|
10.07.2004 -
Hi everyone! I
thought I would write to you to let you know how it's all going here
in USA. I am enjoying this tour more than any other. I know I say that
often but it's the truth. Being here in the States in the summer is a
real thrill.
Here's a typical day: I wake up at six thirty am and have coffee (and
I hasten to admit, a cigarette). Then I go out of the hotel to get a
sense of where I am and sometimes speak to other people who might be
doing the same. I am in the 'early bird' club and so are many others.
We have a common understanding. I love mornings because it's a chance
for me to perhaps be one of the only people in my industry actually
wandering around just appreciating life and what it has to offer. I
come back at around 10am which is when I usually check my emails and
read and respond to your letters. I then like to call my family back
home. This grounds me enormously because just hearing each others'
voices is sometimes all that is needed regardless of how trivial a
conversation may be. At around 11am I usually spend two hours
practicing Bach which really relaxes not to mention improving my
technique. When I do this I try to play without emotion because for
me, that's what practicing should be. Restraint from feeling is a
discipline in itself, as absurd as that may sound. I like to save that
for later.
At around 1pm I do an hour of yoga which is quite intense but very
rewarding. Yoga helps me with strength, balance and flexibility not
just physically but mentally and emotionally. After yoga I usually
have a small siesta (or power nap as some people say). Coming out of
this rest really puts me in the kind of condition I need to be in to
take on the rest of the day. I feel pumped! We usually drive to the
airport at around 2.30 to take the flight to the next show. On the
flight I either play chess with Sting or Jason. We are addicts. This
helps me get my brain going. We arrive at the venue at around 4 or 5pm
and do a soundcheck. This is when Sting always has subtle changes to
the set or songs. It's also a chance for the crew to get a good sound
and feel adjusted. Then Annie does her soundcheck. Then I do a mini
soundcheck for my set. This takes three or four minutes. Between 6 and
7 I might play another game of chess with Jason. Then I will have a
serious warm up for my set which usually starts around 7.15. I go on
and do my set which so far has been going really well. I am loving it.
I then watch Annie's set which is always great! When she's done I go
to the merchandise stand and meet the fans and sign autographs with my
album etc. I love doing this because it gives me a chance to interact
with people who appreciate what I am doing. I then have a quick change
and get ready to go on with Sting. I love this moment because it is
why I am here and what I have prepared for all day. I say a little
prayer and we go on. While I am on the stage I am transformed into
what feels like another being. I 'am' the songs and live and breathe
them. No words can describe how that feels. We finish the set and do a
'runner' to the vans and go straight to the airport and on to the
plane. Sting and I usually play a game of chess and we are usually in
a jovial mood. We arrive at the next destination and check into the
hotel. I usually go straight to my room, exhausted but always grateful
to still be the luckiest guy on the planet.
Thanks to all of you for making this a possibility.
Love always,
More blogs >> |
|