand off.
I bought shoestring licorice and an
I Love NJ tshirt instead.
The shirts for my A&R, who’s “go back to Jersey, where you belong”
comment pissed me off last month.
We’re about to leave in my sister’s borrowed pickup to transport ourselves, gear and luggage north.
Under a blue tarp in the back bed is about 10K worth of gear, 3 powerbooks and some clothes that should be replaced anyway.
Right now I’m making wishes that
it doesn’t rain
we won’t breakdown
and the Port Authority doesn’t make us open those flight cases.
That would be a drag.
September 7
Good one, the last night was…
The drive was painless.
We are staying in an Oakwood apartment, at 38th & 2nd
The Montrose Building
Corporate housing…“Your home away from home.”
This apartment is luxurious and
not at all like the glorified shoebox’s I’ve rented here in the past.
Why take an apartment over a hotel?
It’s all about the kitchen.
Upon arrival we noticed we were one bed short.
We were meant to have a 2 bedroom apt with 3 beds,
But they’ve given us 3 extra duvets instead.
After a ten minute ring around the rosy discussion it was decided
that I would get my own room (it pays to be the only girl)
and Jim and guitarist Mark would share the Honeymoon Suite
Jim, who’s last name is Duguid (pronounced Do Good)
offered to take the sofa bed in the living room until
the queen is switched for twins.
This makes life good for guitarist Mark who happens to be the rock star in our band.
Brother /bassist Markie gets the shortest straw of all… he has to sleep on cushions
With 2 out of the 3 geese for comfort.
He’s commuting because he has a real job and life and he’s doing me a favor….
Off to rehearsal…
This should be interesting with 4 hours to see if everything will fly for Rothko tonight.
In between…
Minor breakdown this morning because the sound was wrong and Tour Manager/Front of House man Dan, couldn’t read my mind when I started overreacting about the mix.
Dan was my backline tech on the Duran Duran tour and knows the music well, but a lot has changed in 4 months and this band grooves a lot more than the last.
Luckily, manager Phil was there to calm the beast.
“We’ll get there Jules… patience. Let Dan do his job.. “
I know, I know, I’m sorry, you guys are professionals.. how can I trust you? okay, I’ll stop now, this is bull!, oh god save us.
It’s a difficult mix to sort through, with a full band and a multi track of electronica…
We managed to get 2 more hours in the room and the final run was okay.
I need a cigarette.
September 8
Last night was wicked!
Bumps and chumps aside, we made it through
And the room was full
and this residency is going to be good.
Virgins, friends, strangers, cool bands…
People I haven’t seen in ages
My friend Lany!
The stage is carpeted… what luck! It’s like putting on a show in my bedroom.
Except my bed room doesn’t have carpet.
The band played well
And when did NY audiences become brick walls too?
One expects that from an industry crowd, but not from a mortal one.
Maybe it was us, but we still went for it.
I loved the band who headlined, Say Hi To Your Mom.
Sure it’s the best band name in the world
But their tshirs are better.
I’m sat here in a pale blue one with a sad robot thinking about your mom.
We’re off today
And one of Jim’s friends is doing an acoustic set at a club in Meat Land.
Pauline Taylor use to be the singer of Faithless…
Night out in NYC
4 am
Help, I’m smoked out…
I love NY
I love NY
I love this effen city.
Strangers talk to each other.
London** Take a cue!
I can’t remember it all…
Pauline was awesome
Mark Adam’s an angel
Afterwards…Was that a karaoke bar?
What’s with ‘Sweet Caroline’?
Yes, but it felt like American Idol (scary).
I danced in black light (scarier).
Who were those women?
I don’t know. They were tiny or I’m a giant.
We were dancing in the streets.
Jim’s falling over… his (Scottish) accent is so thick I can’t understand a word he’s saying.
He’s calling his brothers in Glasgow right now.
I’m wasted.
September 10
World Café Live
I stayed in bed for an extra 5 hours yesterday & slept off the prior night of debauchery.
I will not say anything else about that.
We’re about to head to Philly!
My parents are coming, I’m going to see my friends.
(banning exclamation points)
Then killjoy manager Phil called…
“Hey Phil”
“Hello Ms. Richardson I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.”
(Honestly Phil you’re the only person I know who does this in real life.)
“It’s about the venue your at tonight. Apparently the room your playing in is actually a restaurant and there’s a skeleton sound system that’s meant for the acoustic acts..”
(stomach is gone)
“Who booked this venue???”
“Don’t panic, I’ve talked to (I’ll take care of it) Dan Monaghan who’s bringing additional gear… it might be horrible, it might not be, but he knows what they’ve got and what you guys need.”
“What, what, what? Did you just find this out?” “Oh no, what does this mean… should we do the show still? Oh god if it sounds bad what’s the point?” (monkey time)
“Listen Jules, Dan thinks it will work, I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don’t get there and panic.
“What Phil, It’s a restaurant?” “With tables and chairs…”
“I know, I know, but Hey…there’s a bar too!”
“Don’t panic, you’ll pull it off no matter what it sounds like.”
(STOP SAYING DON’T PANIC, PHIL)
“It’s just this one show, we’ll find a different venue for the next one if it’s a disaster.”
Okay. This should be interesting, playing to a room full of people eating?
Can we take requests and tips?
Or should we put the cd on and mime it?
Oh god, my old band and friends and my PARENTS are going to be there…
Capitals inflict fear.
Juliet
A September residency begins and brings stress, exhilaration and more.
