The Staind show was moved to Huxleys Neue Welt as they sold so many tix they were too big for the Columbia fritz club.
Aaron does NOT mind people filming their shows. He showed me loads of videos of his band on youtube and said I could film what he calls the "last song" as in, he comes out for the encore alone, with an acoustic guitar and sings without a microphone or amp, nothing, just singing. Takes a while to get the rowdy crowd to be quiet so they can hear him sing.. The song he is singing in this video is called "Intro"
STAIND "INTRO"
"thank you to the people in my life for putting up with me and thank you for the time you sacrificed all on account of me
[chorus]
for all the times i didn't say the times i didn't say for all the times i didn't say the times i didn't say
fuck you to the jaded and the fake like to see what you would do fuck you and the judgements you make we're not all perfect just like you, like you, like you
[chorus]
all the times i didn't say [x2] thank you to the people in my life for putting up with me"
Aaron stood in the EXTREME cold weather for at least 45 minutes signing autographs for dedicated fans. I got fed up after ten minutes and waited on the bus, I can't stand that cold whipping post weather..brrrrrrrrrrrr Key West, I miss you so!
Once he got on the bus, the whole band, apart from the bassist and the crew all went to the Hard Rock Cafe to watch the Super Bowl.
Mike ^ the guitarist, me and drummer Jon and Fran, band video/photographer holding the Pittsburgh Steelers "terrible towel" lol
Mike HATED that towel as he was routin' for Arizona. Jon, Fran and a few others were for Pittsburgh. I didn't give a toss as I hate American Football. Too much padding and stop and go. I prefer Soccer and then Basketball. I don't get why they call it "Football"when they are allowed to use their hands. It's just plain padded Rugby. Padding is for pussies (and bras)
We were the loudest fucking group in the place. There was NO doubt in the German's minds we were all yanks. (one roadie was from the UK).
For-mentioned ^ roadie, Aaron and production manager/sound man/stage manager, erm, think his name is Scott? Matt? I am bad with names! I communicate mostly with the tour manager who stayed behind with the bassist. BAD WITH NAMES I am. sigh.
That's pretty much all I have in me to write. Hurricane Staind came to town for two days and I am BEAT. It was well worth the fatigue though 🙂
This is a continuation of my Key West winter 2008 blog. Part one is HERE
(and I wrote about Key West a couple years ago too, if you want to see that BLOG )
Video I made of this trip ^
So, I am staying at one of the Heron House hotels in Key West. GORGEOUS and expensive (the whole area is super pricey). I asked for the quietest room they have and I got the loudest room you can possibly have the first night. If you like quiet, do NOT stay in room 42 of the Heron House. It is directly over the office and the gate and doors are slammed every few seconds. AND it smells of serious mold. They moved me the next morning into another room which is extremely silent, no smells at all and is heaven on earth (squeaky wheel always gets the oil). This above is room 42. Awesome location, but as I said, smelly and loud (but very clean). Manager said most places smell of mold down here as it's so humid.
My feet are loving the sunshine and fresh air. If I could only find a massage here..
I can't believe how big the tits are in the store mannequins here. wtf? The times they are a changin'
Above ^ Duvall street, which is said to be the longest street in the usa (but I heard that about a street in Manchester, NH too.. hmmmm.
I've been here pretty much every night since I have been here. Creature of habit, microphone whore. This place has karaoke every night and the sound and crowd, are kickin'. If you like seafood, you will love it here, but I hate it and stick to the salad.
Brian is the Karaoke DJ, originally from Connecticut (one of the many that "escape" to Key West and start a new life). The dark haired guy got nuts singing "touch me" by the Doors and ripped his shirt off (amazing abs) but the bouncer made him get his top back on right away, booo! hissssss! He is from Ohio and came with his two female buddies (below). I hung out with them but I forget everyone's names.
Originally from Ohio, these cuties now live in Ft. Meyers Florida (they came together with the dark haired fellow up above). I will give them nick names and choose characters from Sex and the City that most suit their personalities. The girl on the left in the brown top would be Carrie, girl on the right (who can sing her ASS off) would be Charlotte for sure. Dark haired bloke, well, he would be Smith. Me? Samantha, of course (apart from the fact I HATE fashion).
Look how sweet Charlotte's feet are.
Even though Charlotte (and Carrie) is a school teacher and dresses really prim and proper, she was whipping that games ASS. Seems like she is no stranger to the rifle. Her voice by the way, is like butter.
Continuing along with the Sex and the city name game, this would be Mr. Big (aka Roderick easier to remember a GIANTS name) sitting on the biggest tree I have ever seen. He joined us. He is from Holland and is about 6' 4" so he towered over us, like this tree. LOTS of Europeans in Key West. LOADS. You would think it would be predominantly Latinos because Key West is closer to Cuba than it is to Miami, but it's not. In fact, Miami is loaded with Spanish speaking folks; not so in Key West. The music scene is really different too. I HATED Miami (lots of disco/techno/house music) and well, I was in on South Beach and it was just a heaving meat market which is fine for some, but I didn't like the vibe. Everyone is too perfect, too on display, too competitive. In Key West, people chill and the music, well, old time rock and roll rules. A bit too much Jimmy Buffet but it comes with the territory. In NYC you hear too much Sinatra; in Key West it's Mr. Buffet. (not a fan of either, although I do respect them).
Me looking like a snotty Fag Hag ^ shopping with Mr. Big (who looks a LOT like a German friend I know named Tarzan).
Typical sight on Duvall street. Anything for a buck. Naked Cowboy, look out, you have competition.
Actually, now that I think about it, I am SURE the real Naked Cowboy goes South for the winter (can't imagine him standing in Times Square at this time of year). THIS picture of the real Naked Cowboy actually looks like he is standing on Duvall street..
Duvall street ^
Duvall street has LOADS of performers, beggars, tarot card readers, body painters, tourist, BARS, shops and homeless folks who left their lives behind to live in which most people call Paradise. The homeless are kind of a drag as if you don't give them spare change, they snap at you and give you shit (try loudly to make you feel guilty). If you are here for a week, you can't give everyone on Duvall street spare change that asks you, or you will soon be on Duvall street begging for spare change too (same thing with Haight street in San Fran)
Most every bar down here has live music all day and all night, 7 days a week and this band was taking a break but their mascot was keeping the guitar case warm. CUTE!
There are free roaming roosters/chickens every where you look and listen here. They are protected by the law and some hate them and some love them. They crow all the time and I think it's sweet, but the locals seem to consider them irritating pests. You will also see several Geckos, Lizards and Cats walking around. This place is like a little zoo. purrrrrrrrrrrr.
A few blocks from my hotel is one of the beaches (Key West is an island, but some areas only have boats- no beach). Anyways, I walked here thinking I could have a swim, but instead I felt I was invading the homeless folks private beach. You can see them napping and hanging around and the men were trying their best to chat me up and get me to hang out and give them money and/or food but I had neither of those on me and just kept walking. They look really weathered and smell of alcohol, I feel really bad for them and wonder what each one's story is. Where they are originally from? How long have they been here? I read in a book I bought called "Quit your job and move to Key West" by Christopher Shulz that the "homeless get around $100 per day so don't feel bad for them as they earn as much as most bartenders do"
Lots of rich people come to play here. They spend their winters here and park their yachts in this area. Big contrast going on. Wealth and homeless. It HAS to get you thinking. If not you are surely numb.
Salt water, I love thee.
I met lots of people here so far and this cutie ^ is one of the hottest women I have ever seen. She is from Russia and a bartender at Ricks. GORGEOUS.
I think Rick's is where all the pretty ^ people hang out (Key West attracts lots of Gay men- I wonder if he is or not?) "How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?" The Beatles
Lori, a native (aka Conch) loves karaoke too and she and I have been singing together almost nightly since I have been here. I had originally planned to come with a few girlfriends (co-workers too) but no one could get time off or cough up the dough for hotel/flights so I followed through and came alone. BEST way to meet people is to go alone. It doesn't bother me one bit to be alone. I recently told one of my closest friends that I am never lonely or bored and he said "that sounds so cold!". What the fuck ever. If you are happy in your own skin, love your life and have enough to keep you busy, you shouldn't have time to get bored or lonely. Clingy, dependent and lonely does not suit me. Am I a freak? If so, oh well, I am a freak. I don't get lonely or bored. PERIOD. This doesn't mean I don't miss certain loved ones when I am not with them, it just means I enjoy the moment. If that is wrong, then I guess I am wrong. But I can't/won't change.
The bouncer at Two Friends is from Georgia (the country). I showed him the pic of me and his President and since then he has been spoiling me. He asked me to pose with him and also wanted a copy of the pic of his President and I to show his friends back home. Super nice guy.
The DJ at Rick's took this picture of me singing TNT (ac/dc) and just emailed it to me ^
Will work for food?
"there may come a time you can even take your clothes off when you dance" FZ
Exit Only.
Remember how I said no one really notices Christmas down here? Guess I was wrong ^
But overall, this is the best place EVER to avoid Christmas stress. There are LOADS of Jews down here too by the way (they don't do Christmas either! :).. Straight from Israel too. Most of the shops are owned by them. Great time to get deals as no one is spending. I got a great pair of shorts for $5!
My two favorite places to eat here are The Cafe (amazing healthy, mostly Vegetarian place) and "915" which has the best wine in Key West and the food is DELISH. BUT it is pricey.
After reading more of "Quit your job and move to Key West" I thought about it but one thing would prevent me from ever moving there.. NO CONCERTS! There are tiny cover bands in every bar on every corner, but Ac/Dc or Steve Vai, etc, would never come play there as there is simply no venue for that. Closest would be Miami and I wouldn't want to drive 3 hours or catch a flight each time a band I love or have to work on comes to Miami. Pffft. See how much trouble music can cause? ha ha. Just kidding.
I made a few videos and will string them together once I get back to NYC..
Anyways, gotta run, literally- great place for jogging. OH, this place is perfect for rollerblading and bicycling too (you can rent bikes every where as well as mopeds). NO need to rent a car, the island is only 2 miles by 4 miles. Walk it baby.
UPDATE:
I am back home in NYC now and my stomach is still feeling uneasy. UNFORTUNATELY I didn't get to the part of that book I bought until too late, that explains "All drinking water flows into the Florida Keys within a single 36-inch diameter pipe. Kind of like a giant garden hose". It also explains that the water is tainted with Fecal e-coli bacteria, etc.. hello!! I was drinking the tap water most of the time and my belly felt like there was a war going on inside. NOW I know why. SO if you are heading to Key West, please do NOT drink the tap water.
I decided there are 3 reasons I would/could never move there:
1) No rock stars: NO big concerts- the Who or the Stones would/could never play there. No space.
2) Drinking water is dirty. I drink so much water, I would have to get another full time job just to quence my never ending thirst
3) It is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit every day from May – September and the humidity will make you sweat like a pig the second you leave your house- some say without an air conditioner, you would die.
Oh well, guess I will be one of those winter visitors from now on
Got a new Macbook Pro and still have to use Windows on it to do my videos, pics and blogs, but I haven't given up, I will learn and master the Mac (someday).. this is why it's taken me so long to blog again..anyways…
My two German buddies and I went to the Hard Rock Cafe for Thanksgiving dinner. They had never experienced a Thanksgiving before. The Turkey was rather suspicious. They ordered "Turkey Legs" but the waitress told us they only have Breast. Not that they ran out of legs, they simply ONLY serve Turkey Breasts and they expect people to believe that they use REAL, fresh turkey? What do they cut the tits off and bin the rest of the fucking turkey or what? Oh please. It was obvious it was canned Turkey breast. Bitch please. It's 25 euro per person to eat there and you can cranberry sauce, turkey breasts, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and a slice of apple or pumpkin pie. Everything but the suspicious Hard COCK cafe Turkey and the NASTY fucking wine was scrumptious. Note: never ever expect decent wine at a Hard Rock Cafe. They are ALL about cocktails.
The Sage club in Berlin has been around for years. It used to be called the Boogaloo, when I brought Robert Plant there in 1993. I have also brought Bruce Willis there, Pantera and Eminem and D-12 there over the years to party. Hey, I not only massage the artists, I play tour guide too as I speak fluent German and know Berlin better than any other city I know. Anyhow, the owner of the Sage, Sacha, put me on the guest list for VIP passes for a special party. Each Thursday the Sage hosts a Rock and Roll party. LOADS of rock and metal fans pack this club every Thursday. It starts around 11pm and goes onto 8 or 9 am, sometimes until noon. This particular party was a 24 hour party.
I have to laugh when people (Frank Sinatra) calls NYC the "city that never sleeps". I am in NYC and believe me, it fucking sleeps. It's hard to find a rowdy place to go really late at night, whereas Berlin literally parties all day and all night; I'm surprised any work at all gets done in Berlin. Most clubs and bars stay open 24 hours a day. It's really strange. People don't even go OUT until midnight in Berlin. In New England, however, they go out at 7pm and get thrown out of the bar at 1am sharp (in Connecticut they set the bar clocks 20 minutes ahead to get rid of the crowd early) wtf?
Pics I took inside the Sage
Ok, where was I..oh yes, this particular party was a special party. It was the 10 year anniversary party for their "Rock Night". So I simply had to go. When the girls and I got there and parked, the line to get in was outside, all around the block. We were really grateful to be on the VIP list. Yay! All those years of bringing stars to their club finally paid off 😉
Another cool thing about Germany and Berlin in particular is the freedom. They are almost too liberal (trying to make up for a guilty past perhaps?). You can get into any club and bar at age 14 and up. I mean, do these girls look older than 15 to you? Hell no. I have cheese and wine older than these babes. They are cute as fuck though and posed for me in the bathroom. Cuties.
< Andreas, aka Kirion
I love the rockers you meet at the Sage Rock nights. Most other Berliners are into Techno or House, they are so "sprockets"!. I am pretty sure I was drinking with the hottest guys in the whole club. The ladies were leering at me all night. Heh heh. First we have Andreas, aka Kirion (his band name) from Italy. He is the singer of a Black Metal band called Sturmkaiser . He wanted to make it clear, the band plays Black Metal, not Death Metal, which according to him, is much lighter music, as in, for pussies. Black Metal is what Satan himself listens to down in Hell. Whatever. I had fun talking to him and telling him how fucking gorgeous he was and how lucky (or not?) his girlfriend is. I am actually not sure having such a gorgeous, flirty boyfriend would be a good thing. sigh.
I mean, look how fucking good looking he is. It's insane. He enjoyed using up my free drink tickets Sascha (club owner) kept sending my way. The younger girls were hissing and leering from a very close distance. It was amusing and it got even worse when Charlie came to hang out with us….
Charlie Crawford is very very famous in Germany for being a final runner up on their version of "American Idol" called "Deutschland sucht ein Superstar". He was on it until the very end but lost to some other punk. I have known Charlie and his Goddess of a sister for over 2 years. Charlie has a band called "Empty Trash" which is becoming more and more popular. Thing is, Charlie is 19 and Andreas (Kirion) is 23, so it felt fun being the sugar mama of the evening. "don't stand, don't stand so, don't stand so close to me"…
German girls are insane over Charlie. They swoon, scream, push and shove to get near him. It's adorable. Since I've had him in my myspace top friends, I have gotten several emails from random young German girls asking me to hook them up with Charlie. It's insane. lol
Oh what a night. It was perfect apart from the fact it was SOOOOO SMOKEY that I got another lung infection and ended up in bed for two whole weeks on antibiotics (had same problem one year ago). I can hardly fucking wait until the smoking ban takes effect in Berlin (starts Jan. 1st 2008). If it works, Berlin will be even more amazing then it already is.
^ Charile, me and some unknown drunk clown
Busiest bartender in Berlin ^
Just edited a tiny film I made of NYC and spent hours uploading and cropping pics I have taken here in the city and will post them in the next day or so. I am glad Christmas is over and am looking forward to New Years eve (may go see Chris Rock at Madison Square Gardens 🙂
Ok I think it's best I make a few tiny blogs at this point, rather than one giant one. I had a LONG flight to NYC and luckily I sat next to a cheery lad named Bryan. He is from Wisconsin and was in Berlin visiting his girlfriend (who was an exchange student in th USA for one year). She made him a shirt, that he had on, that said "I LOVE STEFFI" with a picture of them two together. The boy is LOVE SICK.
He and I chatted the whole flight and suffered together the WHOLE flight. It's not bad enough that it's 9 hours but they took an extra hour deciding when to fucking take off. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR. We had an empty seat between us so it was ok. Poor kid had to change planes in NYC and missed his connecting flight and had to wait 6 hours for the next flight (he told me this on line). Have you ever seen the flick "planes, trains and automobiles"? You get the drift. HELL.
^ I am wearing a string thong fyi …. (Mein arsch ist 'ne slip fresser)
It doesn't take me long to get back into the swing of things. Hanging out with my gay friends, baring our asses all over the place.. Danny is starting to get into karaoke, like me. He sings Abba "Waterloo" and "Sweet Transvestite" from the Rocky Horror Picture show soundtrack and "I touch myself" by the Dyvinls (sp?). He also belts out "you ain't woman enough to steal my man".
I sang "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse, "Coshise" by Audioslave, "Hurt so good" by John Cougar and"what's love go to do with it" by Tina Turner. Things are rather slow, erm, empty in the city, but I am sure that will change after Labor Day. Then it gets packed again.
^VERY gay
Danny and I ate at my favorite restaurant, the Yaffa Cafe (St. Marks Place). It's open 24/7 and has EVERYTHING. The cooks are outrageous and it's cheap.The gaudy, tacky surroundings keep your eyes busy throughout the meal if you get sick of looking at your dinner date. Perfect for taking pics.
Danny is in school to be a TV writer. We are already working on our first screen play too. My idea, but he will have to write it, as I haven't the time. It's a movie, well, centered around music, that's all I can tell you for now, snap.
I can't believe Danny has never posed at Times Square yet. He almost got run over, pants down and all. Anyways, I am happy to be back in the USA, NYC fucking ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel overwhelmed though, as I have to write my weekly column today and I STILL have not finished my Zappanale blog. UGH!! I have to do it within 48 hours or I will enter "self loathing" territory and won't be able to sleep. If I don't write, I feel constipated. Like posting a big blog makes me feel lighter, you know that feeling I am talking about. Like you just took the BEST dump ever. I am a blog addict. I admit it. It's 7am and the sun is shining and I am STILL UP. Back to my old sleep pattern. The sun is over rated anyways.
Ttyl
x
ps. I got a call from a VIP, so I could be going to Philly this weekend to massage them. Would LOVE to say who it is, but that would jinx it..
