4.26.2008

Note to self (concert update no. 1)

Stay away from Frenchmen with hyphenated names in seamy Mediterranean port cities.


Quote:  Tes yeux verts, si, si beaux. Tes levres.  Si beaux.  Ton nez-- eh, pas grand chose...

Your green eyes, so so beautiful.   Your lips.  So lovely.  Your nose-- eh, nothing to write home about.

He scared me in a bar but I escaped and spent part of my day with a guy I met from Tunisia.  He didn't try anything funny, unlike Jean-Claude Van Dumb.  Oh I guess he's belgian.  How about Jean-Jacques Piss-off?  

I got to the venue early.  The venue is in a predominantly Arab part of town.  Also, it was a predominantly decrepit and scary part of town.  No one was there but me for a long time, which is how I started to wander around and how I managed to almost get into trouble.  In the end it was ok, because like I said, I met a nice guy who talked with me and drank coffee in a bar with me until more people showed up.  

The show was very good.  Not the best ever, but I might put it in the top 5. Nick was in a terrific mood, which always helps.  The opening band -- I have to look them up because I didn't catch their name-- was ok but they offended me a little because they sang a song called "Let's kill God again" which is not something I wish to have happen.  They also offended me by playing a song by my least favorite of all time band, Suicide.  Ick.  Bleah.  (ah ok, just googled... this is the band).  And, they played too long.  But, ok.  Nick played a bunch of stuff from the new album, and some VERY old favorites as well-- "Tupelo," "Hard on for Love," "Your Funeral, My Trial," and a song that I LOVE and have never heard live before tonite, "Papa won't leave you, Henry."  He also played "Red Right Hand," "Into My Arms," "The Ship Song," "The Lyre of Orpheus," "Deanna" (fucking awesome song live), and he closed the show with "Stagger Lee."  Two encores.  

I don't have any photos because my camera is kaput.  And they were being Nazis about having cameras in the venue.  Which isn't usually the case.  

From where I was standing tonite and the way the stage was set up, I didn't get to see Nick straight on very well.  This is disappointing as watching him perform is undoubtedly one of my greatest pleasures.  He's amazing live, especially when he's in a good mood, which he was tonite.  I was standing directly in front of Mick Harvey, and I had a clear view of Thomas Wydler, also.  So I watched them and Warren Ellis, which is cool because I don't usually get to see the other players.  Martyn, Jim and Conway were difficult to see.  I guess James Johnston (of Gallon Drunk) isn't touring with them.  Which is too bad because he's a great musician.

Hmmmm, what else?  

Slight worry I might get stabbed on Metro coming back to hotel, but that didn't happen.  Praise God.  

Marseilles is a rough city.  I think I've grown too accustomed to the calm, soothing tones of Zurich.  

Tomorrow-- PARIS!


6 comments:

Mike Ingram said...

I think that guy in the bar was using the "neg" strategy, as perfected by Memory, from the VH1 show "The Pickup Artist."

Also, your trip sounds fun.

jill alexander essbaum said...

I think the guy in the bar was totally being a scary jerk. There's parts I'm leaving out....

Is it Memory or Mystery?

Mike Ingram said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Ingram said...

Ah, yes. Mystery. Though Memory would also be a pretty cool picking-up-chicks name.

jill alexander essbaum said...

Like, picking them up in pairs, turning them over and matching them? Ain't that Memory?

JP said...

Oh lord! The ultimate menage-a-trois man...Memory.

And re: Mystery, that guy is a douche. The only reason he got any chicks at all was because he was in Austin where the hoochies don't know any better. Throw that dude into any bar scenario in New York (except a gay bar, fine) and he'd have to spend a month dropping coin just to get a handsky.

Anyway, Jilly, as I said on the phone, I'm sorry Jean-Jacques was actually Jean-Chester the Molester. Be carefuler!