>>COSMO'S NORTH AMERICAN DIARY - WEEK 6



DAY 36- Saturday, March 1, 2003

DAY OFF IN CHAMPAIGN

I woke up around 9 AM, the rooms were ready. I grabbed my stuff in a rather zombie-like state and headed to my room. We were staying in a Holiday Inn Holi-Dome. I hurried up to my room and went back to sleep.

I slept on and off until 3 PM, got up, showered and contemplated the rest of the day, which was nearly gone. I was taking my lighting crew out to dinner tonight, to a place called "Alexander's Steakhouse." I have been there before, it is the type that you can pick your own cut of steak and even cook it yourself, if you want. We were all supposed to meet around 7 PM in the lobby bar.

I headed down around 6:30 and ordered a beer. Gradually, all my crew showed up, all in various degrees of hangovers. Finn was the worst; he looked like death warmed over. We jumped in the hotel van and they dropped us off at Alexander's.

Despite our hangovers, we had a great dinner. We all elected to let them cook the steaks, although Mike was fascinated with cooking Texas toast over the grill, so him and Dan made enough for the whole table. Finn was in a stupor for most of the meal.

We headed back to the hotel and sat at the bar for a while. The place was loaded with kids running around like crazy, swimming, you know, doing what kids do. I finally had enough and decided to crawl back into the cave and catch up on some more sleep.




DAY 37- Sunday, March 2, 2003

SHOW IN CHAMPAIGN


I felt great when I awoke, I had slept a lot, and with a fat steak in my belly, I had re-energized myself. I packed and headed down to catch the bus to the gig.

It was a cold, dreary and dark day. We arrived at the gig- an old, concrete gig from the 60's. Between the concrete gig, the gray skies and the dreary weather, it was very reminiscent of Russia in the winter. I mean, everybody on the crew made this observation. Scary.

Even inside the gig was like a Russian gig. Old, dirty, dreary. The buses were parked upstairs, then you had to down this stairway, through this tunnel and then you were in the gig.

Sales weren't great tonight, but Beavis and Butthead were there, so at least we knew that the front row would be alive.

We were playing a college campus, and there were no alcohol sales for the audience. So, as you can guess, the already smaller audience was even more subdued because of the lack of lubricating material. All in all, a rather lame audience, which made for a very mediocre show. Still, all the bands gave their best.

Load out sucked, and the snow was coming down big time. Finally, we got out of there and headed to Erie, another cold and dreary city this time of year. At least we had a day off. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.




DAY 38- Monday, March 3, 2003

DAY OFF IN ERIE


Another cold, gray and dreary day, Downright gloomy. It would be a good day to stay in my room and catch up on email, the Website and some overdue paperwork. We were at a Holiday In right downtown. Several bars and restaurant were within walking distance; There was a mall about 10 bucks away in a taxi.

I checked in and went to my room. It was freezing, but warmed up quickly enough. I spent the better part of the day on the computer.

Finn called me about 2 PM, from bar down the street called the "Plymouth Tavern." He said it was great and it would be a good place to go later. I promised him we would meet there later.

I met Attaboy in lobby around 4, we jumped in a taxi and headed to the mall. I bought a few items and we decided to just have dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. It was easy and convenient. On the way back to the hotel, I called Finn; he was STILL at the Plymouth Tavern. I told him we would meet him there later. I knew he wasn't going anywhere.

We dropped off our stuff at the hotel and walked down to the Tavern. It was freezing cold. Fortunately, the Plymouth was only a 10-minute walk away. The Plymouth Tavern is your typical college-style bar; it was packed with beautiful college co-eds and guys trying to hit on them, including us. At first I couldn't find Finn, but I stopped and listened, I heard his booming voice and located him around the corner in another part of the bar. Mike and Dan were already there as well, although not nearly as drunk as Finn. We found a spot at the bar and had a few beers. There was one good-looking bartender who had a tattoo above her ass. Of course, all the guys wanted to see it, which she gladly showed them. We had a great time sitting there. Since it was Monday, it was quarter beer night, so they were lining up the drafts. I am not too fond of cheap draft (cheap draft=hangover), so I stuck with bottles. Finn, Dan and Mike were drinking the mugs like they were going out of style. Atta was having his usual Bacardi and coke.

Somewhere along the line, things got a little out of hand, at least from the other barmaids' point of view. Everything seemed to be in good fun with the good-looking barmaid with the tattoo, the usual sexual innuendo, and so on. But this other bartender started to get an attitude and she said that if anybody else made a remark about her tattoo, we would all be kicked out. I took personal offense to this- how dare her! If the one with the tattoo had a problem with us, I am sure that she would've told us. I was furious, and I thought it was wise to leave the establishment before any trouble started. I mean, we all felt the same, and voices started rising, so I gathered the flock and we got out of there before it got stupid and Robbie would be bailing us out.

We headed down the street, again singing Ramones songs at the top of our lungs. We were freezing, but the singing somehow kept us warm.

We got back to the hotel and headed to the bar. Most of Whitesnake was in the bar, Wild Mick, Reb, and a few of the crew. Finn decided to drag Dan and Mike out to a strip bar, I politely declined, Atta and I pulled up a stool at the bar and had a few more.

Reb's wife and daughter were here- his 19-year old daughter- omigod. I won't even go there.

Anyway, We had a great time in the bar for a bit. Finn called and begged us to join him at the strip bar, but Atta and I knew better. I headed up and hit the sack. It had been a great day off, even with the ass at the Plymouth Tavern.




DAY 39- Tuesday, March 4, 2003

SHOW IN ERIE


I first woke up at 4 AM. I had slept so good! I went back to sleep, on and off and finally got up at 8:20. I listened to Paul Harvey, checked my emails, showered packed and went to the bus. I went back to the Front Desk, checked out, stopped by the room for my computer and briefcase and jumped on the bus.

It was only a 5-minute ride to the venue, through beautiful downtown Erie. It wasn't so cold today, as a matter of fact, the snow was melting. Compared to yesterday, this was a veritable heat wave!

We arrived at the "Erie Civic Center." Essentially a large metal warehouse, but nevertheless, a gig. Again, we were reminded of Russia.

I walked in, and, amazingly, the rig was all up in the air, awaiting my ACL focusing. And this with my lighting crew surely having severe hangovers!

I greeted my guys and started focusing my par cans. And, yes, my guys were indeed hungover. I felt for them, but I have been there myself. Dan was in the worst shape, I guess Finn had really done a number on him. Like I said, Atta and I knew better.

We had the lighting rig up by 11:50 AM, unbelievably fast! I guess with the hangovers these guys had, the quicker the rig was up and focused, the quicker they could be back in their bunks nursing their heads.

Again, sales were mediocre, especially in this recently depressed area of the country. Steel is king here and with the latest political changes in trade and the slowing economy, this part of the country has been hurt the most. Before the show, David made a comment about this to me, and then he headed to the Scorpions dressing room and said that we should really go over and above the normal show for these folks and cheer them up, rock the house for them. That wasn't an easy task, as this was the first of three-in-a-row, we were playing New York tomorrow, and the last thing you want to do is blow your voice on the first of three shows in a row. You kinda have to build up to last through the 3 shows, if you know what I mean. So it said a lot about David wanting rock this crowd. And rock them he did. As did the Scorpions and Dokken. Erie was definitely cheered up after this show. It made you feel good to see so many happy people.

Load out went great, we were in a bit of a hurry as it was a long drive to Long Island.




DAY 40- Wednesday, March 5, 2003

SHOW IN NASSAU COLISEUM, NEW YORK


One thing I hate about overnighters in the northeast is that the roads are in terrible shape. It is nearly impossible to sleep with rough ride and potholes. Especially when we're in a rush and driving fast. Many times you wake up suspend in midair a few inches above your bunk.

We arrived around 11 AM, late and to make matters worse, the New York Fire Department was doing a television conference in the arena to show people that pyro is not dangerous, if done in the right way, after the wake of the Rhode Island tragedy. We couldn't make any noise during this; it was a live broadcast on the noon news. I am not complaining, pyro is safe, done the correct way, and I couldn't knock them, hell, they were helping us!

The trucks got unloaded, but we couldn't really work, so I walked around and took some photos of Nassau Coliseum. This is an older venue, and there is a lot of history in here, especially with the New York Islanders hockey team. I have been here on many occasions; it is a common stop on the larger tours. When I did the Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" tour in 1989, we did rehearsals here, except we had to put the stage in lengthwise. We were here for 4 weeks then!

Finally, the Fire Department did their demo and we loaded in. But, almost as soon as we started, it was lunchtime, and the union rules here state that you cannot work during the lunch hour, so, we waited, and finally got back to work.

The bad ride also took its toll on the gear- many things were broken and lots of nuts and bolts had come loose. Still, load in progressed and we got everything up to trim and show ready.

This is a large venue, and, unfortunately, we weren't selling that great. Again. Some shows are great, other not so great. In any case, this was New York, it was the closest show to New York City, and the house would rock, regardless. It had snowed yesterday, but today was warmer and the snow was melting.

The show went well, a small, but loud New York audience had a great time. Load out was a bit slow, but everybody managed and we were on our way to the beautiful Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.




DAY 41- Thursday, March 6, 2003

SHOW IN BETHELHEM


I slept like a rock. Finally. The ride out of Long Island was absolutely horrendous. Imagine if you will, trying to sleep in the bed of a pickup truck while driving on an old country road filled with ruts, potholes and rocks after a washout.

I got up around 9:45. Somebody had left their radio on and John's voice was blaring over the speaker. Well, I had to get up anyway.

I got out of my bunk and looked out the window, it was snowing. By the time I got dressed, it looked like a blizzard- huge flakes just dumping down. I put on my raincoat and stepped out of the bus- the snow was already over an inch deep. Of course, the bus was a half a mile from the venue, so I had to trudge through the slush to get in.

Stabler Arena. I have been here many times, the first time being with INXS in 1988. It was old then. It is a small and older arena, seriously worn around the edges. There are only 4 dressing rooms here, so all the bands would be compressed. I didn't think that they would be staying here that long anyway.

Load-in was going well. I had a quick breakfast, and then got to work on my rig. Everybody seemed in good spirits, all a bit tired, though. This was the third show of three in a row. But, a day off tomorrow.

The day progressed fine, I had a low trim because of the low roof, but, I dealt with it and focused accordingly.

The snow eventually stopped, and I took some photos. I'm glad I don't have to drive in this stuff. People wonder why I live in Florida.

We had a day off tomorrow in Connecticut but I was going to New York City to meet with AC/DC about their upcoming show, plus, I love New York City and wanted a day off there. The Scorpions were staying in the city, so I was going to ride with them into the city, and then go to my hotel. I had a room booked for tomorrow night, but I needed a room when I got there. Pab, who is the Sound Engineer for AC/DC, said I could share his room tonight, if I couldn't check in to my other room early. I packed a small bag to take with me and put it on the bands bus before the show, as they we leaving almost immediately after the show.

Now this was another lousy selling show. Again, in steel country. And again, the bands rocked the house. After the show, I took down my console and headed for the band bus. We left shortly thereafter; it was only a couple hours drive to the city.

I jumped in a taxi and went to my hotel. I couldn't check into my room this early, so I called Pab, went to his room, visited for a few minutes and hit the sack.




DAY 42- Friday, March 7, 2003

DAY OFF IN NEW YORK CITY!


Wonderful, exciting and vivacious New York City! I am so happy to be here. I come to New York whenever I can.

I woke up at 8:30. Pab was still sleeping. I was tired, so I nodded off again for a while. Both Pab and I woke up around 10. He jumped in the shower, I fell back to sleep. I got up as Pab was getting ready. TC, Angus' guitar tech came over to say hello. We all talked for a little bit, they headed off to get coffee and then they were going to the gig. I fell back to sleep for an hour or so.

I listened to Paul Harvey at 11:45 and then got ready to go out. It looked likes a beautiful day, although cold. I was happy to see the sun, though. The room had a beautiful view of Central Park.

I checked into my room and then headed out. It was cold, but crisp, it felt good on my lungs. I walked down to 57th street. I stopped at Pick A Bagel and had my favorite- a toasted and buttered salt bagel with a cup of New York coffee. I don't know why, but there is no coffee like New York coffee. Something about it. I got my order and sat down. There before me, a hot and crispy bagel, encrusted with salt on the outside and slathered with real butter on the inside. Healthy? No. Good? You betcha! I sat, savoring every bite, looking out the window as New York happened in front of me. This is such an exciting city, I love being here. I miss it when I am away, and then when I am here, I realize how much I miss it.

I walked over to the Hard Rock Café. There, on the rack were jackets like the one that got stolen in Jacksonville. I looked at them, the ones on the rack had a much more grainier leather than mine. One of the store employees, Hugo, came over and asked me if I needed help. I said "yes." He had them bring up some more jackets from storage. He also explained the Hard Rock had changed the jackets ever so slightly. He had an older one, and showed me the differences. They were minor, like the zipper, and the fact that there was an extra pocket on the inside. His assistant brought up a couple more jackets. I found one I liked, tried it on- it was perfect. I also bought a shirt for Ingo; it was like a Hawaiian shirt with guitars on it. I also got one for myself. I left the Hard Rock and walked towards my local bar, Kennedy's, on 57th, between 8th and 9th. Before heading into there, however, I stopped at the Sheffield, an apartment building that I used to live in. Carol, the concierge for the building is an old friend. I have not seen here in several years, though, so I stopped in for a brief visit to my old "home."

I left there and went into Kennedy's. This has been my "local" bar for many, many years now. I know the owner and all of the employees there, they are always so happy to see me and make me feel at home. Martin was tending the bar; I sat and ordered a beer. We caught up on things and visited. I was supposed to meet a friend of mine, Michael, for a meeting about Cosmo.com, but he got tied up in a previous meeting and we decided to meet later. I had another beer. Michael, the owner, came in and we visited.

I left there and headed downtown to SIR Studios to see AC/DC. I got there just as they were taking a break- perfect. I was so happy to see them see the crew, old friends. We visited, I spoke to the band, they were disappointed that I couldn't do the Roseland show, but they were happy I was there to see them and let them know that the show was in good hands. I stayed for a while and watched rehearsals. These guys sound so good, straight, balls to the wall rock & roll. It was great medicine for me. Not that I am tired of the Scorps or Whitesnake, not at all, it is just great to hear AC/DC.

This week at SIR was amazing. In the studio next door to AC/DC was Lou Reed. Down the hall was the Allman Brothers Band. Around the corner, Elvis Costello. And Sting was due in tomorrow. An amazing amount of talent in one place.

I heard from my friend Michael, we met in a bar around the corner, had a couple of beers and talked about Cosmo.com. I Have a lot of plans in the near future, and we talked about how to make some major changes.

Afterwards, I headed down to my favorite Chinese restaurant in the world, Wo Hops, located at 17 Mott Street, in Chinatown. I have been coming here since 1979. This is just the best place and has been an institution since the 1920's. I'm here on nearly every visit to New York City. It's really a hot spot at about 6 AM on New Year's morning!

After dinner, I headed back to Kennedy's, and lo and behold, the AC/DC crew walked in. We had a couple of beers and then I headed back to the hotel. I had an early train to catch back to Connecticut for the show tomorrow. I said goodbye to the boys, and wished them luck on the show. I was sad that I wasn't going to be able to be there.




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