|
12.08.2005 -
Hi everyone, I
am on holiday now but have flown home for the Bath guitar festival
tomorrow. I will be returning to the south of France on Sunday. Today
is a day off but I need to practice for tomorrow's show as I haven't
picked up the guitar for two weeks. I will have to do a 'fast track'
preparation. Before doing this I thought I'd take the time to write to
you.
I seem to have found a rhythm to life after the long tour of last
year. This usually takes a while but this time I feel more comfortable
with where I am now. I think this is exactly the point. Instead of
dwelling on mistakes made in the past or the uncertainties of what
tomorrow may bring I am concentrating more on what I am doing today.
This doesn't mean I can't learn from the past nor make plans for the
future but as I sit here, today is all I have so I might as well make
it a good one. Since the tour ended I have had a lot of good 'todays'.
One was a trip Mike (Lindup) and I took to Italy for a recital. The
town was Busto Arizio which is somewhere near Milan. I was part of a
guitar festival organised by my friend Giovanni who runs the Decca
label in Italy. I say recital because the hall we played in was very
traditional. A rectangular hall with a small stage (perhaps two feet
high) facing wooden chairs set up either side like in a wedding. Very
formal. The stage had flowers placed on the edge and the lighting
consisted of a couple of old lamps. During the sound-check I closed my
eyes and wondered who might have been here before me. I also listened
out for music, perhaps some chamber music or a piano recital? maybe
even a bad operetta or school play. I wanted to feel part of this room
and do it credit. The room felt like it had ears and I wanted to be a
part of its memory in case the next performers might listen out for
what I offer. Before the lights went out Mike and I were waiting in
the wings and I swear I could have heard a pin drop. Was there anyone
in the audience? Perhaps half a dozen? Ten? I was worried but still
felt the need to put on a great show because I was doing this for the
congregation who had been here in the past and for those who might be
here in the future. We were formally introduced in Italian and when we
took to the stage the place was unexpectedly packed. I wondered where
all these people came from. I hadn't mentioned this concert on my
website because I wanted to keep it low key. But they somehow found
out and I was glad to see such a welcoming audience.
The show was
fantastic. Mike and I really enjoyed it and so did the audience.
Afterwards I met with some fans I didn't know I had. An Italian
fanbase! What a privilege. Mike and I were given flowers (which is an
Italian custom after doing a recital) and then taken out for a
reception by the town's mayor and the local's who's who. There was a
strange or extremely surreal event which happened at the end of the
evening. We were sitting down exchanging pleasantries when an official
came up to me with an envelope which he told me to open. I didn't feel
I had a choice. In it I found my earnings for the night in cash. What
was strange was doing this in front of an audience. He wanted me to
count it but I couldn't. People were standing around me, arms folded
in anticipation. I felt like I was a politician about to sign a peace
treaty. In the end I just showed the bundle and got approving nods
from the locals. It now occurs to me they were the ones paying for it
(or me). The mayor then presented me with a large book about the town
and bid me farewell. I was then taken to my hotel, with the cash and
felt a bit like a criminal. Cue the music to the Godfather. Thank God
I played well in the concert or else who knows what might have
happened to me. (If Uncle Sam is reading this I am sorry not to have
declared this money.)
Neil Stacey, Martin Taylor and I were invited to play as a trio in the
Palomino guitar festival in Corsica. This was an interesting outing.
When I landed in Nice airport for my connection to Corsica I ran into
the members of Steps Ahead (very famous instrumental group from
America headed by the vibes player Mike Manieri). Their guitarist is
Mike Stern who is famous for having played in Miles Davis' group in
the 80's. After we realised our connection had a four hour delay (a
normality in France) we struck up quite a relationship. What I wasn't
prepared for was the airport jam. Yes, some of them got their
instruments out and started playing music in the restaurant, then the
waiting area and then our gate. Each time packing their instruments in
a nomadic kind of way and moving on with a real sense of purpose. I
felt like a step child on holiday reluctantly following the crowd
because I had no choice. Neil and Martin joined in. I couldn't. I
don't do airports. Hotel rooms, kitchens, restaurants or funerals yes,
but not airports. It makes me think of "Leaving on a Jet Plane"
(actually a turbo-prop in this case). There were people gathered
around us enjoying the serenade but I kept myself out of it and
pretended to be a civilian and joined in their applause between each
number which usually lasted approximately 27.57 minutes. Having said
all this I must say that what they were playing blew me away. Mike is
a genius guitarist, Neil was in particularly good form and Martin
Taylor is a guitar wizard. But the one who really blew me away was
Richard Bona (bass player in Steps Ahead). He picked up Neil's guitar
and made some real magic. I couldn't keep my eyes off him. ****ing
genius he is.
Cut to the show the next day: We were sharing hotel with Steps and
what were they doing around the pool? Jamming of course. I stayed in
my room and practiced for the show. The venue was stunning. Outdoor,
and very idyllic setting. We did a sound-check which felt like
familiar territory. There were many guitar aficionados checking me out
I could tell. I must say I don't really like hanging out with hundreds
of guitarists but sometimes I have no choice. It makes me feel
somewhat self conscious (...'OK Mr Miller, show us your shit' going on
in my head). After the sound-check I met some of these guitarists and
we went through the obligatory "what kind of strings do you use?" type
of conversation. Then I was approached by a TV producer who wanted to
do an interview with me. I agreed and took my position and then we
started. I thought we might open a discussion on the finer points of
my choices on chord inversions. His first question was "Who are you?"
I thought this must be a joke but I apologetically answered "Dominic".
"Dominic who?" he replied. "Dominic Miller". He then asked "What are
you doing here?". Now I was getting pissed off. I told him I was part
of the guitar festival. He then asked "Did you ask to come or were you
invited". I didn't answer that question. Then he saw Neil pass by and
said "Ah, Mr Neil Stacey, can I have a word with you?" which of course
he obliged. He then proceeded do conduct a knowledgeable interview
with Neil covering almost every aspect of his career. I just sat
there, stunned. At the end of the interview some cute French girls
went up to Neil and asked for his autograph. I was even more stunned.
I wanted to leave, go home and watch TV. After reflecting on this I
came to the conclusion it must have been Karma for my lack of
participation in the airport. We put on an ok show. The audience
seemed to respond more to the guitar histrionics than the more
reflective stuff. This made me wonder why I was here. Perhaps the
interviewer was on to something after all.
I never know what to expect when I go into these situations but I have
a hunger for them. Being on tour with Sting is undoubtedly the best
possible situation I could be in but the lifestyle and routine is more
predictable. We are looked after in the best possible way. But doing
these kind of shows is really like going into the unknown and I always
learn and benefit from them. This is how the 'other half' live and I
want and need to be a part of it. I think I am too spoilt.
Now I am sitting in the south of France on holiday. Earlier I tried
blowing an inflatable whale/raft which left me short of breath. I
think I was hallucinating at one point. Could there have been a leak?
It wasn't getting any bigger. I later found out I was blowing into
thin air because the part I was blowing into was the plug for the
base. After figuring out where to blow I went ahead. It took at least
half an hour and ended up being much bigger than I thought it would
be. You could get a whole family on one of these and go on a
Mediterranean cruise. Once I had finished I went into the pool house
for a coke and found a foot lever specially designed for blowing up
large inflatable objects (does anybody know Chris Botti's birthday?).
Every time I look at this I think of the air that's in it being my
whole life's experience. It also makes me think that being a smoker,
it isn't exactly clean air.
I went to pick up Misty and Harley at the airport in Marseilles. They
were travelling unaccompanied so I had to produce my passport to the
officials. When I did so the guy said I looked a lot older in real
life. I thought he had a nerve insulting me in this way but let it
pass and asked to have my kids. Then he said he really meant it so I
looked at the passport and saw it was in fact Pablo's. Oh God! I
thought and pleaded with him to understand my mistake. The guy trusted
me and we were on our way. Rufus and Otis came for four days which was
really great. It's quite rare we are all together and I must say I was
and am one deliriously happy camper.
I must stop now and practice. I miss you all and think of you often.
It seems this year is going by so quickly. I get back at the end of
the month which is when I will resume work on "Fourth Wall".
Love,
More blogs >> |
|