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22.06.2004 -
Hello
everyone! I know it's been a while since my last message but as you
can imagine I have been quite busy. I have just returned home from
Geneva where we ended the European leg of this tour. In the fifteen
years I have worked with Sting this has been the most exciting leg of
any tour I have ever done. We have played to some of the biggest
audiences I have seen. 400,000 in Budapest, 110,000 in Lisbon and
150,000 in Rome. I am told these are conservative figures so it was at
least that amount. We have also played in some smaller theatres like
the Olympia in Paris and the Royal Albert Hall in London (I never
would have imagined years ago saying these were small venues).
We have had
some exciting shows in great cities like Barcelona, Verona and Berlin.
We have cancelled shows in Scandinavia and UK. All and all it has been
an eventful and memorable tour. I have also done some late night club
dates in Germany (Berlin, Cologne and Munich). These shows were
brilliantly organised by my record company Decca and Q-rious music. I
was fortunate to be indulged with having the greatest 'orchestra' in
Mike Lindup on piano, Rhani Krija on percussion and the amazing Neil
Stacey on guitar (flash git!). These shows were some of the best fun I
have had in years. We weren't very well prepared for them for obvious
reasons so I chose musicians who could handle the musical situations I
put them in which they more than did. We did quite a lot of jamming
and it couldn't have been more fulfilling. The audiences were
fantastic and were very much part of the 'ride'. They (you) know me
well enough now to know that that's what these shows are about so it's
like a joint effort. The audience also know I do this for the love of
it and not to 'prove' myself as a guitarist. You know me well enough
now to know I just want to reach you on an emotional level. Sometimes
we connect and rarely we don't, but this time you and I know we did.
Thank you for making it what it was. I will never forget. The biggest
surprise on this leg was being asked by Sting and Billy (tour manager)
if I wouldn't mind opening his show in Wiesbaden with twenty minutes
notice.
Of course I
jumped at the opportunity and it went really well. That was the
biggest crowd I had played solo to until the next night in Hannover
(18,000). Yes, they asked me again. To all of you who were there who
read this, thank you for being a part of this experience with me. You
were fantastic. It's hard to describe what it feels like to play solo
to that many people and still be able to hear a pin drop. You were all
listening to me and making it possible for me to express myself. The
only sound I could hear other than the guitar was birds singing and
you clapping and cheering between tunes. This is something to tell my
grandchildren about (I am not that far off you know... Rufus is
nineteen...).
Now it's
reality for a few days before we start the second American leg (I
leave this Saturday). Reality means not seeing thousands of people in
front of you every night listening to you. It means spending time at
home with your family and in your own bed. It means not living out of
a suitcase. It means a depletion of ego. It means not dialling 9 to
get an outside line. This is reality and it's not always pretty. It's
like falling off a cliff but the difference is you know you can
(operative word) land safely. My bag is full of dirty clothes. The
last few gigs I was in recycle mode meaning starting back from the
beginning. On a big outdoor show you can't smell me but I was worried
when I did the club shows and you were right there in front of me. I
was even more worried when I could smell myself. Time to go home Dom.
I had to laugh at myself during the last song in the last few shows A
Thousand Years because in my head I was singing A Thousand Shows. But
I had a smile on my face because I am for ever grateful to be in this
position. I have everything I ever wanted. I am working with someone
who I consider to be the best all round songwriter, performer m----
----er of all time, I have a record company who is willing to allow me
to express myself through my interpretations of classical music, I
have another label who allows me to have total solidarity in my own
compositions and finally and best of all I have a connection with you.
You are the ones who make it all worth it.
Some of you
may already know I will be opening the shows in America soon. The
excitement never ends. I hope I see you there.
Love always,
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