New York City Bars & Foozball Blues

A snow covered Times Square


…it’s morning in New Orleans & I sit bolt upright in bed… See that the hotel issue clock radio clicks over to 0927 & panic!! I have to be on the Tour Bus, Toni’s going to kill me, we‘re going to be late for the next venue… then, peace settles in, I’m not on Tour anymore, I’m on holidays with my little Brother…

…0929 in New Orleans & I sit bolt upright in bed… the plane to New York leaves in 1hr & we were both supposed to be in a taxi an hour ago…!! Ever seen the start of “Four Weddings & A Funeral”…? That was us!!

Grand Central Station

Somehow we managed to get downstairs in around 2min - literally - & then there was a taxi just there, ready & waiting. That driver danced his way through the New Orleans traffic & man was he dancing… We arrived at New Orleans Airport with just over 30mins before we flew out, which in American terms, means “your flight is now boarding”!! I tipped our driver nicely as did Ric the Porter who ran our luggage into the Terminal at a rapid pace - gotta love curbside check-in in the States… Just to make it more fun, we had SSSS on our Boarding Pass!! Yes, time was tight but what better way to ensure more tension than having to open up your entire carry-on, all the while trying not to arouse suspicion by encouraging the TSA Official to work as quick as he can…! We were definitely being smiled on as the gate we were departing from (& yes, everyone else had boarded but they weren’t up to the point where they were paging people by name) was, literally, just around the corner from the Security Check!! Huzzah!

Ric, um, finding his footing in Central Park..!

Funnily enough Ric & I slept pretty much the entire flight to New York and awoke to some of the most violent turbulence I’ve ever encountered which was mainly due to all the snow that was falling on New York!! Upon collecting our luggage we decided to catch the public transport option & it was quite surreal to see New York covered in snow. We managed to get to our Hostel with out too much hassle & then decided to go out looking for food. We got slightly distracted & ended up heading into Central Park. It looked magical. Snow was still falling, quite heavily, & we just meandered our way through the Park. Ric went A over T once & lay on the ground laughing for a moment or two. Eventually we made our way down as far as Times Square before we decided that dinner was to be found in Little Italy.

Me with a cold Giz in pocket strolling through a snowy Central Park!

The next day we met up with Chuck, a great guy who had worked with Tango Fire on the Boston season. Chuck basically runs the AV Dept of the American Natural History Museum and had teed up with me to cross paths with him so he could get Ric & I in on guest passes. It was a cool afternoon, roaming around the museum again. Managed to see a few displays that I hadn’t seen the first time. We revisited the Planetarium & then went and saw “Dinosaurs” on the IMAX screen. We then hooked up with Chuck & went out for dinner and a few beers…

The main drag in Little Italy - also the title of a Billy Joel song, which now makes more sense!

…as he was departing, he steered us in the direction of a few more bars that were close to our Hostel. “Jakes Dilemma” was the first one we found and the last one we tried!! It was a great little bar, very similar to your ‘local’ in Brunswick or St Kilda. We met a bunch of people that night & for some reason, in a very un-me way, I didn’t take photos of the people we met…!! Which sucks as they were all really, really cool & majority of them were Foozball champions.

Foozball, for those of you who are unaware or due to my bad spelling is basically a soccer match for either two or four players. Kinda like Air Hockey except your ‘players’ are attached to wooded rods and you have to move them across the field and then spin them to hit the ball. It takes a whole lot of co-ordination far above my sporting skills in life when I have attempted it in the past but these guys - even Ric shied away!! They were insane!! They would pass from ‘player’ to ‘player’ on the same rod, stop the ball when it was going at crazy speeds and basically had their wooden guys operating as swiftly & deftly as Beckham (well maybe not anymore)!! Absolutely fantastic to watch as the games would carry on for quite some time.

Both myself & Ric were finally pulled into the game by our friends. I was sided with Todd, who was actually another Aussie who’d been living in the States for a number of years. As you’d expect, we lost!! The Yanks couldn’t believe that we didn’t have Foozball as standard in bars!! To Todd, Serena, Alisha, Gavin, Meena, the loud obnoxious guy & the one who looked like a friend of Ric’s, we salute you!!

Ric & I spent the next day cruising around the town & some of it was wasted chasing up my new ‘Emergency Passport’ from the Aus Consulate. But it also meant that Ric & I got to walk through and explore Grand Central Station - which it is!! There’s also a fantastic fresh produce market hall within the station - similar but better than the section in David Jones in Bourke St Mall!! Ric walked off munching on a block of Jarlesberg cheese and I found a fantastic freshly made, chocolate milk!! Gold!!

"Avenue Q"

That night we went off to see “Avenue Q” on Broadway. “Q” is basically a version of Sesame Street but for adults. Not saying that it’s filthy & rude, they’ve just updated what you used to watch as a kid to the level that your mind has now developed - ok, ok there’s SOME dirty elements to it…!! One of the main songs is “The Internet Is For Porn”!! It’s a great show, very cleverly done & there’s a lot of laughs throughout. It’s very reminiscent of Sesame Street in regards to little cartoon segues that they display on TV screens side stage. All up, a very entertaining night out & gratefully, was a good guess re. theatre that Ric would enjoy.

The following day I started to feel the beginnings of “The Sickness” but we caught up with Chuck again in the arvo as he was working at Town Hall & had a quick beer when he was on a break. He gave Ric a few tips on where to go when he goes home via Tokyo & took me on a brief tour through the Town Hall. In the evening we caught up with The Joyce crew briefly and saw the performance that was showing by “Reflections : A Dance Company”. Was an all black, modern dance that combined African roots, including live music & singing, with current dance moves. Was quite good but I was literally falling asleep by the end. Said hello to the crew once the curtain flew out & it was great to see them again. We were supposed to have a beer with Kelly but he’d had some news during the day that he needed to attend to & the rest of the crew did have to front up for 2 x shows the following day. We got back to the Hostel around 2300 & I slept til 1500 on Saturday!!

Giz in his seat, on Broadway, ready to see 'Avenue Q'

From here on in New York was pretty much a write off for me - which sucked as over the weekend we’d planned to take the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue Of Liberty & the main event was to take Ric out on Bleeker St & we’d even made tentative plans to catch up with our new friends from Jakes Remorse! Ric still went out & explored, which I’m glad, but I was looking forward to our night out on Bleeker. There’s always next time I guess!!

The Brothers Trip!

The photo that inspired this Blog entries title...!

Date: Mon 11th February, 2008.
Time: 12.18pm
Location: Room 316, St Louis Hotel, somewhere in the New Orleans French Quarter.
Status: Sober & excited.
Objective: Contact with an Aussie for a 5 week, tactical strike on the US & Argentina.

It has occurred! And what a happy moment it was - pounding on the door, the answering, the disbelief, the realisation, the dumping of gear, the agreement that food & water (alcoholic of course) is of utmost importance & then the fun that ensued.

Yes, myself & Ric have now met up and we are off. A 5 week adventure of travelling together & exploring & further extending our friendship that already exists beyond our blood connection. We firstly did a very brief catch up on the last couple of months & then we hit Bourbon St in search of food & my intense need to introduce Ric to a Hurricane. Which we did… And at this point many of you will be expecting this to be a massive afternoon that commenced from 1300.. Not to be. We had a relaxing lunch & yes a Hurricane or two (literally) were had but then it was time for both of us to revel in the event of catching up with each other & that what we had been planning for around 4-5 months had & was actually happening!!

For me it was also contact with ‘others’. That is said in no disrespect to anyone involved in Tango, it was just that Ric was here & we were going to do something, that as brothers, we had never really done - share new experiences & go exploring together. We’ve both always talked about 1st’s in our lives but we’ve just never been able to get it to a point where we’re both there @ the same time. And from emails, phone conversations & meetings we had prior to & after I left, the excitement was equal on both sides about what was ahead.

After lunch we went off exploring - walked along the Mississippi for a bit & then back along the main drag & came across the local Casino… We didn’t really discuss it for long, if at all, and in we went… We found the craps table & I had played it once at Crown, far too many years ago to remember how it all worked. We watched a few rounds & then decided that we were in. Cindy, one of the table jockey’s, talked us through some of the rules as we went. It was a $15 minimum & between the 2 of us, we came up with $45 and laid our bets on 6 & 9. (Craps is the “Daddy needs a new pair of shoes” dice game where if you role a 7, it’s all over & everyone losses & a double 1 is Snake Eyes, also bad!)

The Trolley Car that is an icon in New Orleans. Can ride for one trip, as long as you want for $1.25.

After a few rounds we were up about $60 & we still had $15 of our original $45 left in our hands. That’s the funny thing with Craps, until someone blows out, your bets stay on the table!! The dice roller did something that we didn’t understand but the dice changed hand but our bets rode over… I was getting the hang of it again & was pointing out something to Ric but hadn’t realised that the dice roller was now throwing from the other end & the dice nearly hit my hands… up popped a 7..! Everyone looses!! Huzzah! Ric & I dipped into our winnings & I was receiving a few evil looks from the players around the table… Next role… 7! It’s OK everyone, it’s just a 7 & the House gets to take your money before it’s won you anything… There were a few colourful words uttered… Bets laid again… Dice rolled…. And the entire table is cleared again! 7.. Sitting there, pretty much right in front of me… Yep! Goodbye, time to take a graceful exit before someone knifes me!! Just call me Captain Lucky..!

Quickly we made our way to the Trolley Car (what us Aussies would call a Tram) and took it all the way down St Charles until we hit the grand old, stereotypical Southern Mansions. They’re pretty cool. You can tell that some have been modelled on ‘the design’ but the original ones stand out & you can feel the history & the heritage seeping off them. We got off the Trolley & found a mansion that had been converted into a pub/hotel where we sat on the veranda sipping beers, watching dark roll in and talked in terrible southern accents about the day, the night ahead and basically everything in general. We were being incredibly funny….!

Ric & myself in shadow form, walking the back streets.

After we wrapped up, we decided to walk through the surrounding back streets, heading back to the Trolley but to see more mansions… as it got darker, it appeared as if we may or may not have been in a ‘rough’ part of town… A few of the venue crew had stated that there was still crime apparent after Katrina & it wasn’t that either of us were scared, it was just one of those feelings where we both felt that we weren’t where we were supposed to be. We still walked for about 20-25mins as we’d been cutting through on a diagonal path and all was well.

From there, we went back to the hotel & then hit Bourbon St. I was determined for Ric to have one (many) Tooters & also ride the Mechanical Bull. Therefore our first stop was Razoo & as the night turned out, it was there we stayed for the entire evening. It took a little convincing for Ric to have his 1st Tooter but after that, there were a few more had over the evening.
Rebecca, from our New Orleans crew, ended up meeting up with us as she knocked off work early but unfortunately Chainsaw went straight home! So there we were, on a Monday night on Bourbon St & it’s pretty quiet…

Myself & Rebecca - note how the glasses match the theme of my T-Shirt...!

Ric, Hayley (our Bouncer appointed "Tooter" to keep an eye on) & myself.

Then this International Corporate Convention of ??? Workers swamp the bar. They’re already pretty messy but it draws all the people Ric & my age to us & before we know it, we kinda end up being the life of the party…! Partly because of our “adorable”, “cute” & “when you say that, it sounds SO funny” accents & also because we weren’t in suits, over 40 with obvious wedding bands & trying to sleeze onto anything that moved!! Even the Tooter waitresses sought us out for solitude & one of the really, big, really mean Bouncers befriended us & asked us too “look after the girls, they been makin’ some complaints about dese guys. ‘ppreciate it.”

Ric & I being "British".... don't ask!!

Well, there’s not that much left to report about our first night out, just that Ric didn't get to ride the mechanical bull as we ended up being quite happy holding court @ Razoo's!! We met a great bunch of people, had an absolute rocking night, got a few Tooters here & there on the House & had an absolute ball - all thanks to an intoxicated, dumb, ignorant, rude & obnoxious bunch of Corporate Highflyers!! Thank you gents, thank you very much!!

Ric & his angels, ??? (LHS), Hayley (top) & Elissa (RHS).

There’s no way on Earth that the hangover we were busily creating could have any effect on our 1030am flight to New York the next day…..

The Illness Of The Bruddas

A great bumper sticker we found in Fairmont, West Virginia.

Well hello. This update is written for you ‘live’ from JFK Airport, New York as part of a wonderful 3.5hr delay en route to San Francisco… Wait, it gets better. I spent all day Saturday in bed, having gone to bed approx 11pm on Fri & waking up on Sat arvo @ 3pm. Spent Sunday rugged up, surfing the Net & watching movies in the common room of the hostel whilst Ric ventured out & explored. The most frustrating thing being that I was supposed to be showing him Bleeker St on Sat night… (tear!) I now feel better, not best, & Ric has ‘that’ look about him!! What is it with me being sick in NY..? Do I dare mention that the current show @ The Joyce had to have their Wardrobe Mistress rushed to hospital to have her appendix out - the same thing that happened to Gabby, Tango Fire’s piano player…. And no, I’m not joking…. Seriously!!

Anyhoo, what better way to pass a 3hr delay, a 6hr flight & 2.5hrs of laptop battery than prepping a delightfully witty, informative & ever so insightful Blog entry. (Man I set myself some mighty tasks!)

Giz working his way through a bowl of Gumbo.

Well, Lafayette, our final show of the Tour, which was a One Night Stand was scheduled for a 5pm curtain up… And we usually arrive at the venue at 11am for either a 7.30 or 8pm show… So, do some simple math and you come to the conclusion that we should be at the venue by 8.30am… Factor into the equation that Lafayette is 2.5hrs from New Orleans and you have to be leaving by 6am at the latest… 5.45am lobby call (Argentine 0600) and there’s your alarm going off at 5.15am on the LAST DAY OF THE TOUR…! None of us had ever been to Lafayette but they were definitely on the backfoot with us already!!!

The Bourbon Cowboy - The Home Of The Bull!!

Of course, because we arrived at a different time, the general routine that Dan & I had went kinda out the window. Nowdays, it’s generally hang all our soft goods, I bounce focus Pipe 4 & build the table pracs and then we eat… instead we just had coffee! Beh! The day didn’t go that badly overall & to top it all off they had a Strand 300 Series Console - which messed with my head a little come plotting time as 1) I was tired, 2) I knew Ric was en route to New Orleans from Detroit, 3) I had been working in ETC world for the past 2 months. Come show time, the show came up really well, the spot ops nailed each & every snap/bump to black together - which made me even happier!! Dan & I were operating from out in the auditorium and the way the desks were set up, we basically had to stand to operate. That ended up in the two of us dancing and bopping away to the last show of the Tour!! Was kinda funny & was definitely the opposite end to the day than earlier expected or that I felt Lafayette deserved…!

A day version of the frozen Mississippi...

Unlike the end of the UK Tour, there was no Company organised drinks… could have had something to do with the fact that the last hotel room the Company had their End Of Tour Drinks - Basingstoke, there was a little bit of a damage bill (cost us $50/person)! No smashing of TV sets or anything like that, just red wine stains, chips & peanuts crushed into the carpet etc. The only reason we had ended up having it in one of the hotel rooms was that the venue had double booked the room where we were supposed to have drinks…

….So! In Lafayette the Presenter took us out ot a Mexican restaurant and gave us a decent feed as well as 1 free drink each & then 2 4 1 house margaritas. Of course, by the time we loaded out, the restaurant was only open for about an hour & a half. Not happy with the fizzle to the end of the Tour, Dan & I wandered down to the local servo & bought a mixed case & took it back to the hotel & invited the Company down. For the first half hour or more, it was just the two of us… Did we over order on the beer…? Then some of the gang started to arrive & it was all the people we didn’t expect!! Javier & Nelson didn’t show but it ended up being quite a cool night. We listened to a whole heap of Argentine music & they downloaded a whole heap of Argentine comedy clips off YouTube. They were all in the same vein as the D-Gen would do - “The Olden Days”, “Bargarse” etc. They were actually quite funny, covering Harry Potter, Spiderman, Terminator..!!

Andres, me, Mariela, Jorgelina, Jarvier, Celeste, Pablo & Bettiana.

Well, that officially wraps up the US leg of the Tour - I could tell you many stories of how we awoke the next morning blah, blah, blah but it basically ended up with me bidding everyone farewell at New Orleans Airport @ approx 11am & then hitching a ride into town, on the bus to meet up with Ric…

The real adventures starts….. NOW!

The Tour Winds Down & The Techs Wind Up

Dan, Wil, Cole & myself

For myself & Dan, we've had a good run of crews to wind up the tour - not just in regards to the venues themselves but in regards to coming out and having a few beers. In Danville, Kentucky we witnessed and almost nearly took part in Kareoke Country Style - I was going to sing "The Gambler" by Kenny Rodgers but by the time I had enough Dutch Courage, the playlist was full & final!! Wil, one of our techs, got up & sang 'Black' by Pearl Jam - complete with knee bends & authentic yowl!! Was a really interesting night out.

The only other really memorable thing about Danville was waking up at 0100 to the Tornado Warning aka Siren!! Which, although not scary, is scary when you have no idea where the basement is and there's a decent pool forming in your hotel room from all the rain pouring in from under the door!! The rain was bucketing down, on all angles and the wind was howling!! The next day we found out that 45 people had died due to numerous tornado's in numerous local counties.... May they rest in peace.

The tour wound up in Louisianna - firstly in New Orleans & then Lafayette. As our Tour Sched goes in regards to missing local events, we arrived in New Orleans approx 28hrs after Mardi Gras finished..! D'oh!! Oh well, them's the breaks!! It was also interesting seeing New Orleans after Katrina & actually meeting people who were affected by it. A few of the crew lost their houses - they saw their houses 40 odd feet under water... Alot of local New Orlean-ians had moved away into local counties or across State lines.

There is definately a sense of pride within the community. They are even even promoting to themselves - as in there are numerous billboards stating that "We're Back In Business", "2nd Store Now Re-Opened". The town has quite a relaxed feel to it. It has inklings of Melbourne about it. There are still parts of New Orleans that are still devestated & there are Tent Cities underneath the Interstate where families reside, still awaiting shelter. There was also a sombre mode over the whole Tour Bus as we drove past the Superdome...

Where we were performing, Dixon Hall, was the only theatre left in New Orleans that wasn't either wiped out or still under major repair. The lower seating was a different colour & had been replaced due to water damage. The crew were a good bunch & in amongst them, we found the US version of Kevy O'Brien. It was Toad in the UK from Malvern & here, in New Orleans, we found Chainsaw. He was a great character to meet & then he and Rebecca, one of the spot ops, took us out for a night out on Bourbon Street....

Christian, me, Rebecca, Dan & Chainsaw

Bourbon St is basically like Koh San Rd in Thailand - both are areas that are unlike anything I've experienced in Australia. It is basically a long street that has bar after bar after bar after... There is a tonne of live music around. Some of it is pretty decent & some of it is loud, drunk 'pub' kinda rock. The first thing we had to do was try both a 'Hand Grenade' & a 'Hurricane' - 2 local drinks. I didn't ask but I'm assuming the 'Hurricane' was made after Katrina..? The 'Hand Grenade' was kinda like a Midori Illusion, nice but not really my style. The 'Hurricane' was... Pretty much like a Long Island Iced Tea but with red soda/cordial as the mixer... Dangerous but quite nice.

Razoo was the place where Chainsaw & Rebecca

unleashed a true New Orleans style carnage upon us - mainly in the form of 'Tooters'. We were told that we had to have a shot from the bar, to which we agreed. We got to select our shot from a rack of test tubes. Once I'd selected one the bar girl pulled out the tube and I went to reach for the tube but the girl hoped up onto the bar - at this point I was thinking "the bar is quite wide but I'm sure she could just pass it to me" - and then she put the round edge of the tube into her mouth, put her hand on the back of my head, lowered her head til it was lower than mine, lined up the open end of the tube with my mouth and then raised her head up & emptied the shot down my throat!

And from there on in, a true Bourbon St experience was born! Chainsaw spun a story to one of the Tooter waitresses (they walk around with trays all evening) that Dan was an Aussie Celebrity, possibly from a band. Chainsaw made the lead, Rebecca backed him up, Dan started to get embarrassed and walked away so I decided to join in the game. The Tooter Girl started to ask me questions about how Dan was 'famous' & then determined, and unfortunately this is true, that "you don't look like you'd be in a band" (few seconds of gears whirring) "Ooooooh, you must be his minder!! Oh my God!! Where did he go...?" Game on! The more embarrased Dan got, the more he behaved like a celebrity wanting privacy!! Gold!!

Next stop was the Bourbon Cowboy where I did something that I always knew I'd try if I ever came upon one... a Mechanical Bull. It was $5 for three attempts & my third attempt, can be viewed here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmTkdRj2RAM !! Aparantley my efforts weren't too bad!! Either way, I was quite impressed with my efforts!!

One of the main things I enjoyed about New Orleans was the food - it was different & it had flavour!! Gumbo, jimbalaya, red beans & rice & SO many other things. It wasn't unitl here that I realised that SO much other American chow is pretty much the same - everywhere!! Alot of it has to do, I think, with the fact that there appears to be very few supermarkets or places where you can buy fresh produce. Also as we've mostly been eating in Diners so it's been pretty standard fare everywhere we go. The Mexican in California was GOLD but pales to 2nd after Louisianna tucker. High up there on the list!!

Anyway, that's enough of me rambling for the mo'. A full photo entry to follow & then more to come about New Orleans as I meet up with my Brother and we begin a whole new chapter....

Going Back To Theatre Basics!

Well, Fairmont, West Virginia nearly takes the cake from St Albans in the UK as being a bad, bad town to tour through! Troy, their main & only tech guy said that we shouldn’t even be in the venue & I tended to agree with him. The venue was basically the same style & shape as the Studio Theatre back from my Ballarat Uni days!! Troy was like Leo Getz - the Joe Pecsci character from the Leathal Weapon movies - even in look & kept going “Ok, Ok!” He wasn’t at fault & went out of his way to ensure that Dan & I were getting something remotely to what we wanted & needed. He even hired in a whole new mini PA (sound system) for Dan!! Still, every time I hit the ‘Go’ button on the console, a lovely hum carried through the speakers until the que had completed!! Nice!


The show was very well received & just goes further to strengthen the moral of theatre - that the audience is seeing it for the 1st time & doesn’t know that it should look & sound better, that there is limited to no production elements at all. The clincher for me was I was controlling the 2 x Spots thru the desk!! I hate doing this!! Being on a Spot, you should be in control, then you have the subtlety of fading in & out. Hated it, absolutely hated it!!


The other true American experience we were hoping to be a part of on the Sunday when we arrived in Fairmont was watching the Superbowl in a sports bar. Yelling & screaming & barracking for the New York Giants out of respect for the Joyce crew. Denied!! There ain’t much in Fairmont & sports bars that are accessible to our hotel… don’t even think about it!!


So we took over the hotel bar, changed both TV sets to the Superbowl & made our own fun. The waitress was annoyed that she was working as she was supposed to have gone home but had to stay back to cover someone who had called in sick so, as she said, “I ain’t no good at making drinks so standby for generous pours. Tonight you’re drinking the profits!” And how!! Finally a ray of sunshine in the desolate wasteland….


It was the first time I’d watched a full match & although I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t race to watch another. 1st half was fairly slow but the last 5-10mins of the 2nd half was insane! It looked like the New England Patriots, who were undefeated the entire season & were aiming to be the 2nd team ever to have a ‘perfect season’, were going to win & then the New York Giants quarterback, Eli Manning, threw a massive pass & the game turned. Booya!!


Tis all for now but stories of mechanical bulls, Tooters, Gumbo, the whole New Orleans rxperience & meeting up with my little Brother for our "vacation" awaits....!!

Tango Tech Reflects

Well, there generally comes a time on tour when one sits back & takes a long, hard look at ones self, life, future & re-evaluates. This here, be one of those times - en route by bus from Fairmont, West Virginia to Danville, Kentucky.

Don’t get scared, it’s not bad news, just that I’ve had a little more time with only my thoughts since losing my ‘lounge room’ @ Atlanta! The music is the thing I miss the most. Whiling away the hours, listening to tunes that remind me of events, people & places, which in turn, reminds me of other music. I guess also for me, having everything in storage, the music is the only area or part of life that identifies me. Combine that with the loss of the Passport & one has to wonder…. Am I being erased…?

The tour has been a lot of fun & there are more developments ahead in the direction that ‘Tango Fire’ may take. The ‘09 sched is looking like I’d be away pretty much most of the year. I’ve made the commitment to stay as Tango Tech until this time next year, which is what was known/scheduled when I was offered the gig. I guess that’s where this ‘Passage Of Reflection’ is born from : do I now look to extend my Journeyman role and be of ‘no fixed address’ for the next 2 years before staking a claim on a piece of land and finally unpacking my suitcase…?

I don’t in anyway regret the decision to resign form the Arts Centre & a very safe & secure lifestyle that I had no complaints about. I had been saying for a year or so that I felt like there was a year of change coming & it my friends, has truly arrived!! The risk of resigning was huge in regards to if the Tour folded or I hated it but, thankfully neither has happened. After my one month jaunt with my brother & about a month in Aus, we next head out to Latvia, Spain & Holland before touring Aus & New Zealand but unfortunately bypassing Melb & Hobart.

In a certain way, there also seems to be tension in the air. Not all the time but there’s a definite extra something palpable in the air at times. It’s not from any one person or event and as I’ve reported before, I feel more accepted, more of an amigo to the Company than I ever have before, so it’s a weird feeling. Guess that’s what maybe putting me slightly off kilter at the moment.

There’s been certain days where I know that I haven’t been my normal self. Toni, our Tour & Company Manager, picked up quite early in the UK Tour that if I’m quiet, something’s wrong. When I am quiet - and those moments are few & far between, it’s not that I’m unhappy per se, but that something’s on my mind, that I’m processing or digesting something. Even for me, I know that ‘that’ mood has been more apparent this tour & I can’t put my finger on it. Hence why it probably circles around & is more tangible.

After New York I had what could best be described as a decent bout homesickness for a week or so. Not that I didn’t want to be on the tour or that I longed for my bed, a house, close proximity to summer sun, fun & beer @ at a BBQ but something else. Most likely that the brain had finally processed the finality of locking the Storage Garage Door 3 days before departing Australian shores for the US.

I’m not going to lie & say that I don’t miss my family & friends because I do. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology though, an “Aussie Quick Fix” is never that far away. I also know that I have had an incredible & enviable opportunity placed before me, one which I’m enjoying immensely - well, save St Albans, UK & Fairmont, USA! (Fairmont Blog entry to follow!) A prime example of this is Dan, Jorgelina (pronounced : Hor-hor-lean-a) & I coming back to the bus after lunch today & Jorge starting to sing “Barbara Anne” by the Beach Boys & then the three of us sliding across the asphalt, clicking our fingers and singing appallingly. Those moments are definitely the ones that will always be the memories you take away from experiences like these. There’s no judging, no questions asked. You either back that person up in their moment of madness or let them carry on.

As I’m sure I mentioned back in the UK Blog entries, on tour you do work tightly as a unit. You tell people things that usually take years of friendship to tell. You live, eat & breath with each other pretty much until you go to bed. Deep bonds form with people quite quickly. These new amigos of mine are a great group to tour with & there’s not a bad egg in the bunch.

Has this entry been in vain..? Have I made you all panic that I’m some kind of newly developed manic depressive…? Has it been good to verbalise (technically speaking) my inner monologue…? Yes, yes it has!

You don’t need to worry, I’m still the fun loving, happy go-lucky guy that I always was, just having an internal Dr Phil moment!!

Coast To Coast & Up & Down

The frozen Mississippi River! Was right out the back of our hotel in Madsion!!

It was SO cold that Dan wrote "Fire" in water & it froze on contact with the concrete! It was this weird 'dry' ice. No moisture in it at all! Ice graffiti!!

Working hard in Bermuda.....!!

We are going every which way on this Tour. We’ve gone coast to coast & know we’re zig zagging our way through middle & southern America. Doing some legs by bus - anywhere between 2 & 8hrs - or flying - 2-5hrs! Sometimes it’s a combination of both! Like today, we’re flying to Detroit (2.5hrs) & then it’s a 2hr bus ride to Clinton Township! Hurrah! It does mean that we get the evening off & can actually have a decent meal. There has been talk of a bunch of us having a poker night… $5 of small coin & winner takes all! Just need to find some playing cards!!

Exploring Bermuda!!

Bermuda was great. We were basically treated like celebrities with drivers & the accommodation….! Oh my! The nicest place I have ever stayed - equals with Kata Beach Resort in Thailand. This place was insane. So very opulent & well above my station in life - especially as I was there as a grotty theatre tech & didn’t have any Ralf Lauren or Gucci to my name!! The bar staff seemed to like us as we were normal people, not rich & stuck up. Dan, Lynda & I entertained one of the barmen one night by 'Shoo-wop"dancing to The 4 Tops & doing all the back-up vocals! We were highly entertaining!!

Bakersfield & Pastrami @ it again!!

Beach Cat!! Follwed us around on the beach for ages! Was very affectionate. Never seen a cat so comfortable around water.

I think that the best part about our accomm was the Arcade downstairs - a treasure trove of wonderful electronic toys! The highlight was of course finding arcade machine versions of Mario Kart!! Those of you who have ever owned a Nintendo 64 know what I mean! Full, life sized versions! It was GOLD! Unfortunately there were only 2 machines but they did link up & it was loads of fun. Many a quarter was spent!! They also had a pool table which was given a decent work out too. It was a great way to kick back & relax with the Argentines and build on our Spanish & English. One night we followed it up with a sauna/spa @ 2am!!

Knoxville, Tennessee was where our crew was like “The Good Ol’ Boys’” from The Blues Brothers. They had the drawl going & it was our first, true change of accent whilst in America. They were great though & there were 4 Tim’s working on stage! It was quite comical. It was pretty cold there but not freezing per se. It was also the first time in awhile that the spots were actually bright. A few places we’ve played now use a standard stage lamp & they just don’t cut it, especially once you get further away form stage.

In Atlanta, Georgia we brought more snow with us!! First time in 5 years it had snowed!! Neil, their head tech was a great guy. Both Dan & I had the inkling that he was gay & that he fancied me..! He commented on both my aftershave & t-shirt within the first 10mins of meeting him! It was quite flattering & he provided me with one of the best effects for the show. We generally hang a set of red legs (like a curtain) downstage but they didn’t have enough bars. Neil suggested lighting the proscenium arch or outline of the stage! Their pro arch was angled in & framed the stage quite nicely. We lit it & it was such a cool look.

For Portland, Oregon, we started to feel the cold like we’ve never experienced before. We were being presented there by the only Dance Presenters on the West Coast - White Feather. The name comes from the big, white bird that the two co-founders of the Company own! They invited us to one of the Board Of Directors houses where they provided us with a fabulous meal. It was quite a nice night to be in a home, not a hotel & actually see the food being cooked. Not that we’ve been eating badly but to have a home cooked meal, in a house was such an energy boost - for the whole company.

Justin, the Head Tech of the venue was probably one of the best Crew Chiefs we’ve encountered. He had that Sopranos/Goodfellas thick Italian accent & he definitely was a wise guy! Cracking those deadpan jokes & then giving you that knowing wink or look! Squatch on the rail was a huge guy but definitely a gentle giant. They were a great bunch who were really accommodating & were keen & eager to get the job done. Whilst there, I met up with my Dad’s cousin, Maggie & her husband John & got them tickets to the show. I was only able to catch up with them for approx 45mins before the show & couldn’t see them afterwards as we had to load out. This was also the town where I bought my new laptop & camera.

From here we headed down to California where we dined out on really good Mexican. We played in La Jolla & Irvine & I feel really bad but I can’t remember the Irvine crew right now…!! They must have been good because you always remember the bad! La Jolla crew were good but we were tight for time. It wasn’t the crew’s fault though. The Production Manager form their end had basically not really been communicating clearly with the venue staff so we were behind the eight ball as soon was walked in the door. Kat, the Chief Electrician worked her ass off to get us there. It was kind of scary not even starting my focus until quarter past four - usually about the time I’ve commenced plotting & setting up the cues!! I operated Act 1 off subs managed to plot the cues for Act 2. We held doors for 5mins whilst I finished off Act 2! Then Johannes - the bad Production Manager - proceeded to give both Dan & myself notes during the show…. Get the fark away from me! It was too loud, more bass was needed, the smoke/haze should turn off now, that should be brighter…! I nearly turned around during Act 1 and punched him! Luckily, the next day was Disneyland & all our tension was rollercoasted away!!

We then moved down (or is it across?) to La Crosse & Madison, Wisconsin. Man, that brought some cold weather!! Zoowee! It was definitely time to break out the thermals!! Bitterly cold & the windchill took it too minus 35deg for us..! If you had any exposed skin, you could literally feel it start to dry up & then freeze. We’ve become used to seeing snow & ice everywhere & have all but given up hope of a cold beer in the sun & chomping on a snag from the barbie!! Jack, our main tech in Madsion was a funny guy and was desperate to have a beer with is after the show - which we did! He said that it’s very rare they get a “fun crew in”!! He took us to a bar called ‘Bodega’ which had over 400 beers!! We got few some but fell way short of the 400!

"Bodega", the scene of much merriment!!

Jack, myself & Dan.

Minneapolis gave us our first real taste of a Union Crew - "if that don’t fall under my job

description, I ain’t doing it!" We’ve had other union houses & you are warned that they’re like this but these guys & gals were a pain in the ass! Most other houses have been fine & it is better to be prepared for the worse cause then it’s never as bad as anticipated - expect in Minnie! They were slow & just down right annoying! I was getting grumpy along the way. It is also @ that part of the tour where setting the show up again does start to grate the nerves & these guys were grating them raw!! One of my personal hates on stage is crew sitting by when there’s work to be done. Due to the demarcation line between depts I couldn’t utilise the extra bodies as I slipped behind schedule! RARRRRRRRRRR! BUT… the show ended coming up a treat & we played to over 3,500 people! It was a huge hall & we basically sold it out!

Turns away most gun weilding maniacs I would think....?

Moving on down to Michigan, we had a great day in Clinton Township. The crew & venue were prob one of the best combinations we’ve encountered on the road. Dan was loving the sound system, I loved the way the crew worked & how effortlessly things were achieved. Anthony focused their FOH Wash effortlessly - as it should be. Basically the whole crew came out for lunch with us. There were laughs & much fun was had over the day. The main highlight was definitely the Snowball War! Every time we hop off the bus & there’s snow, no matter where we are, a snowball war erupts! Mariela fights dirty & has, on numerous occassions, put snow down Dan & I’s backs as we load their costumes etc. We literally deputised the entire crew, told their Boss that it was sanctioned by Dan & myself & then laid in wait with an arsenal for Mari to get off the bus!! Of course, after about 3 snowballs were thrown, most of the Company was ducking & weaving - as were us Techs!! Good, clean, honest & cold fun!! Unfortunately the crew all had a 0500 call the next morning for a load in of a kids show but Michelle, the Head LX, still managed to meet us for a drink until 0200 after they loaded us out… She would have been pretty tired & resulka (hungover!) 3hrs later!!

Dan, myself & Carolina pointing out our arsenal!!

Well, that’s enough for now! Quite a long one but I think I’ve covered most of it!! Have completed writing this in Fairmont, West Virginia (worth of a WHOLE Blog entry to itself!) & now must go to bed! Thank you avid reader & catch ya again soon.

Where the snowball is exploding - that's the back of my head!!

SSS Tango Fire - Your Airport Chaos Is Ready For Immediate Delayed Departure

The US has dealt me a second blow! The zipper on my bag busted the other morning as I was packing to head downstairs for the bus. It wasn’t overloaded, it just broke. When we collected our bags @ Minneapolis, my bag had copped a beating form the bag handlers - one of my padlocks had a huge gouge out of it and there was some small tears in the outer coating of the bag. All in all it was still functional so I didn’t make a complaint. I’m thinking that during the rough treatment that the zip was damaged & after I opened it, it was too never close again…!
Luckily we were travelling by bus. Had it been a plane ride, I pretty much would have been screwed! I now have a nice, new suitcase - one that I didn’t need! It sucked having to leave the other suitcase behind as it was a gift from the crew @ the Arts Centre before I left for the UK Tour. It did come with a lifetime guarantee but that’s at home & travelling a broken bag isn’t really an option! Beh!

The US is on ‘Amber Alert’ at the moment & all 20 of us Tango Firey’s are automatically deemed ‘suspicious’ because we only have a one way ticket. SSS appears on all our Boarding Passes & ta-da, welcome to Special Security Search! It’s the full baggage search, pat down, swab & time waste for us! It’s comical with the kids (what I call the cast) - especially the ones who don’t have as fluid English as the others. But, we’re all used to it now as it’s been happening over the last number of flights.

Checking in & then Baggage Claim are two of the funniest & also most frustrating times on tour. We all have our personal bag & then each person also checks in a Show Suitcase. Basically, we arrive at the airport & then 20 people & 40 odd pieces of luggage - plus carry on - burst into the Terminal. It’s a special kind of Argentine chaos - kill-om-bow (don’t know the spelling!).

We basically break every single airport rule that plays on repeat over the speakers. Bags are abandoned. Lots of yelling. Play fights & pushing & shoving. Cutting queues. Running around in a panic because your bag isn’t in the same place you abandoned it 5mins ago. Taking fluids, lighters & other assorted banned items through Security. Taking items from other people & placing them in your bag. Oversized & incorrect carry on luggage. We basically work as a team, with each person causing their own, unique & independent carnage, oblivious to the others, totally more important than your average citizen & with the blinkers on of “Must check in”.

Baggage claim is similar but slightly more scary as there has been times where I have not seen my bag but either Toni or Dan assures me that “it’s on that trolley” & point off into the distance. So far, they’ve been right…! But I’ve done the same to them! It’s a whole new level of trust, especially after loosing the laptop etc.! Tango Fire is a chaos that appears to have no structure but by each of us following our own independant & carefree routine each time, that is where the order & structure comes from… I think… That, or we’re just lucky… So far…. I think...

(Sorry no photos this time around! Tis a tad late & have to set the show up AGAIN tomorrow but there will be more happy snaps soon!)