|
09.09.2008 -
Boys and
Girls, Sorry it's been a while since the last one, but... no excuse
actually. I have just moved house here in France and these things are
always more complicated than I would like. I think it's widely known
that moving house is one of the most stressful things one can
experience along with death in the family, divorce and going to IKEA.
I made one mistake with the paint colour for the interior. Finally we
got it right and chose an off-white greyish tint which we really like.
I like to call it "Chris Botti White" (Hi Chris...).
Top tip 1:
Don't wear flip-flops when you are moving house. Your toes will be
damaged. Speaking of flip-flops, my toes were very happy I let them
out into the atmosphere this summer. They are normally “London Grey
Sky White”, a slightly different shade of “Chris Botti White”. I doubt
anyone will want to decorate their house with mine though. But they
are looking good now. I have been doing a few other bits of housework
like going to the dentist. While I was sitting in the chair I noticed
something trying to escape from my nostril. I was really worried that
the dentist's assistant (cute French girl) was going to be offended by
it, but then I thought she might actually be more focused on my teeth.
I don't know what's worse though. Whichever way you look at it, I
don't think she will become my next biggest fan. Is it possible to
look cool in this situation especially with a nose hair dangling? The
dentist said, "Ah, you musician Monsieur Miller?" to which I replied,
"Aha". "You have play with anyone I know?", "Hing" I replied. "Ah, you
play with Police?" I nodded no. "Who play guitar with Police?", "Angy
Hunger" I said. Then it was major road works for two hours. I tried to
avoid eye contact with the assistant afterwards. I have a new
appointment coming up soon. Next time I am in an airport I am going to
buy one of those male grooming thingies and use it before I go to the
dentist.
I have nothing against air guitar playing, but while driving at 80
miles an hour, it could be considered unnecessarily dangerous. This
happened to me after a guitar festival I did in Italy. The driver who
took me to the airport after the show was also a guitar aficionado but
he took it a step too far. He started playing some CDs by Alan
Holdsworth who is an English shredder (someone who plays fast) and
then began miming the solos. Trouble is, it's instrumental music and
there is nothing but soloing. The driver was very often using both
hands while making contorted faces at me (why do guitarists make silly
faces?). So no hands on the wheel and he's looking at me. I was
feeling nervous and just wishing Alan Holdsworth would either slow
down or stop even let the sax player have a go for minute so the
driver can regroup. We listened to a second Alan CD and then made it.
Before I became a real guitarist I was using a 70's Wilson metal frame
tennis racket. I don't remember trying to do anything else at time
same time though. Well, maybe I was making funny faces. I suddenly had
a thought. Do you think air tuba would ever take off? Tuba Hero for
Christmas!
Novelty
ring-tones should be banned for anyone over 40. They seem like a good
idea at the time, but how many times have you seen someone over 40 not
scramble to turn it off asap? If they are embarrassed how do you think
we feel. I also think the same of print or novelty t-shirts. Although
it's ok to wear a Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead shirt if you really are a
fan and wore it back then. (Just covering myself there...) I don't
believe over 40s should have a myspace account either. I have been
asked many times to start one, but it just doesn't feel right.
I was watching
the Olympics this summer. I can't help thinking that the opening
ceremony made the Superbowl show look like... a high school play. Just
the imagination of the spectacle was something else, let alone pulling
it off. I bought a new TV especially for the Olympics. A Samsung flat
widescreen. Love it. The only problem was I positioned it slightly
left of the couch. The result was me looking left for most of the
events. So now I find it easier to look left than right. Now when I
talk to people I stand slightly at an angle. I have fixed the problem
by not moving the TV, but the couch. I loved Phelps. Someone in the
English press was speculating about whether he'd be checked for drugs
and said, "It's not the drugs they need to check for, but an outboard
motor". Very funny I thought. I also liked the 100 and 200 meters
final with Bolt winning in the style he did. Fantastic. The Brits did
really well which was great! Loved the fencing and of course it was
hard to avoid the ladies beach volleyball. Something in the
technique.
I went
shopping in London with my daughter Misty which I always enjoy. She
looks good in anything. I was also looking for a school Hello Kitty
bag for Eva. I saw they had one left, but someone got it before I did.
What that other person didn't understand was that the Hello Kitty bag
was mine and Eva needed it more than their daughter. I don't think
they realised who they were dealing with. Just as I was about to
explain this, a whole sack of them appeared, so all ended without any
confrontation.
What else? Oh,
I have been doing some music. As usual, I love playing with Sarah Jane
Morris. We have just mixed her new album "Where it Hurts". I
co-produced it with her and Martyn Barker and it should be out soon. I
have been working with Yaron Herman some more and he has been helping
me with my album. He has just won a huge award in France, their
equivalent of a Grammy. I see my album(s) as my "vanity project". This
is because I do exactly what I like and no-one else cares except the
few who identify with it. Whoever you are, thanks. It's difficult
making music sometimes. Difficult to be original. At the same time, I
don't believe anyone really is truly original. We all have different
influences. All the records we own individually, make up our own kind
of DNA as musicians. For instance, how many people own The Carpenters
Greatest Hits and Nirvana's Teen Spirit? Maybe hundreds of thousands?
And how many people own those two and Lou Reed's Transformer? Maybe
tens of thousands? How many own those three and Glen Gould playing
Bach's Goldberg Variations? How about throwing Grateful Dead's Mars
Hotel in there? Now we are narrowing it down. Now, how many own those
five and Dominic Miller's Second Nature? Answer: None. Only kidding.
But you get my point. After half a dozen records you become more and
more individual. Like a game of chess after eight or ten moves. So I
don't claim my music to really be my own. It is a product of all I
listen to and indeed those I have worked with. This is really the fun
part of making music. Either consciously but preferably unconsciously
making references to your influences.
There are no
plans to work with Sting in the future. Now I realise giving him that
&%$£ing lute was the biggest own goal of my career. I have to laugh
sometimes just thinking about it. It put me out of work for a year,
and then he did the Police tour to counter the lute project. Another
year. Now, apparently, he's back on the lute. Who knows. But boys and
girls, I do have a sense of humour. Just. It's been two years since we
worked, and in those two years I have gained more than I have lost.
Namely, a family life. Just going away for three days is hard, let
alone three weeks or even three MONTHS which seems impossible to
contemplate. I used to not flinch when we went on these long tours and
be away from the family months at a time. The shortest world tour I
did with Sting was fourteen months. The longest, two years. Touring at
that level is a very selfish existence. Yes, you do perform in front
of thousands every night and make a lot of money and which is
thrilling, but you simply don't have a life. Do I miss it? @£$% yeah,
but for different reasons. I miss the camaraderie of being in a band,
that's for sure. The money? Absolutely. The notoriety? Maybe. But I
don't miss the tedium nor the repetitiveness of it all. I am a family
man now and no touring can ever replace that. I am also a musician,
and yes I do go away from time to time, but never for more than two
weeks. I lead a simpler, better life and make my sad music which makes
me happy.
So there you have it for now. I would like to send a big hug to Maria,
Stepanka, Gitte and Jackie who have been regulars at many of the shows
I have done in the past year. Also, to the North American Mi Fe Ghulz
who look forward to seeing very shortly in Canada (and maybe in
Boston...).
Love always,
More blogs >> |
|