14:32, 20/08/2007

Coolwave (not Heatwave) - tour diary #1

New York - 18/19 August 07

» Pain... 7th Avenue Station, Brooklyn

Don't get me wrong, we love New York to bits and have had a wonderful first couple of days here, but as I recall from movie / TV cliches, it's meant to be stiflingly hot and humid here in August. Not so. The weather is cool, overcast and wet. It's like being in London, with bigger buildings, wider roads and friendlier people. OK, so it's not like being in London at all. Except for the engineering works on the Subway, causing cancellations, diversions and replacement bus services.

So we arrived mid afternoon on the 18th (WARM! SUNNY!) despite the jet lag, we managed to stay conscious and cheerful until 11pm-ish when we played our opening gig of the tour at Otto's Shrunken Head, a rather cosy llittle punked-up Tiki bar in the East Village.

We went to eat delicious Mexican at La Palapa on St Mark's Place after dropping our gear off and amusingly we were both asked for ID when we returned to the venue.

Anyone of my advanced years would find this fact flattering and comical. It wasn't so comical when I realised I had no proof of my age and it looked like the genial bearded guy, Frank, on the door (who is I suspect ever so slightly unhinged and imagines he's in some Special Forces anti underage drinking hit squad) looked like he wasn't going to let me in. Luckily he'd 'heard' that our band was playing that night and let me in after peering at my Visa card and shining his big black flashlight in my face a few times.

Six or seven friends turned up to cheer us on, and we managed to hold the attenton of the other punters for most of our set, though they'd turned up to see the acoustic singer songwriter who was on stage before us and looked like they had never seen anything as loud and scary as us before... Half way through the set Jennie and I both found ourselves flagging badly so we dropped a couple of songs and finished early. The sound? Out front, deafening and clear - 6/10. Onstage? 2/10

We fell asleep in the cab on the way back to our friends Tyler and Kate's pad in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I was sat up front with the driver and have confused memories of being stuck in traffic on the majestic span of Brooklyn Bridge nd listening to deafening hip hop on the cab stereo. I still slept.

Tyler and Kate's cats investigated us in the night and deemed us OK, so we woke with faces intact. I was in more danger as Jennie had the elevation of the futon sofa bed whereas I was on the floor below on a wonderfully squishy air mattress. I woke up at 8 to find the kitten, Ella drinking my bedside water and felt happy to be in beautiful Park Slope.

» Ella

The Sunday we spent ambling around a warm, wet Manhattan, having consumed leiurely brunch at the amazing Freemans restaurant and bar downtown. Shopping was done and Central Park investigated, and found to be teeming with people. We drank two pitchers of Bass in Dojo's near NYU and went to Forever 21 (a cooler Primark) on Union Square to buy excellent cheap clothes. The men's department was like Bloc Party's wardrobe. I found a nice stripey cardigan. $22. Yes!

We went back to Brooklyn, by now pouring with rain, and scoffed a mountain of sushi at the fantastic Blue Ribbon before a nightcap at the loacl French music bar, Barbés.

Bed.

It's 7.30 am on Monday morning as I write this on my air mattress. Jennie's reading the Time Out New York Guide. We play Otto's again tonight at 9pm, so please come if you can.

Then Tuesday it's Philly, Thursday, Madison, then onwards to Chicago. The rain seems to be following us around America, but it's OK. We're on tour. It's a laugh!